Kompetente

Kompetente is an inflected form of the German adjective kompetent, meaning having the necessary skill, knowledge, or ability to perform a task. The term is used in German to describe people, actions, or performances deemed capable. For example: eine kompetente Fachkraft (a competent specialist), kompetentes Personal (competent staff), or eine kompetente Leistung (a competent performance). In German grammar, kompetente appears in several inflection patterns: it is the feminine singular nominative/accusative form after a definite or indefinite article or possessive determiner, and it is also the plural nominative/accusative form when used attributively before a noun (e.g., kompetente Fachkräfte). The masculine singular form is kompetenter, and other forms vary with case and definiteness. In addition, adjectives in German can be nominalized, so phrases like die Kompetenten can refer to a group of competent people as a noun.

Etymology and cognates: kompetent derives from Latin competens, meaning 'fitting, suitable, able to,' via Germanic and Romance language contact. The word has cognates in related Germanic languages, such as Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Dutch, where similar forms express equivalently the sense of qualification or capability.

Usage and nuance: kompetent is typically positive, signaling demonstrated ability rather than mere potential. It is common in professional contexts, comparisons, evaluations, and job descriptions, where the emphasis is on verifiable competence rather than credentials alone.

See also: competence, capable, skill, expertise.