Ruhige

Ruhige is the inflected form of the German adjective ruhig, meaning calm, quiet, or peaceful. In German, adjectives change their endings to reflect gender, number, and case, as well as the presence or absence of articles. The form ruhig becomes ruhige in feminine singular nominative or accusative and in all plural nominative and accusative positions. Neuter singular nominative or accusative takes ruhiges, for example das ruhiges? Wait—no. It’s better to say: the neuter singular form is ruhiges.

Ruhige is commonly used attributively before a noun, without a following article, or after a definite article or other determiner. Examples include eine ruhige Nacht, die ruhige See (less common in everyday speech), and ruhige Gewässer. In plural position, examples are ruhige Städte or ruhige Gewässer. The form helps convey nuance in tone, suggesting absence of noise, gentleness, or a tranquil atmosphere.

The adjective derives from Ruhe, meaning rest or quiet, and has cognates in related Germanic languages. It is frequently paired with nouns denoting environments, sounds, or moods, such as Nacht, Atmosphäre, Wasser, or Stimmung. In usage, ruhig and its inflected forms like ruhige provide stylistic variety beyond simple synonyms for calm.

Related terms include ruhigkeit (less common; more standard is Ruhe) and synonyms such as still, friedlich, and gelassen. In language-learning resources, ruhige is presented as a typical example of German adjective declension for feminine singular and plural forms in simple sentences.