Ungültigem

Ungültigem is the dative singular form of the German adjective ungültig, meaning not valid or invalid. The form illustrates how German adjectives decline according to case, gender, number, and definiteness.

In German, adjectives take different endings depending on whether they are accompanied by a determiner and by the grammatical context. When an adjective appears without a definite determiner (strong declension) in the dative singular, the masculine and neuter form ends with -em, yielding ungültigem. Common examples include phrases like mit ungültigem Ausweis or bei ungültigem Reisepass, where the noun is in the dative case and receives no preceding article.

If a definite article or a determiner is present, the ending changes. For example, with the definite article dem, the adjective in the dative singular masculine or neuter becomes dem ungültigen Ausweis or dem ungültigen Reisepass, respectively. Thus, ungültigem contrasts with the definite-article forms, which typically show the ending -en on the adjective in that position.

Ungültig itself denotes something not legally or actually valid, such as a document, ticket, or status. The specific form ungültigem is therefore primarily encountered in contexts requiring the dative case without a determiner, and it serves as a grammatical marker rather than a fixed lexical item.

Etymology: ungültig combines un- (a negation prefix) with gültig (valid), forming a word meaning invalid. The inflected form ungültigem reflects standard German adjective declension rules.