Völlige

Völlige is the attributive form of the German adjective völlig, meaning complete, utter, or absolute. It is used before a noun to express totality or extremity. Like other adjectives in German, its ending is determined by gender, number, case, and the presence of determiners such as articles.

Etymology and meaning: The adjective völligen derives from voll (full) with the suffix -ig, yielding a sense of fullness or completeness. The figurative sense “utter/absolute” has been common in modern German for centuries. The adverbial form is völlig, not völlige, which is reserved for attributive use before a noun.

Declension and usage: In masculine, feminine, and neuter singular with a definite article, the form commonly appears as völlige (der völlige Mann, die völlige Frau, das völlige Auto). With an indefinite article, the endings differ (ein völlig er Mann, eine völlige Frau, ein völliges Auto). In plural, after a definite article one often sees die völligen Geschichten; without an article the strong form is typically völlige Geschichten. In practice, v ollige is most recognizable as the feminine singular and neuter/singular forms before definite articles, while other combinations require the appropriate endings (völliger, völlige, or völliges).

Examples: eine völlige Überraschung, eine völlige Niederlage, der völlige Konsens, das völlige Verständnis, die völligen Bedingungen.

See also: völlig (adverb), Vollständigkeit, Vollkommenheit, and related compounds.

In English, v ollige translates as utterly, completely, totally, or absolute, depending on context. It is primarily a descriptive intensifier for nouns in attributive position.