Wahrsten

Wahrsten is a German adjective form used as the plural superlative of the adjective wahr, meaning true. It occurs before a plural noun when the noun is introduced with a definite determiner that triggers weak declension, such as die, das or der in the plural.

Morphology and usage: In German, adjectives change endings according to number, case, and article type. After a definite article in the plural, the weak ending for the superlative yields die wahrsten …, for example die wahrsten Aussagen (the truest statements) or die wahrsten Beweise (the truest proofs). The base form der wahrste Mann is the masculine singular counterpart, while die wahrste Frau or das wahrste Kind illustrate the singular forms. The plural form wahrsten appears specifically in this definite, plural context.

Examples: Die wahrsten Aussagen des Berichts wurden von der Kommission überprüft. Die wahrsten Beweise sprechen eindeutig gegen diese Behauptung. In these contexts, wahrsten functions purely as a grammatical marker signaling the highest degree of truth among a defined set of items.

Etymology and note: wahr is a long-standing German word meaning true, with cognates across the Germanic languages. The suffix -sten is the standard ending for the plural superlative after definite determiner, yielding forms such as wahrsten. While common in formal or written German, the exact plural superlative form is less frequent in casual speech, where speakers may rely on context or use the singular form der wahrste in corresponding constructions.

See also: German grammar, adjectives, superlatives, truth.