Weißen

Weißen is the inflected form of the German adjective weiß, meaning “white,” when used before a plural noun with a definite article or similar determiner. It is not a standalone lexeme; rather, it represents the weak adjective ending that appears after definite determiners. For example: die weißen Hemden (the white shirts) shows the -en ending that marks both plurality and definite reference. Other definite-determiner contexts yield the same -en ending, such as den weißen Hemden in the dative plural.

In ordinary usage, weiß can also function as a color adjective in various cases and numbers, with different endings depending on the determiner and noun. The form weißen specifically denotes plural reference with definiteness in attributive position. When the noun is plural but the determiner signals indefiniteness or no determiner, other endings would apply (for example, weiße Hemden in a predicative or indefinite context might appear differently).

As a noun, Weißen (capitalized die Weißen) can occasionally refer to a group described as “the Whites.” This noun usage is distinct from the attributive adjective form and is relatively rare in neutral prose, carrying historical or ethnographic connotations rather than a literal color description.

Etymology: weiß stems from the Germanic color word and is cognate with English white; the form has been adapted through standard German inflection patterns to yield weißen in plural, definite contexts.