Zarte

Zarte is a form of the German adjective zart, which means tender, delicate, or soft. In everyday German, zart describes texture, flavor, sound, or emotional quality, ranging from physical softness to gentleness of feeling. The word commonly appears in attributive position with definite or indefinite articles and in predicative constructions.

In attributive use with a definite article, the form zarte is used across genders in the singular: der zarte Mann, die zarte Frau, das zarte Kind. In the plural, after a definite article, the ending changes to zarten: die zarten Männer, die zarten Frauen, die zarten Kinder. With an indefinite article, the endings vary by gender: ein zarter Mann, eine zarte Frau, ein zartes Kind. Without any article, the attributive form is less common but appears as zarter Mann, zarte Frau, zartes Kind in more concise or poetic styles.

Predicative use, as with the verb sein, typically retains the base form zart: Die Blume ist zart. This is used for descriptions of singleness or general characteristic, not just in the attributive position.

Etymology and related forms: zart derives from Middle High German zart, from Old High German, with roots in Proto-Germanic. It is cognate with related Germanic adjectives such as Dutch zacht, reflecting a common lineage for terms meaning soft or gentle.

As a proper noun, zarte is uncommon. It may occasionally appear as a surname or in brand or literary uses, but there is no widely recognized place, organization, or standardized entity named simply Zarte in major reference works.