Zusammenhängender

Zusammenhängender is the masculine nominative singular inflected form of the German adjective zusammenhängend, meaning cohesive, coherent or contiguous. The word describes something that forms a single, logically connected whole, whether in content, structure or space. It is commonly used for texts, arguments, narratives, or geographic areas that are part of a continuous whole.

Usage and examples

In writing and rhetoric, zusammenhängende Texte or zusammenhängende Argumentation refer to pieces that are well structured and easy to follow. In geography or spatial description, zusammenhängende Gebiete or zusammenhängende Landschaften denote areas that are physically connected without gaps. The term can also appear in data and software contexts to describe sequences or datasets that form a coherent unit. The degree of cohesion can be intensified with the comparative form, for example zusammenhängender Text than a less cohesive version.

Grammar and declension

Zusammenhängender is used with masculine singular nouns in the nominative case (for example, ein zusammenhängender Text). The adjective inflects according to the determiner and case: feminine would be zusammenhängende (die zusammenhängende Erzählung), neuter zusammenhängendes (ein zusammenhängendes Thema), and plural zusammenhängende (zusammenhängende Texte). The base form in dictionaries is zusammenhängend.

Etymology and related terms

The adjective comes from zusammen (together) and hängen (to hang), with the participial suffix -end forming an adjective meaning “connected” or “cohesive.” It is closely related to Zusammenhängung and Zusammenhang, which refer to the concept of context or coherence, while zusammenhängend specifically describes the property of being connected or coherent.

Notes

Zusammenhängend is often used as a neutral, descriptive term in academic, professional and literary German to express a clear, unified structure.