beliebten

Beliebten is not a standalone German word but the inflected form of the adjective beliebt, meaning popular or well-liked. It appears before a noun when the noun is preceded by a definite determiner (such as der, die, das, dieser, jener), triggering the weak declension of adjectives in German.

In this position, the ending -en is common across several case–gender–number combinations. Examples include den beliebten Mann (accusative masculine singular), die beliebten Bücher (nominative plural), den beliebten Freunden (dative plural), and der beliebten Bücher (genitive plural). The form also appears in other plural contexts where the definite article governs the noun, such as die beliebten Bücher or die beliebten Häuser.

With feminine singular or neuter singular after definite articles, different endings are used, for instance die beliebte Frau or das beliebte Auto. When no definite article is present or when using an indefinite article, other endings apply, such as ein beliebter Mann, ein beliebtes Auto, eine beliebte Frau.

Etymology and meaning: beliebt stems from the verb belieben, with the sense of being favored or well-liked. The form beliebten arises as part of the standard weak adjective declension after definite determiners in German grammar.

Usage notes: Beliebten functions as a grammatical form rather than a separate lexical item. Its use signals that the noun is definite and that the adjective is weakly declined. In contrast, other declension patterns occur after indefinite articles or without articles, producing endings like -er, -es, or -e in various cases.