bestimmte

Bestimmte is a German adjective meaning "certain," "particular," or "specific." It is used before a noun to indicate that the noun refers to a defined subset or a specific item within a larger class. As the attributive form of the adjective bestimmt, bestimme? not, but the form bestim? is flexed to agree with the noun's gender, number, and case.

In grammar, the ending of bestim... depends on the determiner and the noun:

- With a definite article (der, die, das, die bestimmten Regeln): der bestimmte Mann, die bestimmte Frau, das bestimmte Kind, die bestimmten Regeln. Here the singular endings are -e for masculine, feminine, and neuter, while the plural takes -en on the adjective.

- With an indefinite article or no article (ein bestimmter Mann, eine bestimmte Frau, ein bestimmtes Kind, bestimmte Regeln): the endings vary by gender and number as part of the mixed/strong declension. In singular masculine the ending is -er, feminine -e, neuter -es; in plural, the form is typically bestimme Regeln or bestimmte Regeln depending on whether a determiner is present.

Semantically, bestimme expresses specificity rather than mere generality. It often contrasts with vague or general terms (e.g., bestimmte Regeln vs. allgemeine Regeln) and is common in both written and spoken German.

Common usages include:

- Es gibt bestimmte Regeln, die beachtet werden müssen. (There are certain rules that must be observed.)

- Eine bestimmte Zeit ist gewählt worden. (A specific time has been chosen.)

- Das ist eine bestimmte Art von Problem. (That is a particular type of problem.)

Note that bestimme can also function in predicative sense as an adverbial emphasis meaning "certainly" or "definitely" in phrases like Das ist bestimmt richtig, where the sense shifts from a descriptive adjective to an intensifier.