bestimmten

Bestimmt is a German adjective meaning "certain" or "definite," and it can also function as an adverb meaning "certainly." The form arising as "bestimmten" is one of its inflected forms, most commonly the weak ending after a definite determiner (der, die, das, die). This ending appears across different genders, numbers, and cases, for example in den bestimmten Mann (accusative masculine singular) and die bestimmten Bücher (nominative or accusative plural).

In addition to its adjective use, "bestimmten" appears in German as a simple past (Präteritum) form of the verb bestimme n: wir bestimmten, sie bestimmten. In this sense, it is not related in meaning to the adjective; it is a tense form of the verb “bestimmen” (to determine, decide).

Usage notes:

- As an attributive adjective after a definite determiner, "bestimmten" signals that the noun is specific or identified. Examples: den bestimmten Mann, den bestimmten Fall, den bestimmten Büchern; die bestimmten Dinge diskutierten wir ausführlich.

- The form contrasts with bestimme n (bare form) and bestim m te (other inflected shapes of the same adjective) and with bestm t, which appears in other tenses of the verb.

Overall, "bestimmten" is a common inflected variant of "bestimmt" used to mark definiteness in noun phrases, and also a standard Präteritum form of the verb "bestimmen" in plural forms.