dritte

Dritte is the German word for "third." It functions as an ordinal numeral and, when capitalized as Dritte, as a noun meaning "the third one" or "the third person" in a given context. It can refer to the third position in a sequence, such as the third attempt (“der dritte Versuch”) or a ranking (“auf Platz drei”). As a substantive, der Dritte (masculine) or die Dritte (feminine) denotes the person who is third, with the article and ending matching the person’s gender.

In grammar, dritte serves as part of the standard ordinal sequence erste, zweite, dritte, which describe order or position. The term is also used in the phrase die dritte Person to denote the third person in grammatical or narrative contexts (he/she/it in a sentence). The word appears in idiomatic expressions such as der Dritte im Bunde, meaning the third member in a coalition or conspiracy, highlighting its use in describing roles within a group.

Etymology and form: Dritte derives from drei, the word for three, with the ordinal suffix -te forming the feminine/neutral/adjectival form and varying endings to align with gender and case. Its development follows regular patterns of German ordinal numerals, with cognates in other Germanic languages reflecting the same root.

Usage: The term is common in everyday language for indicating order, position, or reference to a third item or person. It appears in education, media, and culture as a neutral descriptor, without implying any particular value beyond sequence.