eingeladene

Eingeladene is a German term formed from the verb einladen (to invite) and its participle eingeladen, used as an adjective meaning invited. It is commonly placed before a noun to describe people or objects that have received an invitation, for example, eingeladene Gäste (invited guests). The form adapts to the gender and number of the noun, as in der eingeladene Gast (masculine singular), die eingeladene Dame (feminine singular), or das eingeladene Datum (neuter singular). In plural, you typically see either eingeladene Gäste (without article) or die eingeladenen Gäste (with the definite article).

Eingeladene can also be used as a noun by capitalization, referring to the group of people who have been invited. In this nominal use, the singular forms are der Eingeladene (male), die Eingeladene (female); the plural is die Eingeladenen. This uses the standard noun capitalization rules of German, and it is most common in formal or stylistic contexts such as event programs or legal language.

Usage and nuance: In everyday speech and writing, the adjectival form is far more common than the nominal form. The word communicates that someone or something has been invited, rather than being a stand-alone label. The distinction between exactly which ending to use (eingeladene, eingeladene, eingeladenen) depends on case, number, and whether an article is present; typical, clear examples include “eingeladene Gäste” and “der eingeladene Gast.”