einzelnen

Einzelnen is a declined form of the German adjective einzeln, meaning "individual" or "single." It is used attributively before nouns to indicate that something concerns single members or separate cases rather than a collective idea. Like other adjectives, einzel- changes its ending according to gender, number, case, and definiteness. The form einzel­nen appears in many common constructions, especially after definite articles or in plural contexts, for example in einzelnen Fällen (in individual cases) or den einzelnen Fällen (the individual cases).

In everyday and formal German, einzel­nen also occurs in phrases that describe separation or specificity, such as in einzelnen Gründen (for individual reasons) or in einzelnen Personen (the individual persons). The usage covers both plural nouns and various cases, including dative and genitive forms. For example, in den einzelnen Fällen is the dative plural, and der einzelnen Frau is the genitive singular feminine. These forms demonstrate how the ending -en marks the adjective in contexts where it must reflect definiteness and case.

As a noun, Einzelne can function as a plural noun meaning "the individuals," capitalized as a noun. The singular form Der Einzelne refers to an individual person. This nominal use is common in discussions that treat people as distinct units rather than as a group.

Related terms include einzeln as the base adjective and the prefix Einzel- in compound words. In most formal and written German, einzel­nen is a standard inflected form that appears whenever the adjective stands before a noun with definite reference or in plural contexts.