einzige

Einzige is a German adjective meaning the only or sole. It is used to single out one item within a group, often in phrases like das einzige Problem or die einzige Lösung. The form carries gender and number information and changes its ending according to the noun it describes and the article or determiner present.

Inflection and examples:

- Masculine singular: mein einziger Freund (my only friend)

- Feminine singular: meine einzige Freundin (my only girlfriend)

- Neuter singular: das einzige Problem (the only problem)

- Plural: die einzigen Möglichkeiten (the only possibilities)

- As a noun: die Einzige (the only one), used to refer to a female individual who is the sole person in question

Etymology and usage notes:

Einzige is the feminine singular inflection of the base adjective einzig/einzig, which means “only” or “sole.” The word is historically tied to the Germanic words for one and is widely attested in standard German. In everyday language, einzigartige is common in both written and spoken form, and the noun use die Einzige appears in contexts such as “Sie ist die Einzige,” meaning “She is the only one.” The related forms einziger (masculine), einziges (neuter), and the plural revisions such as die einzigen are used with different determiner patterns, including definite articles and possessives.

See also:

- einziges

- einzig

- allein

- alleinstehend

This article provides a concise overview of the term’s meaning, declension, and occasional nominal use within German grammar.

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