ersten

Ersten is a grammatical form in the German language. It is not a standalone lexeme with its own meaning; rather, it is the plural or determiner-related ending of the adjective erst- (meaning first) when it appears before a noun.

In use, erst- takes different endings depending on gender, number, and case, but the form er sten commonly appears after definite determiners. For example: die ersten Tage (the first days) in the nominative plural, die ersten Tage in the accusative plural, den ersten Tagen in the dative plural, und der ersten Tage in the genitive plural. It also appears in singular phrases with definite articles in various cases, such as den ersten Tag (the first day) in the masculine accusative or dem ersten Tag (to/for the first day) in the masculine/neuter dative contexts, and der ersten Nacht (the first night) in the feminine genitive or dative contexts. In short, er sten is the usual ending after a definite article in plural, and in many singular cases, across German declension patterns.

Etymologically, erst- derives from Old High German and has cognates in related Germanic languages, such as Dutch eerst(e) and Swedish första, all linked to the sense of “first.” The English word first is a different lineage but serves a parallel function as the headed meaning.

Notes: er sten is not typically capitalized unless it begins a sentence or functions as a surname or proper noun. It may appear in compound forms or in fixed phrases, and, occasionally, in historical or regional spellings.