früheste

Früheste is the superlative form of the German adjective früh, meaning earliest or most early. It is used to indicate the earliest item, moment, or instance within a defined group or sequence, such as times, events, or objects.

In typical usage, früheste appears before a noun with a definite or possessive determiner: der früheste Termin, die früheste Stunde, das früheste Beispiel. In plural form it becomes die frühesten Termine. The word can describe historical periods, schedules, or any context where a comparison to later counterparts is intended.

A related adverbial form is frühestens, used to indicate the earliest possible time in a broader sense, for example: Wir können frühestens um 9 Uhr beginnen. This adverb is often employed in planning and scheduling to express the earliest permissible or feasible moment.

Etymology and related forms: frühest is derived from früh, with the typical German suffix -este forming the superlative in the presence of a definite determiner. The word has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch vroeg and English early, reflecting common roots for the concept of “earliness.”

See also: früh, früher, am frühesten. The term früheste is primarily a descriptive tool in German, used wherever the notion of the earliest item or moment is needed.