gewisse

Gewisse is a German adjective meaning certain or particular. It is an inflected form of the base adjective gewiss and is used attributively before nouns. The form adapts to gender, number, and case according to standard German declension rules.

Usage and forms

- With a definite article: der gewisse Mann, die gewisse Frau, das gewisse Problem (the certain man, the certain woman, the certain problem).

- With an indefinite article: ein gewisser Mann, eine gewisse Sache (a certain man, a certain thing).

- In the plural, often without an article: gewisse Leute, gewisse Gründe (certain people, certain reasons). When used with a definite article in the plural: die gewissen Leute.

Gewisse typically conveys that the speaker has in mind a specific subset or instance, but does not name it directly. It can carry a slightly more precise or formal nuance than einfach “bestimmte” or “einige.”

Common phrases

- in gewisser Weise (in a certain way)

- in gewisser Hinsicht (in certain respects)

- gewisse Kreise, gewisse Gründe (certain circles, certain reasons)

Related terms

- Gewiss is the base form meaning “certain” or “sure,” and can function as an adverb or predicate adjective in some contexts.

- Gewissheit means certainty, and Gewissen means conscience.

- Gewisse is not a noun, but a modifying adjective; it forms part of standard German and appears in both spoken and written varieties, with a tone that can be formal or literary.

Etymology

Gewisse derives from the adjective gewiss, with historical roots in the Germanic language family, sharing kinship with related cognates in other Germanic languages.