grünem

Grünem is the dative singular form of the German adjective grün (green) in the strong declension. It is used when no determiner precedes the noun and the noun is masculine or neuter. In other words, grünem marks both the dative case and the absence of a determiner, agreeing with a masculine or neuter noun such as in phrases like mit grünem Gras or in grünem Kleid.

In contrast, when a definite article is present, adjectives take weak endings. For example, dem grünen Mann or dem grünen Haus shows the dative masculine and neuter forms after a definite article, where the adjective ending is grünen rather than grünem. With an indefinite article or other determiners in the dative, the adjective typically takes mixed endings, as in einem grünen Mann.

Grünem commonly appears in everyday German in contexts where the noun is not preceded by a determiner and the meaning is simply “green” in the object or attribute of the sentence. Examples include mit grünem Gras (with green grass) and in grünem Kleid (in a green dress). The form is not capitalized when written mid-sentence, since grünem is an adjective rather than a noun.

Related concepts include the contrast with the weak declension (dem grünen Mann, dem grünen Haus) and with other strong declension forms (grüner Mann, grünem Gras) depending on case, gender, and determiner. The color term grün is also used as a basic color descriptor across German-speaking contexts.

See also: German grammar, adjective declension, color adjectives in German.