gutes

Gutes is a German form related to the word gut, meaning "good." It can function as an attributive adjective or as a noun when capitalized. The meaning and usage depend on context and capitalization.

As an attributive adjective, gutes appears before a neuter singular noun without a definite article and carries the ending -es: ein gutes Buch, gutes Wetter. It also appears with other determiners that leave the adjective to take a strong ending, for example kein gutes Buch. With a definite article or a demonstrative such as dieses, the ending changes (das gute Buch, dieses gute Wetter). In the plural, the corresponding forms are gute Bücher; for masculine or feminine singular forms, different endings apply (guter Mann, gute Frau).

As a noun, Gutes (capitalized) is used when the adjective is nominalized, meaning “something good.” Common expressions include etwas Gutes tun ("to do something good") and viel Gutes im Sinn haben. In ethical or philosophical contexts, the noun das Gute refers to the concept of moral goodness, often contrasted with das Böse. Phrases like das Gute und das Böse are standard in discussions of morality.

Etymology and nuance: Gutes derives from gut, with the nominalized form gaining its own noun status in German. The distinction between lowercase gutes (adjective) and capitalized Gutes (noun) is important for meaning and grammar.

See also: German adjective declension, nominalization of adjectives, the words das Gute and das Böse in philosophy.