jüngsten

Jüngsten is the superlative form of the German adjective jung, used to describe the youngest person or thing in a group or to indicate the most young in a comparison. It is declined like other adjectives in German: with a definite article or a demonstrative, the ending -en appears in the strong position for certain cases, yielding forms such as der jüngste Mann (nominative singular masculine), die jüngste Frau (nominative singular feminine), das jüngste Kind (nominative singular neuter), and die jüngsten Kinder (nominative plural). In phrases without a definite article, endings vary by case and gender, for example einen jüngsten Mann or jüngste Kinder in different contexts.

Jüngsten can also function as a noun when capitalized, meaning “the youngest” as a noun. In this usage it appears as der Jüngste, die Jüngsten, and is used to denote the youngest person or group in a given context. The term appears in religious and literary phrases as well, for example am Jüngsten Tag (on the Day of Judgment) and das Jüngste Gericht (the Last Judgment). In these compounds, Jüngste is typically capitalized as a noun rather than treated as a pure adjective.

Etymology and related forms: Jüngsten derives from the Germanic root jung meaning young, with the comparative jünger and the superlative jüngsten or jüngsten depending on inflection. It is related to other Germanic languages’ equivalents for “younger” and “youngest.” Its usage ranges from everyday descriptions (the youngest child) to historical or religious expressions (the Last Judgment).