kürzere

Kürzere is the comparative form of the German adjective kurz, meaning “short.” It is used to compare lengths, durations, or extents, indicating that one thing is shorter than another. The form appears in attributive position before a noun and agrees with gender, number, and case.

In everyday usage, kürzere is part of the standard comparative construction and appears with the appropriate article and ending. For example, with a definite article: Der kürzere Weg (masculine singular), Die kürzere Strecke (feminine singular), and Das kürzere Wort (neuter singular). In these contexts the ending -e is used because the definite article requires it. In plural, the attributive form is Kürzere Wege or Die kürzeren Wege depending on whether a determiner is present.

Examples illustrate its meaning and flexibility: Der kürzere Weg führt schneller zum Ziel. Die kürzere Strecke ist besser planbar. Das kürzere Wort reicht aus. Kürzere Wege erfordern mehr Planung. These illustrate how kürzere modifies nouns to express that one option is shorter than another, whether in time, distance, or duration.

Etymology and related forms: kürzere derives from kurz with the comparative suffix -er, a productive pattern in German adjective inflection. Related forms include kürzer (the base comparative) and am kürzesten (superlative). The word is common in everyday speech as well as in written German when discussing comparisons of length or duration. See also kurz, kürzer, kürzest.