letzten

Letzten is an inflected form of the German adjective letzt, meaning last or final. It is used in attributive position to modify a noun and appears with definite determiners or other determiners that trigger a weak adjective ending. Because it carries the -en ending, letzten is common in many cases and numbers, especially with definite articles.

Usage and examples

In plural after a definite article, letzten is typical: die letzten Jahre (the last years). In the dative plural after a preposition, you often find in den letzten Tagen (in the last days). In the masculine accusative singular with a definite article, den letzten Mann (the last man) demonstrates the same ending pattern. In the feminine genitive singular, der letzten Nacht (the last night) shows the ending in a different gender and case. These forms illustrate how the same word ending adapts to case, gender, and number while conveying the notion of “most recent” or “final” within a context.

Etymology and related forms

Letzt derives from Old High German and is related to the broader Germanic family of words for “last.” The adjective has related forms such as zuletzt (adverb meaning most recently or finally) and letztlich (ultimately). The form letzten should not be confused with letzt, which is the base form, or with letzter/n/nen in other declensions.

See also

letztens (colloquial meaning the last time recently) and zuletzt (adverb meaning most recently).