mehrfaches

Mehrfaches is a German term built from mehr (more) and fach (times, fold) and is used to express multiplicity or repetition. It appears in several grammatical roles: as an adjective form, as an adverb, and less commonly as a noun.

As an adverb or as an attributive adjective, mehrfach conveys that something occurs several times or in multiple ways. For example, als adverb: Er hat mehrfach darauf hingewiesen. As an attributive neuter adjective before a noun, the form mehrfaches is used, for instance in mehrfaches Mal (several times) or mehrfaches Verhalten (repeated behavior). In everyday language, the adverbial form mehrmals is also very common and often preferred for naturalness.

As a noun, das Mehrfache denotes the multiplicity itself or a multiple of something, similar to Das Dreifache or Das Vierfache in style. For example, man might speak of das Mehrfache von x, meaning a multiple of x. The plural form die Mehrfachen is used when referring to several multiples.

Etymology and related terms: mehrfach is a compound of mehr and fach, part of a broader family of numerically oriented formations such as dreifach, vierfach, or vielfach. The word is well established in standard German and is found in formal and technical texts as well as in common speech.

Notes on use: While mehrfach and die related forms are correct, many speakers prefer the simpler mehrmals for “several times” in everyday contexts. In scientific or mathematical writing, das Mehrfache is a common way to denote a multiple of a quantity.