niedrigste

Niedrigste is the superlative form of the German adjective niedrig, meaning lowest or the lowest. It is used to denote the extreme low in a set or comparison, for example the smallest value, the lowest level, or the minimum amount.

Grammatically, niedrigste is the attributive superlative form and agrees with the noun it modifies. Common forms in the nominative case are: masculine der niedrigste Mann, feminine die niedrigste Frau, neuter das niedrigste Niveau, and plural die niedrigsten Werte. After the definite article, the ending is -ste in singular and -sten in plural when appropriate. In predicative use, the adjective can appear as ist der niedrigste oder ist am niedrigsten, depending on sentence structure.

In adverbial use, the corresponding adverbial superlative is am niedrigsten, as in am niedrigsten gemessen, or the phrase “am niedrigsten” to indicate the lowest degree within a comparison. Example sentences: Das niedrigste Gehalt beträgt 1800 Euro. Die niedrigste Temperatur der Nacht war minus fünf Grad. Er wählte das niedrigste Angebot.

Etymology traces niedrigste to the Germanic root niedrig, meaning low, with standard German inflection for superlatives. Related terms include niedrig, Niedrigkeit (lowness or lowliness), and minimal synonyms such as gering or niedrigstufen in specialized contexts.

See also: niedrig, minimal, niedrigste Werte, am niedrigsten.