nüchterne

Nüchterne is an inflected form of the German adjective nüchtern, meaning sober, clear-headed, or abstaining from alcohol. It is used attributively to describe people, attitudes, or situations characterized by sobriety or rational calm. In everyday German, nüchterne can describe someone who is not intoxicated, a measured decision, or a restrained tone in reporting or conversation.

Grammatical usage varies with case, gender, and number, following standard German adjective declension patterns. For example, feminine singular nominative or accusative after a definite article: die nüchterne Frau. The same feminine singular form appears after an indefinite article: eine nüchterne Frau. In plural contexts, nüchterne appears without a definite article (nüchterne Menschen) or with a definite article where the ending becomes nüchteren: die nüchternen Frauen, die nüchternen Menschen. The exact ending thus depends on whether an article is used and on the noun’s gender and number.

Semantically, nüchterne often conveys both literal sobriety and figurative restraint or rationality. It is common in journalism, discourse, and descriptive writing to characterize a person, a decision, or a tone as nücherne when a calm, evidence-based, or unemotional stance is implied. The term is usually contrasted with terms implying emotionality, intoxication, or irrationality.

See also: nüchtern, sobriety, German adjectives.