persönlichem

Persönlichem is the dative singular inflection of the German adjective persönlich when it modifies masculine or neuter nouns without a determiner. It is commonly found in prepositional phrases such as mit persönlichem Kontakt (with personal contact) or in persönlichem Umfeld (in a personal environment). The form reflects the strong declension pattern used when no article precedes the noun.

Grammatically, persönlichem is the result of the strong declension in the dative singular. When a definite article is present, the adjective takes the weak ending and appears as dem persönlichen Kontakt. With an indefinite article in the same position, the ending adds -en (mit einem persönlichen Kontakt). For feminine nouns in the dative singular, the corresponding form is persönlicher, not persönlichem.

In addition to its role as an adjective, das Persönliche can function as a noun meaning “the personal matters” or “the private aspects.” When used as a noun, it is capitalized, and its dative form is dem Persönlichen (for example: Es geht um das Persönliche, nicht um das Allgemeine).

Etymology and meaning: personlig derives from Person + the suffix -lich, forming an adjective that denotes relation to a person or a private, individualized character. In standard usage, persönliches and its inflected forms describe aspects tied to persons, privacy, or individualized characteristics.

Usage notes: persö nlichem appears most often in contexts without a preceding article, particularly after prepositions that govern the dative. Distinctions between its adjectival use and the noun form das Persönliche are important for capitalization and meaning.