plötzlichem

Plötzlichem is the dative singular form of the German adjective plötzlich, meaning sudden. It is used before masculine or neuter nouns in the dative case, typically when there is no determiner or when the determiner does not carry the case marking. In common phrases, it conveys the sense of something occurring abruptly or unexpectedly.

In practical use, plötzlichem appears in phrases such as in plötzlichem Schmerz or mit plötzlichem Wetterumschwung, where the noun (Schmerz, Wetterumschwung) is in the dative case and the adjective bears the strong ending -em. The form can change with different determiners: with a definite article (dem plötzlichen Schmerz) the adjective takes a weak ending, and with an indefinite article (einem plötzlichen Schmerz) it takes the mixed ending. For feminine nouns in the dative, the corresponding form would typically be plötzlicher (e.g., in plötzlicher Erwartung), while for plural nouns the endings shift to plötzliche or plötzlichen depending on the determiner and case.

Etymology and relation to other forms: plötzlichem comes from the adjective plötzlich, itself derived from the idea of happening suddenly. German adjectives decline according to determiner presence and case; plötzlichem represents one specific inflected form used in the dative singular before masculine or neuter nouns without a determiner.

See also: German grammar, adjective declension, occurrences of plötzlich in language usage.