poliertem

Poliertem is the dative singular form of the German adjective poliert, which derives from the verb polieren meaning to polish. As an inflected attributive adjective, poliert describes a noun in the dative case and indicates that the noun has been polished. The form poliertem appears when there is no definite article preceding the noun or when a preposition requiring the dative case governs the noun.

In German grammar, adjectives in front of nouns change their endings according to case, gender, number, and article. The ending -em in poliertem corresponds to the dative singular for masculine or neuter nouns when the article provides limited information (strong declension) or when a preposition requires the dative without an article. Compared with the definite-article form dem polierten Mann, which uses -en, poliertem is used in the absence of a definite article or with certain preposition phrases.

Common usage examples include phrases describing materials or surfaces. For instance: mit poliertem Metall (with polished metal), aus poliertem Messing (made of polished brass), or aus poliertem Glas (glass that has been polished). These illustrate how poliertem modifies neuter or masculine nouns in the dative singular without an article, typically after prepositions such as mit, aus, or bei.

Poliertem is not a standalone noun or verb form; it is a grammatical inflection of the participle-derived adjective poliert. Its counterparts include polierte (feminine or plural or other cases) and poliert (the base participle form or predicate adjective in certain contexts). The term is primarily of interest in German grammar and language study.