scharfem

Scharfem is not a standalone word in German. It is the dative singular inflected form of the adjective scharf, meaning sharp. It occurs before masculine or neuter nouns in the dative case when there is no determiner, and it can appear after prepositions that govern the dative.

In practice, scharfem appears in phrases describing tools or blades. For example: mit scharfem Messer (neuter noun), mit scharfem Dolch (masculine noun). When a definite article is used, the adjective takes the ending scharfen: dem scharfen Messer. With an indefinite article, the form is also scharfen: einem scharfen Messer.

By contrast, feminine nouns in the dative singular typically take the ending scharfer: mit scharfer Schere. The form scharfem thus helps distinguish gender and case in German adjective declension, and it is part of the broader system of strong or mixed declension patterns that apply when no determiner is present.

Etymologically, scharfem derives from the base adjective scharf, meaning sharp, and reflects standard German inflection rather than a separate lexical item. Its primary role is grammatical, ensuring correct agreement between adjective and noun in the dative case.

Overall, scharfem is a common, correctly formed inflected form used in everyday German to describe sharp objects in the dative singular without a determiner, especially with neuter or masculine nouns. See also German adjective declension and grammar of case and gender agreement.