schöne

Schöne is the inflected form of the German adjective schön, meaning beautiful or pleasant. It is used primarily as an attributive adjective before a noun, with endings that reflect gender, number, and definiteness: die schöne Blume (the beautiful flower), schöne Blumen (beautiful flowers). In predicative constructions, the adjective appears in its base form: Die Blume ist schön.

Beyond its ordinary adjectival use, schön can be nominalized in literary or older prose as die Schöne, referring to “the beautiful one” or a distinctive “beauty,” typically capitalized when functioning as a noun. The form Schöne (capitalized) is not common in everyday speech and usually appears in stylized or historical contexts.

Schöne also occurs as a surname in German-speaking areas. As a family name it likely derives from a descriptive nickname based on beauty or from toponymic origins linked to places named with the element schön. In modern times, individuals bearing the surname Schöne appear in various fields across German-speaking regions and in communities with German heritage.

Etymologically, schön originates in Old High German scôn, with roots in Proto-Germanic across related languages. The word has maintained the core meaning of beauty or agreeableness and appears frequently in compound forms and place names in the German language, such as Schöne Aussicht (beautiful view) or Schönefeld (beautiful field). The usage in names highlights how descriptive adjectives function within German onomastics and daily language.