sechzehnte

Sechzehnte is the German ordinal numeral for the position sixteen in a sequence. It is formed from the cardinal number sechzehn (sixteen) with the ordinal suffix -te, yielding sechzehnte. The term functions as an adjective when it modifies a noun and can also be used as a noun in its capitalized form Sechzehnte.

As an adjective, sechzehnte declines like other German ordinals. Examples: der sechzehnte Mann, die sechzehnte Frau, das sechzehnte Kind. In the plural these forms become die sechzehnten Männer, die sechzehnten Frauen, die sechzehnten Kinder. In different cases the endings change accordingly, for instance dem sechzehnten Mann (dative singular) or des sechzehnten Monats (genitive singular).

In calendar and dating contexts, sechzehnte is commonly used to indicate the sixteenth day of a month. It can appear in phrases such as der sechzehnte März or am sechzehnten März, depending on the grammatical construction. The capitalized noun Sechzehnte can refer to the sixteenth item in a sequence or, in calendar language, to the sixteenth day itself as a unit.

In mathematics, the standard term for one sixteenth of a whole is Sechzehntel (the fractional unit), not Sechzehnte. The plural form Sechzehntel is used when counting such fractions.

Etymologically, Sechzehnte derives from the German cardinal sechzehn plus the ordinal suffix -te, with related forms in the broader family of German numerals. Related ordinals include siebzehnte (17th), achtzehnte (18th), and so on.