vierfache

Vierfache is a German term meaning fourfold or quadruple. It describes a quantity that is four times as large as a reference amount. As an attributive adjective before a noun, it conveys a multiplicative scale, for example: eine vierfache Steigerung des Umsatzes (a fourfold increase in revenue) or das Vierfache des ursprünglichen Betrags (the fourfold amount of the original sum). The corresponding adverbial form is vierfach, as in vierfach gestiegen (increased fourfold). The noun form das Vierfache refers to the fourfold amount itself; it is used when a specific quadruple value is named.

Etymology and forms: Vierfache is built from vier (four) plus the suffix -fach, which denotes multiplicity or “times.” The base adjective is vierfach; vierfache is the attributive singular feminine or neuter form used before a noun. In practice, vierfach is more common for describing a level or degree, while das Vierfache names the quantity.

Usage and context: The concept appears in mathematics, statistics, economics, and biology to express a factor of four. German speakers often prefer vierfach for adjectival use and vierfache in fixed phrases such as um das Vierfache (by four times). For comparison, equivalents in German include zweifach (twofold) and dreifach (threefold).

See also: zweifach, dreifach, mehrfach, vierfach.