vierfacher

Vierfacher is a German term built from four (vier) and fold/tactor (fach) and is used to denote something that is four times as large or fourfold. In everyday language the noun form das Vierfache is more common for expressing “the fourfold,” while vierfach serves as an adjective meaning fourfold. The inflected form vierfacher appears before masculine singular nouns, as in ein vierfacher Betrag, and other gendered variants exist for feminine and neuter contexts (eine vierfache Steigerung, ein vierfaches Ergebnis).

Usage and meanings

- As an adjective, vierfach describes quantities or increases that are four times greater, e.g., eine vierfache Steigerung or vierfacher Gewinn.

- As a noun, das Vierfache denotes the fourfold or quadruple amount, though das Vierfacher is not standard; speakers typically use das Vierfache or a phrase with vierfache/vierfacher.

- In mathematical, economic, or statistical language, vierfach conveys multiplication by four and is interchangeable with fourfold or quadruple in English translations.

Examples

- Die Firma verzeichnete eine vierfache Steigerung des Umsatzes im letzten Jahr.

- Das vierfache Ergebnis übertraf die Erwartungen.

Relation and synonyms

- Closely related terms include vielfach (manyfold) and vierfaches/ das Vierfache, which are used in similar multiplicative contexts.

- The English equivalents are fourfold or quadruple.

Notes

Vierfacher is primarily a descriptive, quantitative term rather than a proper noun. It can appear in technical writing, journalism, and everyday speech to specify a factor of four, while das Vierfache remains the standard noun form for “the fourfold.”