väterlichen

Vä terlichen is a form of the German adjective väterlich, meaning paternal or fatherly. The base adjective väterlich derives from Vater (father) and the suffix -lich, a common way to form adjectives in German. In English, the closest equivalent is fatherly. Vä terlich is used to describe qualities, behavior, or relations associated with a father or with father‑like authority and care, and it can be applied both literally and metaphorically.

In modern German, väterlich is declined like a typical weakly inflected adjective when used with a definite determiner. The form väterlichen appears in several common contexts. For example, plural nominative or accusative: die väterlichen Werte. This uses the -en ending after a definite article in plural. In singular phrases, different endings are used depending on case and gender, such as dem väterlichen Rat (dative singular, masculine or neuter) or die väterliche Wärme (feminine singular).

The use of väterlichen as a specific inflected form exemplifies German adjective declension: the endings change to reflect case, number, and gender, as well as the presence of a determiner. In broader usage, related nouns include Vaterschaft (paternity) and Väterschaft or väterliche Fürsorge in compound expressions. The term can carry formal, nostalgic, or literary connotations, often emphasizing protective, guiding, or authoritative paternal traits within relationships or institutions.