wenigen

Wenigen is a German word that typically appears in lowercase as the dative plural form of the adjective wenig, meaning “few” or “a small number.” It is used before plural nouns to indicate a limited quantity in contexts that require the dative case. For example: mit wenigen Ausnahmen (with a few exceptions), in wenigen Wochen (in a few weeks), in wenigen Fällen (in a few cases).

In other grammatical contexts, the corresponding forms are wenige in the nominative and accusative plural (die wenigen Gründe) and wenig in the singular or when used without a determiner (wenig Zeit). The form wenigen specifically marks the dative plural, often after prepositions that govern the dative such as mit, in, or zu.

Wenigen expresses a sense of scarcity or limited scope and is common in both formal and informal German. Its meaning hinges on the contrast with other quantifiers like wenige and wenig, and it is typically used when the speaker or writer wants to emphasize that only a small number of items or people are involved.

Related terms include wenig (the base adjective meaning “little” or “few” in general) and wenige (the nominative/accusative plural form). The usage of wenigen is a standard feature of German grammar and appears in written and spoken language where a dative plural description is required.