zählend

zählend is the present participle of the German verb zählen, meaning to count. It is used to denote something that is counting or related to counting. In ordinary language, the act of counting is typically expressed with the finite verb zählen (er zählt); zählend appears mainly in more formal, literary, or descriptive contexts.

Usage and forms

As a participial adjective, zählend can precede a noun: zählende Kinder, zählendes Verfahren, zählende Zahlen. In attributive position it follows normal German adjective declension: der zählende Mann, die zählende Frau, das zählende Kind; die zählenden Männer/Frauen/Kinder. The endings adapt to case, number, and gender (e.g., den zählenden Mann, der zählenden Frau, des zählenden Kindes). In many everyday sentences zählend is less common, and contexts prefer explicit counting with zählen.

Adverbial or participial use is rarer and more literary: Er sitzt zählend am Tisch. This use treats zählend as an adverbial participle describing an ongoing action.

Relationship to related terms

Zählen is the base verb; Zähler refers to a counter or tally, and Zählung to counting or a census. The participle zählend is etymologically tied to these terms and shares their root.

See also

Zählen, Zähler, Zählung. The concept of counting in German uses these related forms in mathematics, education, and everyday language.