zahlender

Zahlender is a German term derived from the verb zahlen (to pay). It is used both as an attributive adjective meaning paying and as a nominalized participle to denote the person who pays in a transaction or legal arrangement. The form is commonly encountered in formal or contractual language.

As an adjective, zahlender describes an agent who pays and agrees with the noun it modifies: der zahlende Kunde (the paying customer), das zahlende Unternehmen (the paying company), die zahlende Partei (the paying party). When used as a noun, the agent is typically expressed with a capitalized form: der Zahlende (masculine), die Zahlende (feminine), die Zahlenden (plural). This noun usually refers to the person or entity responsible for making payments in a contract or dispute.

Usage notes: zahlender appears more in formal or technical contexts than in everyday speech, where terms like Zahler or Zahlungspartner are common alternatives. The choice between zahlender as an adjective and Zahlender as a noun depends on syntactic position and emphasis in the sentence. The term can also appear in legal drafts to clearly identify the party obligated to pay, separating the roles of payer from other participants such as the recipient or guarantor.

See also: zahlung (payment), zahlungsfähigkeit (solvency), zahler (payer), zahlungsanspruch (claim for payment).