zehnte

Zehnte is a German ordinal numeral meaning the tenth in a sequence. It is derived from the numeral zehn with the standard ordinal suffix -te and is used to indicate position in order. In modern German, zehnte can function as an adjective before a noun or as a noun when capitalized as Zehnte.

As an adjective, zehnte agrees with the gender and number of the noun it modifies. Common examples include der zehnte Tag, die zehnte Stunde und das zehnte Mal, where the form zehnte appears in singular after the definite article. In plural references, the corresponding form is die zehnten Tage, die zehnten Stunden, and so on. Without a determiner, the strong declension can yield forms such as zehnter Tag in certain contexts, but the most widespread usage remains with the zehnte form after a determiner.

As a noun, Zehnte refers to the person occupying the tenth position in a sequence, analogous to “the Tenth.” This nominalized form is capitalized and can appear in phrases like Wir sind der Zehnte in der Reihe. The plural Zehnten is rare and typically confined to discussions of multiple sequences.

Historically, the term Zehnte has appeared in contexts describing a tithe—the tenth part of produce due to the church or feudal overlords. In modern German this sense is largely archaic and encountered mainly in historical texts.

In summary, zehnte names the tenth position in a series and can be used both as an adjective and, in its noun form Zehnte, as a person occupying that position. Its use follows standard German ordinal declension patterns and is essential for precise sequencing in speaking and writing.