zweite

Zweite is the feminine singular form of the ordinal numeral for “second” in German. It functions as an attributive adjective before feminine nouns and can also be used as a nominal form meaning “the second one” when the referent’s gender is clear from context. It sits in the standard ordinal sequence ertste, zweite, dritte, vierte, and so on.

Inflection and usage: German adjectives following definite articles take specific endings, so you see die zweite Chance, die zweite Etappe, and die zweite Frau. With masculine nouns you use der zweite Platz, with neuter nouns das zweite Mal. In the plural you can have die zweiten Chancen, die zweiten Etappen, etc. The form also appears in compound expressions and fixed phrases, such as zweite Geige (second violin) or die zweite Reihe (the second row).

Nominal use: In everyday language, zweite can be used as a nominal reference meaning “the second one” in a sequence, for example when naming participants or items where the noun is omitted: sich als Zweite zu erkennen geben is an instance of such usage. The sense depends on context and gender agreement.

Relation to other terms: Zweite is related to other ordinal forms like Erste and Dritte and to adverbial uses such as zweitens or zweitens meaning “second” or “secondly” in lists or logical arguments. It is part of standard German grammar and appears across formal and informal language, including journalism, instruction, and culture.

See also: Erste, Dritte, Zweites, Zweite Deutsches Fernsehen.