zweites

Zweites is a German term that functions mainly as an ordinal determiner meaning "second" and as a substantive referring to the second item in a sequence. As an adjective before a neuter noun, the form is zweites in its attributive position, for example in ein zweites Glas or das zweite Kapitel. When used as a noun, the phrase das Zweite is capitalized and means “the second one” or “the second item.”

In everyday language, zweites occurs in a variety of common phrases. Examples include das zweite Mal (the second time), das zweite Kapitel (the second chapter), and ein zweites Frühstück (a second breakfast). It can also indicate a second version, copy, or attempt, such as das zweite Angebot (the second offer).

In German broadcasting, the terms Das Erste and Das Zweite are traditional labels for the public channels of ARD and ZDF, respectively. The formal name of ZDF is Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, and in practice the network is most often referred to by the acronym ZDF. Nevertheless, das Zweite remains a recognizable label, particularly in historical references or media commentary, reflecting the historical contrast between the two public broadcasters’ first and second channels.

See also references to ordinal numbers in German and to the naming conventions of public television in Germany. The word zweites is versatile and widespread in detaching sequence order from nouns, making it a common building block in German vocabulary for describing positions, versions, and repetitions.