ähnlichen

ähnlich is a German adjective meaning similar or alike. The form ähnlichen is one of its inflected endings and appears in attributive position or in fixed phrases, depending on case, gender, and number. It is most common in contexts where the adjective bears a declined ending after a determiner or in a strong/mixture declension.

Declension and usage notes:

- After definite articles the adjective takes weak endings. Examples: die ähnlichen Bücher (nominative plural); den ähnlichen Mann (accusative masculine singular); der ähnlichen Frau (dative feminine singular); den ähnlichen Städten (dative plural).

- After an indefinite article (mixed endings) you can find forms such as einen ähnlichen Mann (accusative masculine singular).

- Without a determiner, plural forms are typically ähnliche Bücher and ähnliche Städte (nominative/accusative plural).

- In predicative position with sein or bleiben, das Adjektiv often appears as ähnlich rather than ähnlichen, e.g., Die Bücher sind ähnlich.

Examples:

- Ich suche einen ähnlichen Fall. (accusative masculine singular, indefinite article)

- Sie hat den ähnlichen Mann gesehen. (accusative masculine singular, definite article)

- Die ähnlichen Bücher sind interessant. (nominative plural, definite article)

- Ich gab der ähnlichen Frau das Buch. (dative feminine singular)

- In den ähnlichen Städten lebten wir früher. (dative plural)

- Er ist seinem Bruder ähnlich. (predicative usage)

Related terms and usage:

ähnlich can be combined with wie to form comparisons (ähnlich wie) and with als in some constructions. It is a common descriptor in everyday language, academic writing, and translations, functioning similarly to English “similar” and sharing its various inflected endings with other German adjectives.