älter

älter is the comparative form of the German adjective alt, meaning "older" or "more advanced in age." It is used to compare the age of people, animals, or things, and can also indicate a longer time since something began. Example sentences: Ich bin älter als du. Dieses Auto ist älter als jenes.

Grammatical notes: In German, älter is declined to agree with the noun it describes. With a definite article: der ältere Mann, die ältere Frau, das ältere Auto, die älteren Menschen. With an indefinite article: ein älterer Mann, eine ältere Frau, ein älteres Auto. In the plural without an article: ältere Menschen. The adjective itself is not capitalized when used attributively, but when used as a noun meaning “the elder,” it can be capitalized as Der Ältere / Die Älteren in context.

Usage variants: Besides its role as a comparative, älter appears in phrases such as älter werden (to grow older). In some contexts, especially formal or religious language, noun forms derived from the adjective may designate an elder member of a group, though everyday German typically uses explicit phrases like der ältere Bruder or die älteren Mitglieder rather than a stand-alone noun.

See also: alt, Alter, älterwerden. Etymology traces back to the Germanic roots for old in the ancestor language of modern German.