former
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the former
Refers to the first of two people or things mentioned, or the one mentioned earlier in a comparison; the opposite of „letztere“ (the latter).
Von den beiden angebotenen Lösungen halte ich die erstere für überzeugender.
Of the two solutions proposed, I find the former more convincing.
| basic form | erstere |
|---|
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | - | - | - | -n |
| acc. | -n | - | - | -n |
| dat. | -n | -n | -n | -n |
| gen. | -n | -n | -n | -n |
Add the ending to erstere.
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -r | - | -s | -n |
| acc. | -n | - | -s | -n |
| dat. | -n | -n | -n | -n |
| gen. | -n | -n | -n | -n |
Add the ending to erstere.
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -r | - | -s | - |
| acc. | -n | - | -s | - |
| dat. | -m | -r | -m | -n |
| gen. | -n | -r | -n | -r |
Add the ending to erstere.
„Erstere“ (the former) can stand without a following noun when it is clear from the context which person or thing is meant. As a substantivized adjective, its form depends on the omitted noun.
Von den beiden Bewerberinnen wirkt die erstere deutlich erfahrener.
Of the two female applicants, the former seems considerably more experienced.
„Erstere“ (the former) usually appears in a context in which exactly two people or things have been mentioned beforehand. Signal words such as „beide“ (both), „zwei“ (two), or „von den ...“ (of the ...) help identify the reference.
Wir können mit dem Zug oder dem Bus fahren; für die Hinfahrt bevorzuge ich den ersteren.
We can travel by train or bus; for the outward journey, I prefer the former.
„Erstere“ (the former) is especially common in written, factual, or argumentative texts. It often refers to two previously mentioned options, arguments, or examples.
Die Studie nennt zwei mögliche Ursachen; die erstere wird durch mehrere Daten gestützt.
The study identifies two possible causes; the former is supported by several pieces of data.
