No. 13,817 in German
ernsten
"Ernsten" is the dative or accusative plural form of "ernst," meaning "serious" or "earnest."
In a sentence
Er hatte einen ernsten Ausdruck auf dem Gesicht.
He had a serious expression on his face.
Here, 'ernsten' functions as an adjective describing the noun 'Ausdruck'. It indicates the characteristic of being serious.
Wir haben ein ernstes Gespräch geführt.
We had a serious conversation.
'Ernstes' is an attributive adjective modifying the noun 'Gespräch', signifying the nature of the conversation.
In einem ernsten Ton sprach sie weiter.
In a serious tone, she continued speaking.
'Ernsten' acts as a descriptive adjective in dative case, modifying the noun 'Ton' and highlighting the tone of voice.
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