Learn Hardcore German: Die Mehrheit der Großen möchte wandern, aber eine Minderheit bleibt beim Bach. - The majority of the grown‑ups wants to hike, but a minority stays by the creek.

Die Mehrheit is grammatically singular in German, because it refers to the majority as one group.
Therefore the verb möchte is in the 3rd person singular and is correct:

Die Mehrheit der Großen möchte wandern.
→ The majority of the big ones would like to hike.

In everyday German, you will sometimes also hear a plural verb:

Die Mehrheit der Großen möchten wandern.

That version treats the underlying people as the “real” subject. It’s colloquially possible, but the singular is the more standard/neutral form in writing.

What exactly does der Großen mean, and why is Großen capitalized?

Der Großen literally means of the big ones or of the tall ones / adults, depending on context.

Großen is capitalized because it is used as a noun, not as an adjective.
This is called Nominalisierung (turning an adjective into a noun).
Compare:
- die großen Leute – the big/tall people (adjective + noun)
- die Großen – the big/tall ones / the adults (adjective used as a noun)

In the sentence, der Großen is the genitive plural of die Großen:

Nominative plural: die Großen (the big ones)
Genitive plural: der Großen (of the big ones)

So die Mehrheit der Großen = the majority of the big ones / adults.

What case is der Großen, and why is it used here instead of von den Großen?

Der Großen is genitive plural.

Structure:

die Mehrheit – the majority
wessen Mehrheit? (majority of whom?) → der Großen (of the big ones)

So die Mehrheit der Großen literally means the majority of the big ones.

You can also say:

die Mehrheit von den Großen

This uses von + dative instead of genitive. Differences:

Genitive (der Großen) is a bit more compact and somewhat more formal/standard.
Von + dative (von den Großen) is very common in spoken German and sounds a bit more casual.

Both are understandable and correct in everyday language, but in written German the genitive is usually preferred.

Could I say die Mehrheit der großen Leute instead of der Großen? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say:

Die Mehrheit der großen Leute möchte wandern.

The main differences:

der Großen
- Slightly more compact, more “generic”.
- Often used in contrasts like die Großen und die Kleinen (adults and children).
- Can be understood as the tall ones or the adults, depending on context.
der großen Leute
- Uses an explicit noun Leute (people).
- Makes it clearer that you are talking about people, and that groß is describing them.
- Neutral, everyday style.

In many contexts they are interchangeable, but der Großen sounds a bit more like a set/group label (e.g. the adults), while der großen Leute is a more descriptive phrase (the tall/big people).

Why do we say möchte wandern instead of just wandert?

Möchte is a modal verb meaning would like to.
The pattern is:

möchten
- infinitive at the end of the clause

So:

Die Mehrheit der Großen wandert.
→ The majority of the big ones is hiking / goes hiking. (statement of fact)
Die Mehrheit der Großen möchte wandern.
→ The majority of the big ones would like to hike. (expresses a wish / intention)

Using möchte softens the statement and talks about desire, not about what is actually happening right now.

What is the difference between möchte and will in this context?

Both refer to wanting, but their tone is different:

möchte = would like to
- Polite, softer, less forceful.
- Often used for wishes, plans, preferences.
will = wants to / intends to
- Stronger, more direct.
- Expresses firm intention or will.

Compare:

Die Mehrheit der Großen möchte wandern.
→ The majority would like to hike.
Die Mehrheit der Großen will wandern.
→ The majority wants to hike / is determined to hike.

Both are grammatically correct; you choose based on how strong the intention should sound.

Does wandern in German mean the same as English to wander?

Not really. This is a classic false friend.

German wandern usually means to hike, often in nature, over some distance, e.g. in the mountains or countryside.
English to wander means to walk around aimlessly, without a clear goal.

So:

Wir wandern in den Bergen. → We’re hiking in the mountains.
For to wander around town, German would use herumgehen, umherlaufen, herumstreifen, or similar, not wandern.

Why is there a comma before aber, and why doesn’t the word order change after aber?

Aber is a coordinating conjunction (like but in English).

Comma:
In German, a comma is normally required between two main clauses that are joined by coordinating conjunctions such as aber, und, oder, denn, etc.
- Die Mehrheit der Großen möchte wandern, aber eine Minderheit bleibt beim Bach.
Word order after aber:
After aber, the clause keeps normal main-clause word order (verb in second position):
- aber eine Minderheit bleibt beim Bach
  - eine Minderheit (1st position)
  - bleibt (2nd position – the finite verb)

So you do not switch to verb-final or anything like that; aber just connects two normal main clauses.

Why do we say eine Minderheit bleibt and not aber Minderheit bleibt or aber die Minderheit bleibt?

You need an article with Minderheit, and the choice of article changes the meaning slightly:

eine Minderheit – a minority (some minority, not specified which one)
die Minderheit – the minority (a specific / previously mentioned minority)

In this sentence, the contrast is:

die Mehrheit – the (whole) majority
eine Minderheit – a (smaller) minority

Using eine Minderheit sounds natural here because it introduces the rest of the group in a more general way.
Aber Minderheit bleibt … (without an article) is ungrammatical in standard German.

What does beim Bach literally mean, and what is going on grammatically?

Beim is a contraction of bei dem:

bei – a preposition meaning at / near / by
dem – dative singular of der (masculine or neuter)

Bach (stream, brook) is masculine, so:

bei + dem Bach → beim Bach

Bei always takes the dative case, so dem Bach is dative singular.
Literally, beim Bach means at the stream / by the stream.

What’s the difference between beim Bach, am Bach, zum Bach, and im Bach?

All are common, but they express different spatial relations:

beim Bach (bei dem Bach)
- at / near the stream
- close to it, in its vicinity, but not necessarily right on the bank.
am Bach (an dem Bach)
- by / on the stream
- more directly at the stream, e.g. on the bank.
zum Bach (zu dem Bach)
- to the stream
- indicates movement towards the stream.
im Bach (in dem Bach)
- in the stream
- physically in the water.

In the sentence, beim Bach fits well: the minority stays near the stream.

Is Mehrheit / Minderheit formal, or is it normal in everyday German?

Mehrheit and Minderheit are completely normal in both everyday and formal German.

In casual speech, Germans might sometimes say things like:
- Die meisten Großen wollen wandern, aber ein paar bleiben beim Bach.
  (Most of the big ones want to hike, but a few stay by the stream.)
But die Mehrheit / eine Minderheit is perfectly fine in spoken language too, and very common in written German (news, reports, etc.).

So the sentence sounds neutral and natural, not overly formal.