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.

Breakdown of Die Mehrheit der Großen möchte wandern, aber eine Minderheit bleibt beim Bach.

• aber: but
• möchten: would like to
• bleiben: to stay
• wandern: to hike

Questions & Answers about Die Mehrheit der Großen möchte wandern, aber eine Minderheit bleibt beim Bach.

Is die Mehrheit considered singular or plural in German, and is möchte the correct form here?

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 , and why is it used here instead of ?