een groot man

This pattern, known as the onverbogen bijvoeglijk naamwoord (uninflected adjective), is a formal and literary nuance in Dutch grammar. While standard adjective inflection rules usually require an -e for de-words, this specific exception allows for a semantic shift or a formal stylistic choice. It is primarily used in written or rhetorical Dutch.

Key Conditions:

• De-words Only: This semantic distinction applies specifically to de-words referring to people. For het-words, the uninflected form is already the standard rule after 'een' regardless of meaning, so the semantic distinction is not morphologically visible.
• Strictly Singular: This pattern never occurs in the plural.
• Article/Determiner: This occurs after singular indefinite determiners: the indefinite article 'een', geen, zo'n (but not zulke), wat een, zulk een, or the formal singular determiners elk and ieder (but not alle), and menig (many a), as in menig groot schrijver.
• Noun Type: It must refer to a person (e.g., man, leraar, schrijver, violist).
• Adjective Type: It works with qualitative adjectives like groot (great), goed (good), wijs (wise), knap (skilled), oud (old), jong (young), edel (noble), rijk (rich), or arm (poor).
• Nationalities and Titles: Adjectives ending in -s or -isch, such as Frans, Engels, or Belgisch, often follow this pattern as a formal stylistic convention for nationalities and professional titles (e.g., een Belgisch schrijver), even without a semantic shift.
• Multiple Adjectives: When two adjectives precede the noun, both usually remain uninflected if they both describe the 'essence' or status of the person (e.g., een goed en wijs man).
• Comparatives: In formal style, comparative adjectives ending in -er also follow this pattern (e.g., een groter man).

Adverbial Modification:
An intensifier does not automatically require -e. In this formal role-based construction, an adjective can still be modified by a degree word. Acceptability depends on the adjective–noun combination and intended meaning; the inflected form remains the ordinary choice outside this special construction.

Gender Restrictions:
This pattern is most common with masculine nouns (een groot man). With feminine nouns such as schrijfster or actrice, modern Dutch uses the inflected form: een grote schrijfster, een bekwame actrice.

Meaning Shift and Optionality:
The uninflected form (no -e) is a stylistic choice used to define a person's essence, status, or professional capability rather than a physical trait. Crucially, this rule is asymmetrical and optional:
1. Literal meaning: You must use the inflected form (een grote man = a tall man).
2. Figurative meaning: You can choose between the uninflected form (een groot man = a great man) or the inflected form (een grote man = a great man). The inflected form is always a safe, non-incorrect alternative for learners, while the uninflected form is more formal.

Related Rules:
Note that the omission of the article in professional descriptions (e.g., Hij is bekwaam chirurg) is a related but distinct rule regarding predicative nouns. In some idiomatic expressions, the uninflected form is the standard requirement, such as een technisch man (a technical person) or een wetenschappelijk medewerker (a research assistant). There are also fixed lexicalized combinations involving het-words, such as het openbaar ministerie (the public prosecution service).