änderte

änderte is the simple past tense (Präteritum) form of the German verb ändern, meaning to change or alter. It denotes a completed change that took place in the past and is commonly found in written language, narrative prose, or formal reports.

Conjugation in the Präteritum follows the regular weak-verb pattern for ändern. The forms are: ich änderte, du ändetest, er/sie/es änderte, wir änderten, ihr ändertet, sie änderten. Notably, the second-person singular uses ändetest, while the third-person singular and first-person singular share änderte.

Usage and nuance: In everyday spoken German, speakers often prefer the Perfekt tense with haben, as in Er hat seinen Plan geändert (he changed his plan). The Präteritum form änderte is more typical in writing, journalism, historical accounts, and formal contexts where a past sequence or state is being described. It can convey narrative distance or a more formal tone.

Examples: Gestern änderte er seine Meinung. Die Regierung änderte die Richtlinien. In literarischer Sprache könnte man schreiben: Die Zeit änderte sich, und alles war anders.

Related forms: The related verb verÄndern exists with a similar meaning but a stronger emphasis on more substantial modification. Other synonyms include umändern, verändern, and umbauen, each with its own nuance and usage patterns in past tense forms.

See also: ändern, Veränderung, Verändern.