Gevochten

Gevochten is the past participle of the Dutch verb vechten, meaning to fight. It is used with auxiliary verbs such as hebben or zijn to form perfect tenses, for example: Ik heb gevochten, Hij heeft gevochten, Zij hebben gevochten. The corresponding simple past forms are vocht (singular) and vochten (plural). The past participle gevochten does not function as a standalone tense by itself; it appears in combination with a auxiliary verb to indicate a completed fighting action.

Gevochten should be distinguished from gevechten, which is the plural noun meaning battles or fights. Gevecht is the singular noun, gevechten the plural; these words refer to concrete instances of fighting, whereas gevochten is the verb form describing the action.

Usage and examples: in a historical or news context, one might say, “Tijdens de oorlog hebben beide partijen gevochten,” meaning “During the war, both sides fought.” In a general sense: “Zij hebben lang gevochten voor hun rechten,” meaning “They have fought for their rights for a long time.” The verb is irregular in the simple past, with vocht/vochten, while the past participle remains gevochten.

Etymology and form: gevochten is formed from vechten with the prefix ge- and the standard past participle ending -en, reflecting its status as a strong (irregular) verb. Translations typically render gevochten as “fought” or “has fought.”

---