Legte

Legte is the simple past tense (Präteritum) form of the German verb legen, meaning to lay or to place. It is used to describe a completed action of placing something, typically in written or formal narrative.

Conjugation and forms: legen is a regular (weak) verb. In the Präteritum, the forms are: ich legte, du legtest, er/sie/es legte, wir legten, ihr legtet, sie legten. The past participle is gelegt, and the auxiliary verb used with it in compound tenses is haben. In the present tense, the forms are ich lege, du legst, er legt, wir legen, ihr legt, sie legen.

Usage: Legte is common in stories, reports, and historical narration where the action occurred in the past. In everyday speech, Germans more frequently use the present perfect (Perfekt) with haben + gelegt: Ich habe das Buch auf den Tisch gelegt. The Präteritum with legte contrasts with andere Verben that describe spatial placement; legen generally denotes horizontal placement, as in something laid down on a surface, while other verbs like stellen or setzen handle different orientations or positions.

Examples:

- Er legte das Buch sorgsam auf den Tisch.

- Nachdem sie fertig war, legte er die Karten beiseite.

Origin and notes: Legen derives from the Germanic verb root for placing or setting down. Legte is primarily encountered in German-language texts and is a standard part of German verb conjugation, taught in beginner and intermediate courses.

See also: legen, Präteritum, Perfekt.