Leistete

Leistete is the simple past tense (Präteritum) form of the German verb leisten. It is used to describe an action that was completed in the past and can convey a sense of achievement, provision, or execution in a formal or narrative context.

In usage, leisten has several core senses: to perform or execute a task, to provide or supply, and to render services or contributions. Examples include: Er leistete hervorragende Arbeit. (He performed excellent work.) Sie leistete den Dienst. (She rendered the service.) Einen Beitrag leisten bedeutet to contribute to a project: Sie leisten einen Beitrag zum Projekt. In everyday speech, the Perfekt form hat geleistet is more common for past events, while Leisete tends to appear in written narration or formal discourse.

Grammatically, leisten is a weak verb, and its Präteritum follows the standard pattern for weak verbs. The typical forms include ich leistete, du leistetest, er leistete, wir leisteten, ihr leistetet, sie leisteten. The past participle is geleistet, and it is used with habe to form the present perfect: hat geleistet.

Etymology traces the verb to older Germanic roots meaning to accomplish or fulfill. Today, leisten remains widely used across contexts from professional work to voluntary or civic duties, with nuances shaped by tone and register.