Verbesserten

Verbesserten is a finite verb form of the German verb verbessern. It appears in the simple past (Präteritum/Imperfekt) for plural subjects, corresponding to wir verbesserten or sie verbesserten. As a form, it is not a separate lexical entry but a conjugated verb.

In modern German, the Präteritum is most common in written language and narration, while spoken language typically uses the perfect tense (haben verbessert). Therefore improves in everyday speech would usually be expressed as wir haben verbessert or sie haben verbessert. The Präteritum form improving is still encountered in literature, reports, and formal writing.

Form and usage notes: verbessern means “to improve” or “to make better.” The stem is verbessern, and the Präteritum plural ending is -ten, yielding verbesserten for the appropriate plural subjects. The single-word form verbessern (the infinitive) or verbessert (the past participle) are distinct from the past-tense plural form verbesserten.

Examples:

- Wir verbesserten die Software durch ein neues Update.

- Sie verbesserten die Prozesse im Unternehmen im letzten Jahr.

Caveats: Because verbessern is common, the preterite form verbesserten can be easily confused with other verb forms in similar contexts. Context usually clarifies subject and tense.