begegneten

Begegneten is the simple past tense form (Präteritum) of the German verb begegnen, which means to meet or encounter someone, often by chance or as part of an event. The verb is transitive with a dative object, as in ich begegne dem Mann (I meet the man).

Usage and grammar: begegnen is used to describe encounters with people or things, typically in a narrative or reported context. It governs the dative case: der Mann begegnete dem Jungen (the man encountered the boy). The verb is inseparable in its prefix be-, and its past tense forms follow strong/weak pattern variants typical of German modal-like verbs.

Conjugation notes: in the Präteritum, the third-person plural form is begegneten (they met). The past participle is begegnet, and the perfect tense uses the auxiliary sein: Sie sind dem Mann begegnet. The infinitive is begegnen; present tense forms include ich begegne, du begegnest, er begegnet, wir begegnen, ihr begegnet, sie begegnen.

Common uses and nuance: begegnen often conveys a chance or significant meeting, and can be used metaphorically to indicate encountering difficulties, ideas, or opportunities (e.g., einer Prüfung begegnen). It is distinct from verfehlen or treffen in its emphasis on encounter with a person or thing and its dative construction.

See also: Begegnung (encounter), begegnen (the verb itself), German verb conjugation patterns.

Example sentences:

- Sie begegneten dem Forscher zufällig im Bahnhof.

- Der Mann begegnete den Kindern auf dem Hof.

- Wir sind dem Problem bereits begegnet.