bestellte

Bestellte is the simple past (preterite) form of the German verb bestellen, meaning to order or to place an order for goods, services, or food. It is used in narrative or written past tense to describe actions that were completed in the past. The root infinitive is bestellen, and bestellen can also mean to request or reserve something in various contexts.

Grammatically, bestellte is used for ich bestellte and er/sie/es bestellte in the singular, with wir/sie/Sie bestellten in the plural. The related past participle is bestellt, which forms the present perfect with hjälp haben: ich habe bestellt. In everyday speech, the perfect tense (Ich habe bestellt) is often preferred over the simple past, especially in spoken German.

Etymology and nuance: bestellen comes from the prefix be- attached to stellen (to place or set). Over time, the sense broadened from “to place” or “to arrange” to the modern meanings of ordering goods, meals, or services, as well as arranging or appointing tasks in some contexts. Bestellte thus reflects the historical development of the verb’s past action.

Usage notes: bestellte appears in contexts such as shopping, food ordering, or general narration of past actions. Examples: “Gestern bestellte ich eine Pizza.” (Yesterday I ordered a pizza.) “Die bestellten Waren wurden heute geliefert.” (The ordered goods were delivered today.) The word is specifically the preterite form and should not be confused with bestellt, the past participle used in perfect tenses.

See also: Bestellung (order), bestellen (to order)