betrachteten

Betrachteten is the simple past tense (Präteritum) of the German verb betrachten. It is used to describe viewing or considering something in the past, and can correspond to first-person plural or third-person plural subjects in that tense. In context, the form signals a narrative or formal recounting rather than everyday speech.

In Präteritum, the full conjugation for relevant persons is: ich betrachtete, du betrachtest, er betrachtete, wir betrachteten, ihr betrachtetet, sie betrachteten. Therefore, betrachten appears as betrachteten whenever the subject is wir or sie (in the past tense), and the same form can be used for both.

Usage notes include that betrachten covers both physical viewing and cognitive consideration, such as examining data or reflecting on an image. It is common in reporting, narration, and formal writing. In conversational German, speakers typically prefer the Perfekt (haben betrachtet) for past actions rather than the Präteritum, though the latter remains standard in many literary and journalistic contexts.

Examples: Die Wissenschaftler betrachteten die Ergebnisse kritisch. Die Szene wurde von vielen Zuschauern betrachtet, bevor sie begann. Wir betrachteten die Pläne gründlich, bevor wir zustimmten.

Related terms include the nominalization Betrachtung, which denotes contemplation, view, or consideration. The word shares the same semantic field as other German verbs that describe looking, assessing, or reflecting on something.