betreute

Betreute is the simple past tense form of the German verb betreuen, meaning to supervise, care for, or support someone. In narratives or reports, betreute denotes that care or supervision was provided in the past; for example, Der Arzt betreute den Patienten would be rendered in Präteritum as Der Arzt betreute den Patienten. The past participle betreut is used with haben to form the perfect tense, as in Der Arzt hat den Patienten betreut. The term can also appear in other tenses and forms.

In addition, Betreute can function as a noun when capitalized, referring to a person who is under care, support, or guardianship in social or legal contexts. The masculine singular is typically der Betreute, the feminine singular die Betreute, and the plural die Betreuten. The term is common in welfare, elder care, disability care, and guardianship settings. Related terms include Betreuung (care or supervision), Betreuungsrecht (guardianship law), and Betreuer (guardian or custodian).

Usage notes: The noun sense is chiefly found in institutional or formal writing, such as care plans, case notes, or legal documents, whereas the verb sense is everyday language. The word should be used with an appropriate article or context to indicate gender and number.