erfasste

Erfasste is the simple past tense form (Präteritum) of the German verb erfassen. The verb has several related meanings, including to grasp or seize physically, to capture or record information, and, in some senses, to understand. In written German, erfasste is used to describe a completed action in the past, with forms such as ich erfasste, du erfasstest, erfasste, wir erfassten, ihr erfasstet, sie erfassten.

Etymology and forms: erfassen is derived from fassen 'to grasp, seize' with the prefix er-, which can indicate completion or attainment. The Präteritum of this verb forms as erfasste in the first and third person singular (ich erfasste / erfasste) and erfassten in the plural (wir erfassten / sie erfassten). The past participle is erfasst, used in perfect tenses and as an adjective.

Usage: The term commonly appears in narratives or reports. Examples: Ich erfasste die Daten sorgfältig. Der Ermittler erfasste alle relevanten Informationen in der Datenbank. Der Bericht erfasste die Ereignisse des Tages. In compound tenses, the perfect is formed with hat erfasst (Er hat die Daten erfasst).

Notes: As a past tense form, erfasste is unambiguous only with explicit subject or context, since it corresponds to multiple pronouns. The form erfasst, by contrast, commonly appears as the past participle or as an adjective, for example in erfasste Daten.

See also: erfassen.