erschien

Erschien is the simple past tense form of the German verb erscheinen, which means to appear, to seem, or to be published. It is mainly used in written German, especially in narratives and reports, to describe events that happened in the past or to indicate that something appeared in print.

Conjugation and forms

In the Präteritum, the conjugation is: ich erschien, du erschienst, er/sie/es erschien; wir erschienen, ihr erschienet, sie/Sie erschienen. The perfect tense is formed with sein: ist erschienen. The verb can also appear in passive constructions or with modal nuances in various contexts, but the Präteritum form erschien is most commonly found in narrative narration.

Meaning and usage

Erschienen has several core senses:

- To appear physically or come into sight: Der Mann erschien aus dem Nebel.

- To turn up or arrive: Der Arzt erschien pünktlich.

- To be published or released (in media or books): Das Buch erschien letzten Monat im Verlag.

- To seem or appear in a certain way (often in a subjective sense): Es erschien mir sinnvoll, dieses Vorgehen zu wählen.

Etymology

The verb erscheint is built from scheinen (to shine, to seem) with the prefix er-, a common German prefix that can add aspectual or directional nuance. The combination historically means “to come into view” or “to come to light,” extending the sense of appearance to events and publications.

Usage notes

Erschien is typically found in narrative pasts, formal writing, or historical accounts. In everyday speech, speakers typically use the present tense erscheinen and the perfect tense ist erschienen more often in contemporary contexts.