erspielten

Erspielten is the simple past (Präteritum) form of the German verb erspielen, used with plural subjects such as sie (they) or ihr (you all), and in polite address Sie when conjugated in the past. The verb erspielen means to win or earn something by playing, typically referring to a prize, a position, or a title that is achieved through performance in a game, competition, or contest.

The prefix er- in erspielen is an inseparable prefix, and the word denotes achievement or attainment through effort in play. The related perfect tense is formed with haben: Sie haben sich den Titel erspielt. The simple past forms include ich erspielte, du erspieltest, er/sie/es erspielte, wir erspielten, ihr erspieltet, sie/Sie erspielten. The past participle is erspielt and is used with haben in the Perfekt (hat erspielt).

In usage, erspielten emphasizes that the outcome was earned by skill, strategy, or performance rather than by luck alone. It is common in sports, board games, and competitive contexts, and can be used with reflexive constructions as sich etwas erspielen (to earn something for oneself by playing). Example sentences: Sie erspielten sich den Pokal. Wir erspielten uns einen Startplatz im Finale.

Etymologically, the word derives from spielen (to play) with the prefix er- signaling completion or attainment. It is distinct from casually winning or receiving something without playing, underscoring merit through competition.