erweiterten

Erweiterten is a German word that appears in two main grammatical roles: as a finite verb form and as an attributive adjective. In its verb use, erweiterten is the simple past (Präteritum) form of erweitern for the first-person plural and the third-person plural, as in wir erweiterten das Sortiment or sie erweiterten das Projekt. It is not the past participle; the past participle of erweitern is erweitert.

As an adjective, erweiterten can be the declined plural form of erweitertert (or more commonly of erweiternd, depending on region and style) used to describe plural nouns. In standard usage with definite articles, you see die erweiterten Funktionen or die erweiterten Kenntnisse. In singular form, the corresponding adjective is erweiterte (die erweiterte Funktion). The meaning remains “expanded” or “extended” in both adjectival and nominal contexts.

Usage and meaning: erweitern means to widen, extend, or broaden. It is used for physical expansion (a building, a road), as well as for abstract or non-material expansion (knowledge, capabilities, options). It also figures in technical and everyday phrases such as erweiterte Suche (advanced search), erweiterte Funktionen der Software (expanded software features), and ähnliche Ausdrucksweisen.

Etymology and related terms: erweitern combines the prefix er- with weit (wide) and the verb ending -en, signaling completion or a resulting state in some uses. Related terms include Erweiterung (expansion), erweiternd (expanding/expansive), and erweiterte Optionen (expanded options).

Overall, erweiterten functions as a common inflected form in German grammar, illustrating how German verbs in past tense align with subject person and number, and how the term operates adjectivally to convey expanded or enlarged attributes.