gedroht

Gedroht is the past participle form of the German verb drohen, meaning to threaten. It is used with the auxiliary haben to form perfect tenses, as in Er hat ihm gedroht. The participle can appear in various past and compound tenses, for example Sie hatten ihm gedroht or Wir werden ihm gedroht haben in hypothetical constructions.

Etymology and grammar: The verb drohen is of Germanic origin and has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch dreigen and English threaten. In standard German, the past participle is formed with the prefix ge- and the base verb, yielding gedroht. The construction typically involves a dative object for the person who is threatened (jemandem drohen) and may include a phrase like mit + Dativ to specify the content of the threat (z. B. mit Konsequenzen).

Usage notes: Gedroht is used to describe threats that occurred in the past or in perfect constructions. It can express literal threats (to a person or group) or metaphorical/political or economic pressure. Common patterns include subject + hat/drohten + someone + (mit) + threat content, or subject + hatten + someone + gedroht.

Noun form and related terms: The related noun Drohung means “a threat.” Gedroht itself is not typically used as a noun; it is strictly a verb form. The verb’s meaning can vary with context, from coercive threats to warnings about potential consequences.

See also: Drohen, Drohung, German verb conjugation.