handelden

Handelden is the simple past tense form of the Dutch verb handelen, meaning to act, to deal with something, or to conduct oneself. It is used with plural subjects such as wij, jullie, or zij (they) to indicate completed actions in the past. The corresponding present-tense form is handelen, and the past participle is gehandeld, as in hebben gehandeld.

Etymology and meaning: handelen derives from the noun handel (trade, dealing) and has long covered both the sense of conducting activities in general and the sense of engaging in trade or negotiation. In Dutch, the verb can refer to acting in a general sense or to performing business or negotiations, depending on context. The past tense form handelde for singular, and handelden for plural, reflect standard Dutch verb conjugation.

Usage: Handelden appears in historical accounts, news reports, and literary prose to describe past actions. Examples include: Wij handelden snel toen het alarm klonk (We acted quickly when the alarm rang) and De partijen handelden in goederen (The parties dealt in goods). In perfect tense, the same verb is formed with hebben: Wij hebben gehandeld (We have acted). The form handelden is typically limited to plural subjects in everyday speech, while a singular subject would use handelde (ek/zij/hij handelde).

See also: handelen, gehandeld, handelaar.