kämpfte

Kämpfte is the simple past tense (Präteritum) form of the German verb kämpfen, which means to fight or to struggle. It is used mainly in written language or formal narration to describe past actions. The verb kämpfen belongs to the class of strong verbs in German, and its present and past forms include ich kämpfe, du kämpfst, er kämpft, and ich kämpfte, du kämpftest, er kämpfte, followed by wir kämpften, ihr kämpftet, sie kämpften.

In usage, kämpfen can describe physical combat as well as figurative battles such as struggling against difficulties, illness, or injustice. The Präteritum form kämpfte typically appears in narratives, reports, or literary prose, while the more common spoken past tense is the Perfekt, as in ich habe gekämpft.

Derivation and related forms: kämpfen derives from older Germanic roots associated with combat. The past participle is gekämpft, used with haben to form the perfect tense (ich habe gekämpft). The present tense is kämpft, and the subjunctive and other mood forms use related inflections.

Examples: Er kämpfte tapfer bis zum Ende. Sie kämpfte gegen Ungerechtigkeit, trotz großer Hindernisse. In English, these translate to “He fought bravely until the end” and “She fought against injustice, despite great obstacles.”

Overall, kämpfte serves as a key past-tense form for a verb central to both physical action and metaphorical resistance in German.