kündigte

Kündigte is the simple past tense (Präteritum) form of the German verb kündigen, meaning to terminate, to cancel, or to give notice. It is used to describe a termination action that occurred in the past and can apply to contracts, subscriptions, leases, or employment relationships. The corresponding past participle is gekündigt, used with auxiliary haben to form the present perfect: ich habe gekündigt.

In ordinary speech and many informal contexts, speakers often prefer the Perfekt (habe gekündigt) rather than the Präteritum, especially in southern Germany and in spoken language. The Präteritum form kündigte is common in written narration, journalism, and formal documents.

The noun related to the verb is Kündigung, which denotes the act or result of terminating or giving notice. Related terms include Kündigungsfrist (notice period) and Kündigungsgründe (reasons for termination). The word's usage spans legal, administrative, and contractual domains, where precise timing and conditions of termination are important.

Etymology traces kündigen to Germanic roots in which the base meaning centers on declaring an end or notifying about it. Over time, Kündigung as a noun emerged to denote the formal act of termination, while kündigte and other verb forms serve to place such actions in time and agreement with subjects.

Examples:

- Er kündigte den Arbeitsvertrag gestern. (He terminated the employment contract yesterday.)

- Der Vermieter kündigte den Mietvertrag fristgerecht. (The landlord gave notice to terminate the lease in due time.)