konnten

Konnten is the simple past tense (Präteritum) form of the German modal verb können. It is used with plural subjects, most commonly wir konnten and sie/Sie konnten, to express ability or possibility in the past. It corresponds to the singular forms konnte (ich konnte, er/sie/es konnte) but is specific to plural subjects.

In English, konnt en translates as could or were able to, depending on context. It can indicate a real past ability, a past possibility, or a past event in a narrative. The form is typical in written German and in formal or narrative contexts; in everyday speech, speakers often use the corresponding present or perfect constructions, though the Präteritum remains common in journalism and literature.

Grammatical notes:

- Konnten is the Präteritum form used with wir and sie/Sie.

- It contrasts with konnten in the singular forms, where the past tense takes konnte (ich konnte, er konnte) instead.

- The verb expresses past ability or potential, as in “Wir konnten das Problem lösen” (We were able to solve the problem) or “Sie konnten gestern nicht kommen” (They could not come yesterday).

Examples:

- Wir konnten das Konzert aufgrund des schlechten Wetters nicht besuchen. (We couldn't attend the concert because of the bad weather.)

- Sie konnten die Lösung schnell finden. (They were able to find the solution quickly.)

- Wir konnten gestern nicht kommen. (We couldn’t come yesterday.)

See also: können, konnte, könnt, Konjunktiv II.