løste

Löste is a conjugated form used in several Germanic languages, most notably German and Swedish, and also appears in Norwegian and Danish with a similar meaning. It is typically the simple past tense form of verbs that mean to solve, to loosen, or to release.

In German, löste is the Präteritum (simple past) form of lösen. It can denote solving a problem or completing a task, as in Ich löste das Rätsel (I solved the riddle) or Er löste das Problem (He solved the problem). The same verb also covers senses such as loosening or redeeming, depending on context, for example when describing a physical action like den Knoten lösen (to loosen the knot) or when discussing ticket redemption.

In Swedish, lösa means to solve or to loosen, and löste is the corresponding past tense. It is used similarly to the German sense of solving a problem, as in Hon löste gåtan (She solved the riddle) or Jag löste upp låset (I loosened/released the lock), with nuances shaped by the surrounding sentence.

Etymology traces löste to the broader Germanic family of roots tied to releasing, loosening, or unbinding, which over time extended to meanings related to solving problems. In German and Swedish, the orthography uses the umlaut ö; in Norwegian and Danish, the corresponding form is typically spelled with ø (løste).

Usage notes: löste functions as a regular past-tense form in both German and Swedish, and its exact meaning—solving, loosening, or releasing—depends on the verb it derives from and the surrounding context.