ondersteunde

Ondersteunde is the simple past tense form of the Dutch verb ondersteunen, meaning to support, back, or assist. In standard Dutch, ondersteunde is used for the first person singular (ik ondersteunde) and the third person singular (hij/zij/het ondersteunde). The plural forms use the ending -den in the past tense (wij ondersteunden; jullie ondersteunden; zij ondersteunden). The past participle used in perfect tenses is ondersteund, as in ik heb ondersteund.

Etymology and meaning: ondersteuning comes from onder- (under, or support in a broader sense) combined with steunen (to lean on or to support). The word covers both concrete actions—physical help or backing in a project—and more abstract assistance, such as moral or financial support.

Usage: Ondersteunde appears in narrative or reporting contexts to describe actions taken in the past. For example, “Zij ondersteunde haar collega tijdens de presentatie” or “De organisatie ondersteunde de vluchtelingen met voedsel en onderdak.” In contrast, the present tense is ondersteunt, and the past participle used with have or be in compound tenses is ondersteund.

Distinctions: Dutch distinguishes simple past (ondersteunde) from the past participle (ondersteund). This can affect how a sentence is formed in different tenses, such as “Hij heeft hem ondersteund” (present perfect) versus “Hij ondersteunde hem” (simple past).

See also: ondersteunen (the infinitive), ondersteunt (present tense), ondersteund (past participle).