trató

Trató is the third-person singular form of the Spanish verb tratar in the simple past tense. It corresponds to “he treated,” “she treated,” or “it treated,” depending on the subject. The form is versatile and appears in a variety of contexts, including social behavior, medical treatment, and handling or addressing a subject.

In use, tratar can express several related ideas. It can mean to treat someone in a certain way, as in tratar a persona con amabilidad. It can mean to administer or manage care, as in tratar a un paciente. It can also mean to deal with or discuss a topic, as in un texto que trata de la economía. When followed by de, as in tratar de, it means “to try” or “to attempt,” for example, trató de convencerlos. The sense of handling or negotiating a matter can also appear with phrases such as tratar un asunto.

Etymology and related forms: tratar comes from Latin tractare, related to tractus, through the evolution of the Romance languages. Related nouns include trato (a deal, treatment, or manner) and tratado (a treaty or formal agreement). The verb forms vary by person and tense, with trató covering the third-person singular in the past.

Notes: tratado and trato are distinct from trato in pronunciation and function; tratado is a noun or past participle in other forms, while trato is a noun meaning deal or treatment. Pronunciation of tratado is typically [tɾaˈto].