træde

Træde is a Danish verb that primarily means to step or to tread with the foot. It denotes the action of placing one foot in front of the other, as in walking, stepping onto something, or moving by stepping. The verb is also used metaphorically to describe entering a situation, taking on a role, or causing a change in state, such as stepping into a new responsibility or stepping into force.

Conjugation and forms are as follows: infinitive træde; present tense træder; past tense trådte; past participle trådt. Danish uses auxiliary verbs to form perfect and pluperfect tenses, for example, jeg har trådt (I have stepped).

Common phrases and uses include træde ind (to step in or enter), træde på (to tread on), træde over (to step over), og træde i kraft (to come into force), often used in legal or formal contexts. The verb can be transitive or intransitive depending on the construction, and it frequently appears with prepositional particles to convey precise movement or direction.

Etymology and cognates: træde comes from Old Danish træde and is related to the Proto-Germanic root *tredan-, giving the English tread and related Germanic forms such as German treten. The Danish development has preserved a core sense of deliberate foot movement while expanding into idiomatic expressions.

In usage, træde contrasts with mere general movement verbs by emphasizing the act of placing a foot and the act of stepping, whether physically or figuratively. It is a common, versatile verb found across everyday speech and formal language.