trübte

Trübte is the simple past tense (Präteritum) of the German verb trüben. The verb trüben means to make something turbid, cloudy, or murky, and it can also be used in a metaphorical sense to dull, spoil, or cloud a mood, judgment, or prospect. The past participle is getrübt, and the present tense forms include trübt (er/sie/es trübt).

In practical usage, trüben describes both physical and figurative processes. Physically, it can refer to water or air becoming turbid or cloudy after a disturbance such as rain or smoke. Metaphorically, it is used to express a change toward gloom, doubt, or deterioration, as in situations where visibility, judgment, or prospects become clouded.

Examples:

- Der See trübte sich nach dem Sturm. (The lake clouded up / became turbid after the storm.)

- Die Luft trübte sich durch den Rauch. (The air grew murky due to the smoke.)

- Die Stimmung trübte sich im Verlauf des Abends. (The mood grew gloomier as the evening progressed.)

- Seine Aussichten trübten sich im Laufe des Jahres. (His prospects darkened over the year.)

Trübte is relatively common in written German, particularly in descriptive or literary contexts. In everyday speech, speakers more often use the perfect tense with getrübt (hat getrübt) rather than the Präteritum form trübte. Related terms include trüb (adjective: cloudy or dull) and Trübe (noun: turbidity or gloom).