umarmte

Umarmte is the simple past tense form (Präteritum) of the German verb umarmen, meaning to hug or embrace someone by wrapping one’s arms around them. It is used in narrative and formal writing to describe a completed hug in the past. The verb takes a direct object in the accusative case, as in ich umarmte dich or er umarmte sie. The present tense is umarmt, and the past participle is umarmt, which forms the perfect tense with haben (ich habe dich umarmt).

Etymology and usage: umarmen combines the prefix um- with the root arms (Arm), conveying the idea of wrapping someone in an embrace. In everyday speech, umarmte is commonly accompanied by evaluative context, such as greetings or farewells, and can convey warmth, consolation, or affection. The verb often appears with pronouns or noun phrases indicating the person being hugged: ich umarmte ihn, sie umarmte ihre Großmutter, wir umarmten uns.

Conjugation notes: in Präteritum the forms are: ich umarmte, du umarmtest, er/sie/es umarmte, wir umarmten, ihr umarmtet, sie/Sie umarmten. In Perfekt: ich habe ihn umarmt. The reflexive form sich umarmen emphasizes mutual action, as in wir umarmen uns.

Related terms: die Umarmung (the hug), which denotes the act or gesture itself, and the noun Umarmung can be used more generally to describe a heartfelt embrace.

Cultural note: hugging customs vary by culture and relationship; in German-speaking contexts it is common in personal greetings and farewells but may be more restrained in formal settings.