verhinderten

Verhinderten is the simple past tense form (Präteritum) of the German verb verhindern, with the prefix ver-. It corresponds to the English "prevented" or "hindered" and is used with plural subjects or the formal address Sie in the past tense. For example, wir verhinderten, sie verhinderten, and Sie verhinderten are correct forms in this tense. The corresponding past participle is verhindert, used in perfect tenses (z. B. haben verhindert).

Etymology and meaning: verhindern is built from the root hindern, meaning to obstruct or block, combined with the prefix ver-, which in many verbs adds a sense of completion or turning something into a different state. The combination expresses the act of preventing something from occurring. The Präteritum form verhin_der_ten follows the standard weak-verb pattern in German, with the plural and formal forms ending in -ten.

Usage: Verhinderten is common in narrative or dated prose, history, journalism, and reports when describing past events in which actions stopped a plan, attempt, or process. It does not imply a completed result in the present; it situates the prevention in the past. In spoken German, the present perfect (haben verhindert) is often preferred for past events, but Präteritum remains standard in formal writing or storytelling.

Examples:

- Die Maßnahmen verhinderten den Diebstahl. (The measures prevented the theft.)

- Die Sprengung der Brücke verhinderte eine Flucht, doch die Pläne wurden später aufgegriffen. (The blocking of the escape prevented it, but the plans were later pursued.)

Related terms: verhindern (to prevent), Hindernis (obstacle), Verhinderung (prevention).