vorbereiteten

Vorbereiteten is the declined form of the German past participle vorbereitet, which stems from the verb vorbereiten (to prepare). It is not a separate word with a fixed entry meaning, but a form used when the participle functions as an adjective describing a noun in plural.

Grammatically, vorbereiteten appears as an attributive adjective before a plural noun, typically after a definite determiner or another determiner that marks the plural. For example: Die vorbereiteten Unterlagen liegen auf dem Tisch. Here the ending -en signals plural in combination with the definite article die. In contrast, the predicative use of the participle is prepared with vorab aufbereitete or einfach vorbereitet: Die Unterlagen sind vorbereitet. The plural form vorbereiteten is not used in the predicate position.

Usage notes: The form reflects German adjective declension rules. With a definite article, adjectives in the plural take the ending -en (die vorbereiteten Dokumente). Without a determiner, the strong declension would yield vorbereitete Dokumente. With other determiners that mark plural, the ending can vary (e.g., meine vorbereiteten Aufgaben).

Etymology: The term arises from vor- (prefix meaning “before” or “in advance”) combined with bereiten (“to prepare”). The compound conveys the sense of something that has been prepared in advance.

Examples:

- Die vorbereiteten Aufgaben wurden rechtzeitig abgegeben.

- Die vorbereiteten Unterlagen liegen im Ordner.

See also: vorbereiten, Partizip II, deutsche Adjektivdeklination, Vorbereitungen.