werkte

Werkte is the simple past tense form of the Dutch verb werken (to work). It is used for singular subjects, as in ik werkte, jij werkte, and hij/zij/het werkte. This form is part of the imperfect tense (onvoltooid verleden tijd). The standard spelling combines the stem werk- with the ending -te for singular subjects, while the plural takes -ten (wij werkten, jullie werkten, zij werkten). The past tense conveys that the action occurred in the past and is regarded as completed with respect to the reference time.

Origins and usage: The verb werken comes from Old Dutch and shares cognates with German arbeiten and English work. The form 'werkte' is the standard singular past, while the plural is 'werkten'. The past participle is 'gewerkt' and the present tense is 'werk' forms such as 'ik werk', 'je werkt', 'hij werkt'. In contemporary Dutch, the simple past is common in formal writing and storytelling, whereas in everyday speech many speakers prefer the present perfect (ik heb gewerkt) to describe past events.

See also: werken, gewerkt, werk, present tense.