zögerte

Zögerte is the Präteritum (simple past) form of the German verb zögern, meaning to hesitate or to delay. It denotes a moment of hesitation or a pause in action in the past. As a regular weak verb, its conjugation in the simple past is: ich zögerte, du zögertest, er/sie/es zögerte, wir zögerten, ihr zögertet, sie zögerten. The past participle is gezögert, which combines with haben to form the present perfect: ich habe gezögert.

Usage and nuance: Zögerte is commonly used in narrative and descriptive contexts to indicate hesitation before a decision or action, or a delay caused by uncertainty. It often conveys a subjective sense of reluctance or contemplation that affected how events unfolded. It can appear in both formal and informal prose, and is frequently paired with verbs of decision, approval, or starting an action (e.g., einer Entscheidung, einer Antwort, dem Handeln).

Examples: Er zögerte, bevor er die Tür öffnete. Sie zögerte lange, dann stimmte sie schließlich zu. In reporting, “Die Regierung zögerte, das Gesetz zu verabschieden” suggests a delay rooted in deliberation or controversy.

Related terms: Zögern (noun) denotes hesitation; zögerlich (adjective) describes someone or something as hesitant; Zögerlichkeit is the noun form for the quality of hesitation. The form zögerte specifically signals past tense and is distinct from the present tense form zögert and the perfect tense hat gezögert.