überschwemmten

Überschwemmten is a German verb form that functions as the simple past tense (Präteritum) for the verb überschwemmen. It is used with plural subjects, such as wir (we), sie (they), or Sie (formal you). The corresponding singular past form is überschwemmte (for er/sie/es). The form überschwemmten translates to “flooded” in English as in “we flooded” or “they flooded.”

Etymology and meaning: überschwemmen is a compound of über (over) and schwemmen (to flood or wash over). In its simple past plural form, überschwemmten describes an event in which water caused flooding over land, towns, or regions. The term is commonly found in historical accounts, meteorological reports, and narrative prose describing floods, storm surges, or related inundation events. The related noun is Überschwemmung, meaning flooding or inundation.

Grammatical usage: Überschwemmten, as a finite verb, governs a plural subject and appears in narratives or reports set in the past. In contrast, the past participle is überschwemmt and is used with auxiliary haben to form the present perfect (haben überschwemmt) or with sein in passive constructions (wurde überschwemmt). The verb is transitive and typically takes a direct object representing what was flooded (das Dorf, das Tal, weite Gebiete).

Usage notes: The word is common in German-language texts about natural disasters, climate patterns, and regional flooding histories. It is distinct from synonyms like überfluten, which can carry a broader sense of overflowing rather than deliberate inundation.

See also: Überschwemmung, Hochwasser, Flussüberschwemmung, Naturkatastrophe.