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Präteritum. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
Präteritum, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
Präteritum in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
Präteritum you have here. The definition of the word
Präteritum will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
Präteritum, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
German
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin praeteritum, short for tempus praeteritum (literally “having-gone-by time”); the latter is the past participle of praetereō, itself from praeter + eō.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key):
- Hyphenation: Prä‧ter‧itum (etymological)
- Hyphenation: Prä‧te‧ri‧tum (phonetic)
Noun
Präteritum n (strong, genitive Präteritums, plural Präterita)
- (grammar) preterite (preterite tense; past tense)
- Synonym: Vergangenheit f
1744, Anfangs-Gründe der Dänischen Sprache, Oder Compendieuse Grammatica, Ottensee, page 185:Die übrigen Tempora sind composita, und entweder mit dem Praesenti Infinitivi, als die Futura, oder mit dem Supino, als die Praeterita, Perfectum und Plusquamperfectum, zusammengesetzt.- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Declension
Synonyms
Hyponyms
Further reading