wirken
Translation
worked, had an effect, seemed, appeared
Examples
Die Tablette wirkte sofort.
The pill worked immediately.
Sein Lächeln wirkte unecht.
His smile seemed fake.
Der Kaffee wirkte stärker als erwartet.
The coffee had a stronger effect than expected.
Grammar Patterns
to work ((against sth.)) The remedy worked well against the cough.
to have an effect ((on sb.)) His speech had a very motivating effect on everyone.
to seem ((adj.)) He seemed exhausted after the game.
Similar Words
Synonyms: funktionierte (functioned), schien (seemed)
Etymology
The simple past (Präteritum) form of 'wirken'. As a regular (weak) verb, it adds '-te' to the stem.
Memory Tips
The '-te' ending is a classic sign of the simple past tense for regular German verbs. Think of it like '-ed' in English.