sprach
Translation
spoke, talked
Examples
Er sprach Deutsch.
He spoke German.
Sie sprach mit ihm über das Problem.
She spoke with him about the problem.
Der Papagei sprach ein paar Worte.
The parrot spoke a few words.
Grammar Patterns
((et4)) sprechen to speak ((a language)) He sprach German fluently.
((mit+3)) sprechen to speak ((with sb.)) She sprach with her friend for a long time.
((über+4)) sprechen to speak ((about sth.)) We sprach about our plans.
Similar Words
redete (talked), sagte (said)
Etymology
The simple past tense (Präteritum) of 'sprechen' (to speak). It shares roots with the English words 'speak' and 'speech'.
Memory Tips
Notice the vowel shift from 'e' in 'sprechen' to 'a' in 'sprach'. This is a typical pattern for strong verbs in the German past tense.