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gerettet
rescued
Freed from danger, an emergency, or a threatening situation and brought to safety.
example
Die geretteten Wanderer waren erschöpft, aber glücklich.
The rescued hikers were exhausted but happy.
gerettet
saved / rescued
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
'Gerettet' (saved/rescued) is the past participle of the verb 'retten' (to save/rescue). Here it is used like an adjective to describe the state of a person or thing that has been freed from an emergency.
EXAMPLE
Der Hund wurde aus dem kalten Wasser gerettet.
The dog was rescued from the cold water.
Sentence structure
This word can stand before a noun (attributive) or be connected with the verb 'sein' (to be) (predicative). Both forms describe the result of a rescue.
EXAMPLE
Der gerettete Bergsteiger wurde ins Tal gebracht.
The rescued climber was brought down into the valley.
Context clue
When living beings are involved, 'gerettet' (rescued) usually means being freed from life-threatening danger. Typical contexts are accidents, fires, or natural disasters.
EXAMPLE
Die Feuerwehrleute brachten die geretteten Bewohner in Sicherheit.
The firefighters brought the rescued residents to safety.
Typical collocations
In the figurative sense, 'gerettet' (saved) is often used for abstract things that have been saved from a negative ending. A very common expression is 'Der Tag ist gerettet!' (The day is saved!) or 'Der Abend ist gerettet!' (The evening is saved!).
EXAMPLE
Als der Strom wieder anging, war der Filmabend gerettet.
When the power came back on, movie night was saved.
Compare with
gerettet vs sicher
sure / safe
'sicher' and 'gerettet' can both have to do with protection from danger. 'sicher' describes the state: someone is no longer in danger, or is not in danger. 'gerettet' emphasizes how that state was reached: someone was in danger and was freed from it. That is why a person can be safe after being rescued, but not every safe person has been rescued. Learners may confuse the words because both fit after a dangerous situation. 'gerettet' clearly says that there was an emergency beforehand.
gerettet
Die Wanderer waren gerettet, als die Bergwacht sie im Schnee fand.
The hikers were rescued when the mountain rescue team found them in the snow.
sicher
Nach dem Unwetter waren die Kinder im Haus sicher.
After the storm, the children were safe in the house.
In real life
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