How to Use Past Tense Forms in Hungarian for English Speakers

Understanding the Past Tense in Hungarian

In Hungarian, the past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened. Unlike English, Hungarian verbs change their endings based on the subject and whether the verb is definite or indefinite. This article will guide English speakers through the basics of forming and using the past tense in Hungarian.

Definite vs. Indefinite Conjugation in Past Tense

Hungarian verbs have two types of conjugations: definite and indefinite. The definite conjugation is used when the object of the verb is specific or known, while the indefinite conjugation is used when the object is general or not specified. This distinction affects the verb endings in the past tense.

Forming the Past Tense: Indefinite Conjugation

For indefinite conjugation in the past tense, the verb stem is combined with specific endings depending on the subject pronoun. Here are the endings for the indefinite past tense:

• -tam / -tem (I)
• -tál / -tél (you singular)
• -t (he/she/it)
• -tunk (we)
• -tatok / -tetek (you plural)
• -tak / -tek (they)

Note: The choice between -tam/-tem and similar pairs depends on vowel harmony rules in Hungarian.

Forming the Past Tense: Definite Conjugation

For definite conjugation, the endings are slightly different. They are as follows:

• -tam / -tem (I)
• -tad / -ted (you singular)
• -ta / -te (he/she/it)
• -tuk / -tük (we)
• -tátok / -tétek (you plural)
• -ták / -ték (they)

Again, vowel harmony determines which vowel to use in the endings.

Examples of Past Tense Usage

Let's look at some examples using the verb ír (to write):

• Indefinite: Én írtam egy levelet. (I wrote a letter.)
• Definite: Én megírtam a levelet. (I wrote the letter.)

Notice how the definite conjugation is used when the object is specific (the letter), and the indefinite when the object is general (a letter).

Common Irregular Verbs in Past Tense

Some Hungarian verbs are irregular in the past tense. For example, the verb lenni (to be) uses the past tense forms:

• Voltam (I was)
• Voltál (you were)
• Volt (he/she/it was)
• Voltunk (we were)
• Voltátok (you plural were)
• Voltak (they were)

Tips for English Speakers Learning Hungarian Past Tense

- Pay attention to vowel harmony when choosing verb endings.
- Remember the difference between definite and indefinite conjugations.
- Practice with common verbs and their past tense forms.
- Use example sentences to understand context and usage.