Past Tense: Irregular Verbs

A1 — Igék

Irregular past tense forms of common verbs

Can use common irregular past tense verbs in sentences

Examples

Tegnap Péter ment a boltba. — Yesterday Péter went to the shop.
Az étteremben sokat ettünk és ittunk. — We ate and drank a lot at the restaurant.
Ki volt itt tegnap? — Who was here yesterday?

VerbsA1

Past Tense: Irregular Verbs

Irregular past tense forms of common verbs

Learning Goal

Can use common irregular past tense verbs in sentences

Exam Skills:ListeningReadingWritingSpeaking

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Tegnap Péter ment a boltba.

Yesterday Péter went to the shop.

Az étteremben sokat ettünk és ittunk.

We ate and drank a lot at the restaurant.

Ki volt itt tegnap?

Who was here yesterday?

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Common irregular past forms: megy→ment, jön→jött, eszik→evett, iszik→ivott, vesz→vett, tesz→tett, van→volt. Personal endings are the same as regular verbs — attach to the irregular stem.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Learners try to apply regular -t to these stems. 🇬🇧 English: Just like irregular past forms (go→went, eat→ate) — must be memorised.

Common Error Patterns

Applies regular -t to irregular stem (e.g. *ment → *mented instead of mentél)

Memorise the irregular past stems: ment, jött, evett, ivott, vett, tett, volt. Then add normal personal endings.

Confuses volt (was) with van (is) in past contexts

van = present tense 'is'; volt = past tense 'was'. They are completely different forms.

Tegnap Péter ment a boltba.

Yesterday Péter went to the shop.

megy → ment (3rd sg irregular past). Personal endings attach to ment-.

Az étteremben sokat ettünk és ittunk.

We ate and drank a lot at the restaurant.

eszik→evett+ünk; iszik→ivott+unk → ettünk, ittunk (1st pl, front/back harmony).

Ki volt itt tegnap?

Who was here yesterday?

van → volt (was). Entirely irregular — must memorise.

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Frequently asked questions

When do you use Past Tense: Irregular Verbs?: Common irregular past forms : megy→ment, jön→jött, eszik→evett, iszik→ivott, vesz→vett, tesz→tett, van→volt. Personal endings are the same as regular verbs — attach to the irregular stem.
What are common mistakes with Past Tense: Irregular Verbs?: Learners try to apply regular -t to these stems. 🇬🇧 English: Just like irregular past forms (go→went, eat→ate) — must be memorised.

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Past Tense: Irregular Verbs?

Common irregular past forms : megy→ment, jön→jött, eszik→evett, iszik→ivott, vesz→vett, tesz→tett, van→volt. Personal endings are the same as regular verbs — attach to the irregular stem.

What are common mistakes with Past Tense: Irregular Verbs?

Learners try to apply regular -t to these stems. 🇬🇧 English: Just like irregular past forms (go→went, eat→ate) — must be memorised.