Regular past tense with -t/-tt suffix and personal endings
Can narrate past events using regular verbs with correct personal endings
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Tegnap olvastak egy könyvet.
They read a book yesterday.
Tegnap este sokat beszéltem.
I talked a lot last night.
Anna látott egy macskát az utcán.
Anna saw a cat on the street.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Hungarian past tense: stem + -t/-tt + personal ending.
| Person | Back vowel | Front vowel |
|---|---|---|
| I | -tam | -tem |
| you (sg) | -tál | -tél |
| he/she | -ott | -ett/-ött |
| we | -tunk | -tünk |
| you (pl) | -tatok | -tetek |
| they | -tak | -tek |
Examples: olvasott (read), beszélt (spoke), látott (saw).
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesWrong vowel in past ending (e.g. -tam after front-vowel verb)
Check the last vowel of the stem: a/o/u → back endings (-tam, -tál, -tunk); e/é/i/ö/ü → front endings (-tem, -tél, -tünk).
Forgets double-t in 3rd sg when stem ends in consonant
3rd sg: if stem ends in vowel → single -t (ment); if consonant → -ott/-ett/-ött (látott, kért→kért, but olvasott).
Tegnap olvastak egy könyvet.
They read a book yesterday.
olvas+tak: 3rd pl past, back-vowel harmony → -tak.
Tegnap este sokat beszéltem.
I talked a lot last night.
beszél+tem: 1st sg past, front-vowel harmony → -tem.
Anna látott egy macskát az utcán.
Anna saw a cat on the street.
lát+ott: 3rd sg past — verb ending in consonant gets double-t form.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises