Elmulasztottam

Elmulasztottam is a Hungarian verb form meaning “I missed” or “I failed to do something.” It is the first-person singular past tense of the verb elmulasztani, which means to miss, neglect, or fail to do something in a timely manner. The word is used to describe actions or obligations that were not fulfilled, such as missing an appointment, a deadline, or an opportunity.

Etymology and form: Elmulasztani is built from the root mulaszt- with the prefix el-, which is common in Hungarian to form verbs related to completion, emphasis, or negation of the action. Elmulasztottam is the past tense, first-person singular form, used when the speaker is referring to something they themselves failed to do. Other persons are formed with the corresponding person endings, for example elmulasztottál (you missed), elmulasztotta (he/she/it missed), elmulasztottuk (we missed), elmulasztottatok (you plural missed), elmulasztották (they missed).

Usage: Elmulasztottam is typically followed by a direct object specifying what was missed, e.g., elmulasztottam a találkozót (I missed the appointment) or elmulasztottam a határidőt (I missed the deadline). It can also be used with infinitives to express failing to perform an action, e.g., elmulasztottam felhívni őt (I failed to call him).

Comparison: The term is distinct from késik (to be late) and elfelejt (to forget). Elmulasztani emphasizes failing to act or attend something that should have been done or arrived, whereas késik refers to tardiness in time and elfelejt refers to forgetting something previously known.

See also: mulasztás, elhanyagolás, találkozó, határidő.