Hatják

Hatják is a Hungarian verb form rather than a standalone verb. It represents a combination of two grammatical layers: the potential (ability/possibility) mood expressed by the suffix -hat/-het, and the definite-direct-object present-tense ending -ják for the third-person plural. The form is thus the result of attaching -hat/-het to a verb stem and then adding -ják to mark a definite object in the plural.

Morphology and formation

- The base stem comes from a verb that can take the potential suffix. The choice of -hat or -het follows vowel harmony rules and phonological adjustment with the stem.

- The definite third-person plural ending -ják is added after the potential suffix, yielding a shape such as stem + hat/het + jak. This ending marks that the action is directed at a definite object pluralized in the clause.

- Because hatják is a bound morpheme, it only appears as part of a longer verb form (for example, megoldhatják, javíthatják), and not as an independent lexical word.

Usage

- Hatják expresses that “they can/are able to” perform an action with respect to a definite object. The meaning is context-dependent, combining ability with a definite object in the clause.

- It commonly appears in subordinate clauses or in sentences reporting possibilities, intentions, or recommendations that involve a plural subject.

Examples

- A feladatokat megoldhatják. (They can solve the tasks / They may solve the tasks.)

- A hibát javíthatják. (They can fix the defect / They may fix the defect.)

See also

- Hungarian mood: definite vs. indefinite conjugation

- -hat/-het suffix (potential mood)

- -ják suffix (definite 3rd person plural ending)

Notes

- Hatják is not a separate verb with its own meaning; it is a grammatical ending sequence that attaches to a suitable verb root to convey possibility toward a definite object in the plural.