Hívtuk

Hívtuk is the first-person plural past tense form of the Hungarian verb hívni, meaning to call or to invite. It functions as "we called" or "we invited," depending on the context. The form is part of Hungarian's past tense system and is used in narrative or reported speech to describe actions completed by the speaker and others.

Grammatical notes have to do with definite and indefinite past forms. Hívtuk is the past definite form, used when the direct object is definite or when the action is directed at a specific, identifiable entity. The corresponding past indefinite form for the same subject is hívtunk, which is used when the object is not definite or not specified. Other persons and numbers have their own past forms (for example, én hívtam, te hívtál, ők hívták, etc.).

Usage and nuance. Hívtuk commonly appears in everyday Hungarian to indicate that a group performed a calling or inviting action in the past. It can refer to a telephone call, a social invitation, or any scenario where a group is described as having invited someone or called out to someone. The exact meaning is determined by the surrounding nouns and context, particularly the presence or absence of definite markers on the object.

Examples:

- Hívtuk a vendégeket az estére. (We invited the guests for the evening.)

- Hívtuk telefonon a barátokat. (We called the friends on the phone.)

See also. Hívni (to call, to invite); hívás (calling, invitation). The form hívtuk is one of several past tense conjugations built from the verb stem hív.