Ismerték

Ismerték is a Hungarian verb form meaning “they knew” or “they recognised.” It is the past tense of the verb ismerni (to know, to recognise) used with a third-person plural subject. The form represents knowledge or recognition in the past and is commonly found in narrative and reported speech.

Grammatical notes aside from simple translation, ismerték is built from the verb stem ismer- with a past tense suffix and a plural ending. It is one of the common past-tense conjugations in Hungarian and pairs with a direct object or complement to specify what was known or recognised, for example a fact, a name, or a phenomenon.

Usage and examples:

- A kutatók ismerték a jelenséget. The researchers knew the phenomenon.

- Ismerik a nevét? No; ismerték a nevét. They knew his name.

- A történet szerint ők ismerték meg a valóságot. According to the story, they got to know the truth.

Nuances and related forms:

Ismerték should not be confused with present-tense forms such as ismerik (they know) or with megismerni (to get to know, to become acquainted). The phrase can be extended with meg- to express “to get to know” (megismerték), or used with a clause to specify what was known or recognised in the past.

Etymology and scope:

Derived from ismer- (to know) with past-tense suffixes and a plural ending, ismerték is part of standard Hungarian conjugation. It appears in historical accounts, journalistic writing, and everyday speech when describing past knowledge or recognition by multiple subjects.