Kaptam

Kaptam is the first-person singular past tense form of the Hungarian verb kapni, meaning to receive or to catch. It is used to describe a past event in which something was obtained or became one’s possession.

Formation and grammar: The past tense in Hungarian is built by adding a past-tense suffix and a person ending. For kapni, the first-person singular past is kaptam. The full paradigm includes kaptál (you got), kapott (he/she/it got), kaptunk (we got), kaptatok (you all got), and kaptak (they got).

Usage and examples: Kaptam is common in everyday speech. Examples: Kaptam egy levelet tegnap. I received a letter yesterday. Kaptam egy e-mailt tőled. I got an e-mail from you. Megkaptam a csomagot. I received the package. Relatedly, megkapni is a closely related verb meaning to obtain or receive, with past tense megkaptam often used when the emphasis is on having obtained something.

Notes: The sense of kaptam can cover tangible reception as well as informal “getting” of information or messages. In contexts about illnesses, Hungarian typically uses other expressions (for example megfáztam for “I caught a cold” or elkaptam a vírust for “I caught the virus”), rather than kaptam alone.

See also: kapni, megkapni, Hungarian grammar, past tense.