Kérdezték

Kérdezték is a Hungarian verb form meaning "they asked" (or "you asked" in the polite plural sense), and it is the third-person plural past tense of the verb kérdezni, meaning to ask. The form is used in narratives and reported speech to indicate that a group of subjects asked something in the past.

Morphology and usage

Kérdezték is formed as the past tense plural ending attached to the verb stem. It is the standard past-tense counterpart to the singular past form kérdezte (he/she asked). The word is commonly found in news, dialogue, and literary prose to report questions posed by multiple people or by a polite plural subject (Önök). It can be followed by meg to indicate “asked (to)” as in kérdezték meg, meaning they asked [him/her/it/store] or they asked and inquired further. An example: Kérdezték, mikor indul a vonat. (They asked when the train departed.)

Related forms and variations

Related verb forms include kérdezi (present tense, he/she asks), kérdezték meg (they asked [and asked to know]), and kérdezte (past tense singular). The infinitive kérdezni refers to the action “to ask.” The form is strictly a conjugated verb; it does not constitute a separate lexical item beyond its role as a past-tense plural form.

Notes

Kérdezték is widely used in everyday Hungarian as a natural way to relay questions posed by a group, whether in conversation, reporting, or storytelling. It contrasts with the singular past kérdezte, which refers to a single person asking.