Lefeküdtem

Lefeküdtem is the first-person singular past tense form of the Hungarian verb lefeküdni, meaning to lie down. The construction combines the prefix le- with feküdni, indicating the action of moving into a horizontal position. The form is intransitive and describes the subject’s act of lying down rather than placing something down.

Grammar and form: In Hungarian, past tense for the first person singular often ends with -tem. Therefore lefeküdtem translates to “I lay down” or “I have laid down” in a simple past sense. The verb’s root is lefeküd-, with the suffix -tem marking the subject and tense. Other persons form similarly (léfeküdtél, léfekült, etc.), reflecting standard Hungarian conjugation and vowel harmony.

Usage: Lefeküdtem is commonly used to describe going to sleep, resting, or lying down in the past. It appears in narrative or report-like sentences and can convey fatigue, illness, or the end of a day. Examples: “Fáradt voltam, ezért lefeküdtem korán.” “Miután hazaértem, lefeküdtem egy rövid pihenőre.”

Notes: The phrase is distinct from transitive forms that mean to lay something down, which use different verbs (for example, a form related to tenni or fektetni in other contexts). Lefeküdni emphasizes the subject’s own movement into a horizontal position.

Etymology: The word derives from feküdni (to lie) with the directional prefix le-, which in this context indicates a movement toward a lying position.

See also: feküdni, lefeküdni, magyar grammar (conjugation).