Megél

Megél is a Hungarian verb with two main uses. It primarily means to live on or to subsist, i.e., to earn a living from a source. It can also mean to experience or endure something. The related noun megélhetés denotes livelihood, the means by which a person sustains life.

In the sense of subsistence, megél typically describes living from a particular income or resource. Common patterns are megél vmiből (to live on something) and ebből meg lehet élni (one can live on this). For example: Megél a fizetéséből. Ebből meg lehet élni. These forms convey the idea of making ends meet from a given source, such as a salary or a small income.

In the sense of experiencing or enduring, megél is used to express having lived through or undergone a situation. For example: A háborút megélte (he lived through the war); Megélte a nehéz időket (he endured the difficult times). In this usage, the nuance is closer to “to experience firsthand” or “to endure.”

Conjugation and related forms follow typical Hungarian patterns for prefixed verbs with él. The past tense forms include megélte (he lived through), megéltem (I lived through), etc., depending on the subject. The prefix meg- adds a sense of completion or attainment to the act of living.

See also: megélhetés, the concept of livelihood.