Megkezdték

Megkezdték is a Hungarian verb form meaning “they began” or “they started.” It is the past definite (befejezett) form of the verb megkezdeni, created with the prefix meg- attached to kezdeni (to begin). The ending -ék marks the third-person plural in the past definite conjugation, and the sentence typically requires a definite direct object in the accusative (for example, a project or a campaign).

Use and function

Megkezdték is used to report that a group of subjects initiated a specific action or process. Because it is a past tense with a definite object, it often appears in formal or journalistic contexts. The verb form implies that the start of the action was completed or a deliberate initiation occurred. When the object is definite, it is commonly accompanied by the appropriate definite direct object suffix, as in megkezdték a kampányt or megkezdték a projektet.

Examples

Megkezdték a kampányt. (They started the campaign.)

A projektet megkezdték tavaly. (They started the project last year.)

Megkezdték a vizsgálatot. (They began the investigation.)

Relation to other forms

Megkezdeni is the infinitive; megkezdett is the past participle form used in different constructions. The prefix meg- conveys completion or thorough initiation, and in contrast to the simple kezd, megkezdték emphasizes that the initiation was carried out as a discrete, completed action.