Melegíteni

Melegíteni is a Hungarian verb meaning to heat up or to warm something. It is used transitively to raise the temperature of objects, foods, liquids, or spaces. The basic sense covers both warming for immediate use and heating to a higher temperature.

Etymology and related forms: The verb is formed from the adjective meleg (warm) with the suffix -íteni, creating a causative sense of causing something to become warm. A related noun is melegítés, referring to the act or process of heating. The prefix fel- in felmelegíteni adds the sense of “reheating” or bringing something up to a higher temperature; felmelegítés is the act of reheating.

Usage and examples: As a transitive verb, it requires a direct object. Examples include: “Meg kell melegíteni a levest” (The soup needs to be heated up), or “Kérlek, melegítsd fel a teát” (Please warm up the tea). It is common in cooking, food service, and household tasks, such as heating leftovers, warming liquids, or preparing a room or object for use. It contrasts with melegedni, which means to warm up intransitively (the subject warms itself), and with felmelegíteni, which emphasizes reheating or warming something to a higher temperature.

Related terms and nuances: Melegítő can refer to a heater or warming device, and melegítés or felmelegítés denote the process of heating or reheating. Antonyms include hűlni or lehűlni, meaning to cool down.

In summary, melegíteni is a common Hungarian verb for warming or heating items, with the related form felmelegíteni used for reheating.