Mérlegelhetik

Mérlegelhetik is a finite verb form in Hungarian. It expresses possibility or potential regarding the action of mérlegelni (to weigh, to consider, to deliberate). Specifically, mérlegelhetik is the third-person plural form in the potential mood, meaning “they may weigh” or “they might consider.”

Formation of the form involves taking the stem mérlegel-, adding the potential suffix -het-, and finishing with the third-person plural ending -ik. Thus mérlegel- + -het- + -ik yields mérlegelhetik. The -het- suffix follows regular Hungarian vowel harmony rules, and in this case it appears after a consonant-ending stem.

Usage and nuance: mérlegelhetik is used to discuss what multiple agents might do in a hypothetical or uncertain situation. It is common in formal, analytical, or theoretical contexts and indicates possibility rather than actual action. It contrasts with the indicative form mérlegelik, which denotes a real, ongoing weighing or consideration.

Examples:

- A felek mérlegelhetik a lehetőségeket. (The parties may weigh the options.)

- A szakértők mérlegelhetik az érveket. (The experts may weigh the arguments.)

Notes: This form is not typically used to express obligation or certainty; it signals potentiality. It is related to the base verb mérlegelni and to other mood forms that express actuality (indicative) or hypothetical conditions (conditional), but it serves to mark possibility for a plural subject.

See also: mérlegelni, potenciális mód (potencial mood), Hungarian verb conjugation, mood in Hungarian.