Rövidítheti

Rövidítheti is a Hungarian verb form that expresses possibility or potential. It is formed from the verb rövidít (to shorten or to abbreviate) and the modal suffix -het/-heti, yielding a finite form that can mean that something could or may be shortened. In English, it corresponds roughly to could shorten or may shorten.

Grammatically, rövidítheti is used with a subject in the present and conveys a hypothetical or potential action. Because Hungarian often marks possibility with periphrastic constructions, forms like rövidítheti appear mainly in more formal or written contexts; in everyday speech speakers may prefer constructions such as lehet rövidíteni (to be able to shorten) to express the same idea.

Usage and nuance: rövidítheti can describe shortenings of texts, procedures, or rules when there is uncertainty about whether the shortening will occur. The form can be contrasted with rövidíthette, the past potential meaning “could have shortened.” The choice between this modal form and periphrastic equivalents can affect the tone, with rövidítheti leaning toward a more concise or technical register.

Examples:

- A szerkesztő rövidítheti a cikket. (The editor may/ could shorten the article.)

- A javaslat szerint a törvény rövidítheti a bürokratikus eljárást. (The proposal could shorten the bureaucratic procedures.)

- Rövidíthette volna a szöveget, de végül nem tette meg. (He could have shortened the text, but did not.)

See also: rövidítés, rövidíteni.