Segíthetett

Segíthetett is a Hungarian verb form derived from segíteni (to help). It expresses past possibility or probability and is the third-person singular form of the past tense of the potential mood. The form is built from the stem segít- with the modal suffix -hat/-het, followed by the past tense ending -ett (here -ett). In English, segíthetett corresponds roughly to “could have helped” or “might have helped.”

Usage and nuance: Segíthetett is used to indicate that someone had the ability or opportunity to help in a past moment, but it does not by itself confirm that the helping actually occurred. It commonly appears in reported speech, historical narration, or hypothetical reasoning about past events. The form contrasts with segíthet (present possibility) and with other person or tense variants such as segíthettem (I could have helped) or segíthettél (you could have helped).

Examples:

- A közlemény szerint a javaslat segíthetett. (The statement says the proposal could have helped.)

- A nyomozás megállapította, hogy a tanú segíthetett a bizonyítékok felfedésében. (The investigation found that the witness could have helped reveal the evidence.)

See also: Hungarian verb forms with -hat/-het, segíteni (to help), mood and tense in Hungarian verbs.