Szolgálják

Szolgálják is a Hungarian verb form derived from szolgálni, meaning to serve, attend to, or be in service. It is the present tense, third-person plural form in the definite conjugation, used when the sentence contains a definite direct object.

In Hungarian, verbs can be conjugated in definite or indefinite forms depending on the object’s definiteness. The definite third-person plural ending is usually -ják (with variations such as -jük or -ják depending on vowel harmony), yielding szolgálják from the stem szolgál-. The corresponding indefinite form would use the ending -nak/-nek, for example szolgálnak, when no definite object is present.

Usage and examples illustrate the distinction. A common definite-object example is: A pincérek kiszolgálják a vendégeket. The waiters serve the guests. This demonstrates how the definite object a vendégeket requires the -ják ending. An indefinite construction, without a definite object, would use the form szolgálnak: A pincérek szolgálnak. (The staff serve, in general.)

Szolgálják also appears in compounds and with prefixes that modify the meaning, such as kiszolgálják (to serve customers, to attend to customers). The verb and its forms are related to nouns like szolgálat (service, duty) and to phrases describing duties or on-duty status, such as közszolgálat (public service) or szolgálatot teljesít (to be on duty).

Related terms include szolgálni, szolgálat, és közszolgálat. The form szolgálják is primarily a grammatical variant used to express a plural subject with a definite object in the present tense.