Szálltam

Szálltam is the first-person singular past tense form of the Hungarian verb száll, which has several related meanings in Hungarian, including to board or to be transported, to carry, and in some senses to travel by means of transport. As a finite verb form, szálltam denotes a completed action in the past and is used when the speaker performed the action, often with reference to a vehicle or form of transport.

The verb száll belongs to the szállni paradigm. In the present tense it appears as szállok, szállsz, szállik (informal you may also see száll), szállunk, szálltok, szállnak. In the past indefinite (aorist) form, the first-person singular is szálltam, the second-person singular szálltál, the third-person singular szállt, and so on, with the plural forms szálltunk, szálltatok, szálltak. The meaning of szálltam is strongly influenced by prefixes and complements that indicate direction or action, such as fel szálltam a buszra (I got on the bus) or leszálltam a repülőgépről (I got off the airplane).

Usage notes show that szálltam is commonly used in narrative to recount past travel actions or transported states. The prefixed variants help specify whether the speaker boarded or disembarked, and with what vehicle or conveyance. The verb is a native Hungarian verb with core senses tied to movement by carrying or being carried, and to boarding or alighting from transport.

Etymologically, száll is a native Hungarian verb with a long history in the language, forming the basis for related compounds and prefixed phrases. Szálltam thus functions as a standard past-tense form used in everyday speech and writing to denote a completed act of boarding, riding, or being transported.