Szóltunk

Szóltunk is a Hungarian finite verb form, specifically the first-person plural past tense of the verb szól. The root szól has several related meanings, including to speak or say something, to call out, and to sound or ring (as in a bell or alarm). Therefore, szóltunk generally translates to “we spoke,” “we said,” or, in contexts involving sound, “we rang/out we sounded,” depending on the sentence.

Grammatical role and usage

Szóltunk marks a completed action performed by the subject we in the past. It is used with incomplete expression of the object in the sense of reporting speech or information (for example, telling someone about something) and can also appear in contexts where the sense is “to make a sound” or “to ring,” though the latter usage is more common with other verb forms or with different subjects. In everyday language, szóltunk often corresponds to English “we spoke” or “we told,” and its exact meaning is determined by context and surrounding words.

Conjugation and related forms

As the 1st person plural past tense form of szól, szóltunk follows the standard Hungarian past-tense pattern for verbs in -ol/-ál/-öl. Related forms include:

- szólunk (we speak / we are speaking)

- szóltam (I spoke)

- szóltál (you spoke)

- szólt (he/she spoke)

- szóltok (you all spoke)

- szóltak (they spoke)

Notes

Because szól covers multiple senses (speech, telling, and sounding), szóltunk can be ambiguous without context. In formal or precise writing, additional words clarify the intended meaning, such as the object of speech (mit szóltunk? what did we say?) or the sounding event (a harang szólt – the bell rang).