Tanították

Tanították is a Hungarian verb form that represents the past tense of the verb tanítani (to teach) in the third person plural. It is used to indicate that a group of people taught something or someone in the past. The form is most commonly found in active sentences containing a definite direct object, but it can also appear in sentences where the agent is implicit or not specified.

Morphology and usage

Tanították is formed from the verb stem tanít-, combined with the past tense marker and a 3rd person plural definite ending. It is distinguished from tanítottak, which is the third person plural past tense when the direct object is not definite or is omitted. In practice, tanították is often used when the direct object is known or explicitly stated, for example with a definite set of students or topics.

Examples

A tanárok tanították a diákokat. The teachers taught the students. A diákokat tanították. The students were taught (by someone). Tanították a leckét a diákoknak. They taught the lesson to the students.

Notes

As with other Hungarian past tense forms, tanították agrees with the subject in person and number and interacts with the definiteness of the object. The form is common in narrative and formal writing to describe past teaching actions carried out by a group.