Tartozott

Tartozott is the past tense form of the Hungarian verb tartozik, which has two primary senses in standard usage: to owe and to belong. In the debt sense, tartozik denotes an obligation to repay money or a similar fair. In the belonging sense, it expresses that something is part of or owned by someone, i.e., that it belongs to someone or to a group.

Etymology and form. Tartozik derives from the root tart- (“to hold”) with the productive Hungarian suffix -ozik, forming a verb of the first or second conjugation class, depending on the exact dialect. The past tense ending -ott/-ett/-ött attaches to the stem, yielding tartozott in standard use. The exact vowel harmony of the ending reflects the preceding stem vowel.

Usage and examples. In the sense of owing a debt, tartozott is used with a recipient in the dative: tartozik valakinek vmivel. Example: “A vevő tartozott a beszállítónak tízezer forinttal.” This means that the buyer owed the supplier ten thousand forints. In the sense of belonging, the verb is commonly paired with phrases like hozzám tartozott or valamihez tartozott to indicate ownership or membership. Example: “Ez a könyv hozzám tartozott.” meaning “This book belonged to me” (in the past). The same construction can be used with other possessors and with plural subjects.

Related terms. Related concepts include tartozás (debt, liability), tartozik (present tense, “owes” or “belongs to”), and to belong to a group or category expressed with something like [valamihez] tartozik. The choice of case (to whom something belongs, or to what it belongs) determines the nuance.

In summary, tartozott functions as the past tense of tartozik and is used in contexts of debt or belonging, with meaning clarified by accompanying case phrases and context.