Tévedtem

Tévedtem is a Hungarian verb form meaning “I was mistaken” or “I was wrong.” It is the first-person singular past tense of tévedni, the verb meaning “to err” or “to be mistaken.”

Etymology and grammar: Tévedtem is formed from the stem téved- plus the past tense suffix -tem. It functions as the canonical past-tense first-person singular of tévedni. Other conjugations follow regular patterns for the verb in the tense: tévedtél (you were mistaken), tévedett (he/she/it was mistaken), tévedtünk (we were mistaken), tévedtetek (you all were mistaken), tévedtek (they were mistaken). The form is commonly used with the subject pronoun én implied in ordinary speech or writing.

Usage: Tévedtem is used to admit an error, correct a prior statement, or acknowledge a mistake. It appears in everyday conversation, journalism, and literature when someone takes responsibility for a misstatement or misjudgment. It can stand alone as a brief apology or be part of a longer explanation, for example: “Tévedtem, elnézést kérek a téves információért.” It is often paired with expressions of apology or clarification.

Related terms: Tévedés means “mistake” or “error,” while tévedni is the infinitive “to err.” Other forms of the verb cover different persons and tenses, preserving the same stem téved-.

See also: Hungarian verb conjugation patterns; tévedés; témák of common language usage.

Note: The word includes diacritic marks and is pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable, roughly as té-ved-tem.