aprítani

Aprítani is a Hungarian verb meaning to chop, mince, or finely chop food into small pieces. It is commonly used in cooking when preparing ingredients such as onions, garlic, peppers, herbs, or meat, where the goal is to create small, uniform pieces rather than larger chunks. The act is expressed by the noun aprítás, the process of chopping or mincing, and by phrases like aprítani fel.

Etymology and forms: The verb derives from the root apr- meaning small, with the infinitive suffix -ítani. It is closely related to the adjective apró (small). The form aprít is used in the present tense as the stem, and aprított is used for the past tense in combinations like “aprított hagyma” (minced onion).

Usage and nuances: In recipes and everyday cooking, aprítani is commonly contrasted with darabolni (to cut into larger pieces), szeletelni (to slice), or zúzni (to crush). Aprítani usually implies breaking ingredients into small, finely cut pieces, often for sauces, fillings, or seasonings. While primarily culinary, the verb can appear in non-food contexts to describe breaking something into small fragments.

Conjugation and examples: It follows regular -ít verbs in Hungarian. Present: én aprítok, te aprítasz, ő aprít, mi aprítunk, ti aprítotok, ők aprítanak. Past: én aprítottam, te aprítottad, ő aprította, mi aprítottuk, ti aprítottátok, ők aprították. Examples: “Hagymát aprítok.” “Kérlek, aprítsd fel a fokhagymát.” “Az aprítás finomra történt.”