betartottuk

Betartottuk is a Hungarian verb form meaning “we kept (to it)” or “we observed, we complied with.” It is the past definite, first-person plural form of the infinitive betartani, which means to comply with, to observe, or to follow a rule, agreement, deadline, or commitment. The prefix be- and the stem tart (to hold) combine to express adherence to a boundary or requirement. In pronunciation, the double t reflects standard Hungarian spelling and phonology.

Usage and context

Betartottuk is used when referring to actions in which a rule, guideline, pledge, contract, or deadline was followed by the subject group. Common objects include szabályokat (rules), határidőt (deadlines), ígéreteket (promises), and megállapodásokat (agreements). It appears in formal writing, news reporting, and everyday speech when the speaker wants to indicate that adherence was achieved. The negation is typically formed as nem tartottuk be, e.g., Nem tartottuk be a határidőt (We did not meet the deadline).

Grammatical notes

Betartottuk is the past tense of betartani with the 1st person plural subject in a definite form. Hungarian verbs with this prefix often combine a stem tart with tense and person-suffixes that reflect aspect (perfective) and definiteness. Related forms include the noun betartás (compliance, observance) and the verb betartani (to comply with). The past tense forms vary across persons and numbers, such as betartottam (I kept) or betartottad (you kept).

See also

betartás, betartani, tartás.