elfoglalja

Elfoglalja is a Hungarian verb meaning to occupy, seize, or take possession of something. It can refer to physically occupying space or territory, capturing a position or seat, or more broadly to taking up time or attention. The verb is transitive and commonly used across formal and informal registers.

Grammatical overview: The infinitive is elfoglalni, and the verb’s stem is elfoglal-. In the present tense, the forms are: én elfoglalom, te elfoglalod, ő elfoglalja, mi elfoglaljuk, ti elfoglaljátok, ők elfoglalják. Past tense forms (simple past) are: én elfoglaltam, te elfoglaltad, ő elfoglalta, mi elfoglaltuk, ti elfoglaltátok, ők elfoglalták. The past participle is elfoglalt. Imperative forms include foglald el! (singular) and foglaljátok el! (plural). The verb commonly takes a direct object in the accusative (for example, a területet, a helyet). In time-or-space contexts, Hungarian also uses the separable form foglal el, as in két órát foglal el (takes up two hours).

Etymology and related forms: Elfoglalja is built from foglal (to seize or occupy) with the prefix el-, which can indicate completion or attainment. Related terms include elfoglalás (occupation, taking possession) and megszállás (occupation, often of a territory by force).

Usage notes and examples: It is widely used in political, military, and everyday language. Examples: A hadsereg elfoglalta a területet. A politikus elfoglalja a helyét a bizottságban. Ez a program két órát foglal el. A beszéd elfoglalja a hallgatók figyelmét.