elképzelni

Elképzelni is a Hungarian verb meaning to imagine or to picture something in one’s mind. It refers to forming a mental image, a hypothetical or envisioned idea, rather than discovering something real. The action can involve a concrete object (elképzelni valamit) or a situation described by a clause (elképzelni, hogy …).

Etymology and related forms: elképzelni is built from the noun kép (image) with the verbal base képzel and the prefix el-, which marks completion or entirety. The verb is related to elképzelés (the act or result of imagining, an idea or conception) and to elképzelhető (conceivable or imaginable) and elképzelhetetlen (unimaginable).

Usage and nuance: elképzelni emphasizes creating a mental image or concept rather than inventing something new. It is commonly used with direct objects (elképzelni valamit) or with a subordinate clause introduced by hogy (elképzelni, hogy …). Examples include: “El tudom képzelni egy ilyen helyzetet.” (I can imagine such a situation.) “Elképzeltem magam a tengerparton.” (I pictured myself on the beach.) “Nem tudom elképzelni, mit tegyünk.” (I can’t imagine what we should do.)

Grammatical notes: elképzelni is a perfective verb, so its past tense form describes a completed act of imagining (for example, elképzeltem). In present or future contexts, the act is treated as a single mental act or a hypothetical consideration. The noun form elképzelés and the adjective elképzelhető are common derivatives used to discuss imagination, conceiveability, or what can be imagined.

See also: elképzelés, elképzelhető, elképzelhetetlen.