leírhatnak

Leírhatnak is a Hungarian verb form that expresses possibility or ability to write down or describe something. It is the third-person plural form of the verb leírni in the present potential mood. The form is built from the verb root ír-, with the prefix le- indicating direction or completion, the potential suffix -hat, and the personal ending -nak for a plural subject.

Meaning and usage

Leírhatnak covers senses of both writing down (transcribing) and describing (recounting in words). It is used when the subject is capable of performing the action or when it is possible that they may perform it, depending on context. The nuance between ability and permission is determined by the surrounding context and discourse.

Grammar notes

The form leírhatnak is explicitly plural and finite, indicating a statement about a group as a whole. It belongs to the potential mood, which in Hungarian is often translated into English as may, could, or might. The phrase can appear in both declarative and conditional-like contexts, signaling hypothetical or uncertain action by the subject.

Examples

A diákok leírhatnak egy rövid összefoglalót a dolgozatukban. (The students may write down a short summary in their paper.)

A kutatók leírhatnak minden releváns adatot a jelentésben. (The researchers may describe all relevant data in the report.)

See also

Leírni, leírás, magyar igei módok (grammatical mood).