látnak

Látnak is a Hungarian verb form associated with the verb látni, meaning to see. It represents a finite present-tense form and is used with a plural subject. In standard Hungarian, the common 3rd-person plural present form is látják, so látnak is generally regarded as a regional, dialectal, or historical variant rather than the default modern standard form.

Usage and meaning

As a form of látni, látnak denotes that multiple subjects perceive something with their eyes. It is used transitively with a direct object, for example when specifying what is being seen. The verb can also appear in figurative senses, where “seeing” implies understanding or perceiving a situation. Because látnak is not the most common modern standard form, speakers who rely on the standard conjugation typically use látják in present-tense contexts.

Related forms and tense

The related past tense form is láttak, which means “they saw.” This contrast highlights the distinction between sight as a currently ongoing perceptual action (present) and a completed event in the past. The infinitive is látni, and the base verb is lát, with the -ni infinitive and the present-tense conjugation patterns shared across the verb family.

Notes

Látnak appears most often in dialectal, archaic, or literary registers. In contemporary, formal usage, látják is the preferred 3rd-person plural present form. The word remains linked to the core meaning of sight and perception in Hungarian, including both literal and metaphorical senses. See also látni, látás, és látnivaló for related vocabulary and concepts.