megbetegedett

Megbetegedett is a Hungarian verb form meaning fell ill or became ill. It is the past tense, third-person singular form of the infinitive megbetegedni (to become ill). The prefix meg- attaches to betegedni to indicate a completed change of state from healthy to ill.

Etymology and form: The stem beteg means sick, and betegedni forms the infinitive “to become sick.” The prefix meg- marks completion or a definite onset, yielding megbetegedni. When conjugated in the past tense, the form used for a singular subject is megbetegedett, while plural subjects take megbetegedtek (for example, Ő megbetegedett, Ők megbetegedtek).

Grammatical use: Megegbetegedett is intransitive and does not take a direct object. It is used to state that someone started to be ill at some point in the past. It is common in news, reporting, and everyday speech. For ongoing or future illness, other forms are used, such as megbetegedik (present) or megbetegszik (becomes ill).

Examples: A tanár megbetegedett, ezért elmaradt a tanítás. (The teacher fell ill, so the class was canceled.) A gyerekek megbetegedtek a járványban. (The children fell ill during the outbreak.)

Related terms include beteg (sick), betegség (illness), and megbetegedni (to become ill). Megbetegedett thus serves as a concise, neutral way to report a past occurrence of illness in Hungarian.