megtartva

Megtartva is a Hungarian non-finite verb form, specifically the adverbial participle derived from the verb megtartani, which means to keep, retain, or preserve. The form conveys a sense of having been kept or retained, and it introduces a circumstance under which the main action occurs. It is commonly used in written Hungarian to link a preceding action to the following clause, similar to English phrases like “having kept” or “retaining.”

The form is created by taking the stem of the infinitive megtartani and attaching the suffix -va (or -ve, depending on phonological context). The result, megtartva, is a variable-free participial form: it does not change for gender, number, or person, and it functions as a non-finite element within a sentence. As an adverbial participle, it modifies the main verb or the entire clause, indicating a concurrent or consequential condition.

In usage, megtartva appears in formal or literary contexts more often than in everyday speech. It can introduce circumstances such as preserving a condition, rights, or objects before proceeding with the main action. For example, a sentence might convey “A dokumentumot megtartva adták át” (Having kept the document, they handed it over) or “A megállapodást megtartva folytatták a tárgyalást” (Continuing the negotiations while retaining the agreement). In contemporary colloquial Hungarian, speakers may opt for finite constructions or other subordinating forms instead of this participial form.

See also: Hungarian grammar, non-finite verb forms, the suffix -va/-ve, the verb megtartani.