tudtam

Tudtam is the first-person singular past tense form of the Hungarian verb tudni, meaning "to know" or "to be able." In English, tudtam is commonly rendered as "I knew" or "I was able (to)," depending on the context. It is used to refer to knowledge or ability at a specific time in the past.

Conjugation and forms are built from the verb stem tud- with typical Hungarian personal endings. The present tense forms are tudok, tudsz, tud, tudunk, tudtok, tudnak. The past definite (aorist) forms add the endings -tam/-tad/-ta/-tuk/-tatok/-ták to the stem: tudtam, tudtad, tudta, tudtuk, tudtátok, tudták. The same stem is used across tenses with different suffixes, and tudtam is frequently combined with an infinitive to express past ability, as in Tudtam megcsinálni.

Usage and meaning are context-dependent. Tudtam can express factual knowledge in the past, as in Tudtam a választ (I knew the answer) or Tudtam, hogy ez történik (I knew that this would happen). It can also convey past ability, especially when paired with an infinitive, e.g., Tudtam segíteni (I could help / I was able to help). Distinctions between knowing something and being able to do something in the past are usually clear from accompanying words or the infinitive that follows.

Examples:

- Tudtam a válasz. (I knew the answer.)

- Tudtam, hogy jönni fog. (I knew that he would come.)

- Tudtam megcsinálni a feladatot. (I could/was able to complete the task.)

Etymology: tudni is a core Hungarian verb with roots in the history of the language; it has cognates in related Uralic languages, reflecting the fundamental meaning of knowledge or awareness. See also: tudni, tudok, tudás.