ápolni

Ápolni is a Hungarian verb meaning to nurse, to care for someone who is ill or in need, and more generally to tend or nurture. It emphasizes attentive, sustained care, often with a physical or emotional aspect. In medical or caregiving contexts it describes helping patients, the elderly, or injured people. In a broader sense ápolni can also mean to foster or maintain something, though this sense is usually expressed with other verbs as well.

Common usage includes caring for another person, such as a patient or child, and tending wounds or daily needs. It can also be used metaphorically, for example to uphold traditions or nurture plants in a garden. Example sentences: Az anyja ápolta a beteget. A nővér ápolja a sebet. Ő ápolja a virágokat a kertben.

Ápolni is a regular -ni verb. Present tense forms: én ápolok, te ápolsz, ő ápol, mi ápolunk, ti ápoltok, ők ápolnak. Past tense forms: én ápoltam, te ápoltad, ő ápolta, mi ápoltuk, ti ápoltátok, ők ápolták. The related noun ápolás means nursing or care, and the agent noun ápoló refers to a nurse or caregiver.

Related terms and contrasts: gondozni denotes a broader, more general caregiving or maintenance; ápolni carries a nuance of tenderness and medical or intimate care. The adjective or agent form is ápoló (nurse) and the gerund or noun form is ápolás (care, nursing).

Etymology and morphology: the verb is built from the stem ápol- with the infinitive suffix -ni; the noun ápolás is derived from the same root. Pronunciation is typically noted as roughly aːpolni in standard Hungarian.