éreztem

éreztem is a Hungarian verb form meaning “I felt” or “I sensed.” It is the first-person singular past tense (simple past) of the verb érezni, which means to feel or to sense. The present tense forms of érzeni/érezni include érzek, érzel, érez, érezzük, éreztek, éreznek; the past tense forms vary across persons, with éreztem being the first-person singular.

Origin and related forms: The verb érezni is a native Hungarian verb linked to the noun érzet (feeling, sensation) and the adjective érzék (sense). The related noun érzet and the noun érzelem (emotion) reflect the same semantic field of perception and feeling. The form éreztem appears in everyday language to express a past experience of physical sensation, emotion, or perception, and it combines with direct objects or with clauses to convey what was felt.

Usage notes: Éreztem can take direct objects to specify what was felt, as in Éreztem a fájdalmat (I felt the pain) or Éreztem a hideget a bőrömön (I felt the cold on my skin). It can also introduce a subordinate clause to express a perceived truth or impression, e.g., Éreztem, hogy valami nincs rendben (I felt that something wasn’t right). The word can also function in reflexive phrases like Éreztem magam fáradtnak (I felt tired).

See also: érezni, érzet, érzelem, érzetek.