Tesz means “put” in its central spatial frame and “do/take an action” in several established expressions. It is not a general-purpose replacement for every English do. Its paradigm alternates among tesz-, te- / tev-, tett-, tenn-, and tegy-, while transitive uses select either indefinite or definite object agreement.
The forms below are neutral unless labeled. For the system behind object choice, consult definiteness choice; this page concentrates on what is specific to tesz.
Principal parts and stem families
| Infinitive | Present 3sg | Past 3sg | Imperative 2sg | Conditional 3sg | Present participle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tenni | tesz | tett | tégy / tegyél; tedd | tenne | tevő |
There is no single mechanical operation that derives all five stems. In particular, tevő preserves tev-, tenni/tenne use tenn-, and tett has doubled tt. Memorize the family rather than treating one member as a spelling exception.
Egy üveg vizet is teszek a hátizsákba.
I'll put a bottle of water in the backpack too.
The indefinite object egy üveg vizet selects teszek. With an identified object, the verb changes: a vizet beteszem.
Present: indefinite and definite objects
| Person | Indefinite | Definite |
|---|---|---|
| én | teszek | teszem |
| te | teszel | teszed |
| ő / ön | tesz | teszi |
| mi | teszünk | tesszük |
| ti | tesztek | teszitek |
| ők / önök | tesznek | teszik |
Mit teszel a maradék süteménnyel?
What are you going to do with the leftover cake?
A tejet mindig visszateszem a hűtőbe reggeli után.
I always put the milk back in the fridge after breakfast.
In the second sentence a tejet is definite, so visszateszem carries definite agreement. The prefix also gives a return path; English often distributes that meaning across put ... back.
Past and conditional
| Person | Past indefinite | Past definite | Conditional indefinite | Conditional definite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| én | tettem | tettem | tennék | tenném |
| te | tettél | tetted | tennél | tennéd |
| ő / ön | tett | tette | tenne | tenné |
| mi | tettünk | tettük | tennénk | tennénk |
| ti | tettetek | tettétek | tennétek | tennétek |
| ők / önök | tettek | tették | tennének | tennék |
Some surface forms coincide: tettem can be indefinite or definite, and plural conditional forms overlap. The object's definiteness and the rest of the clause identify the paradigm.
A szervezők tegnap félrették a névtáblákat a vendégeknek.
The organizers put aside the name badges for the guests yesterday.
Én a helyedben nem tennék ilyen ígéretet.
If I were you, I wouldn't make such a promise.
Szívesen áttenném a találkozót péntekre, ha mindenkinek megfelelne.
I'd gladly move the meeting to Friday if that suited everyone.
The last example uses definite áttenném because a találkozót is identified. The new time takes -ra/-re.
The analytic future puts the prefix before inflected fog: meg fogok tenni egy lépést, but meg fogom tenni a szükséges lépést. Object agreement appears on fog, while tenni remains infinitive.
Imperative–subjunctive
| Person | Indefinite | Definite |
|---|---|---|
| én | tegyek | tegyem |
| te | tégy / tegyél | tedd / tegyed |
| ő / ön | tegyen | tegye |
| mi | tegyünk | tegyük |
| ti | tegyetek | tegyétek |
| ők / önök | tegyenek | tegyék |
Short tégy is (formal/literary) or survives in set language; everyday conversation normally favors tegyél. With a definite object, short tedd is the usual direct command, while tegyed is also grammatical and may carry regional or stylistic coloring.
Tegyél egy tiszta törölközőt a vendégszobába!
Put a clean towel in the guest room! (informal)
Tedd a számlát az irattartó legfelső rekeszébe!
Put the invoice in the top compartment of the file organizer! (informal)
A főnök azt szeretné, hogy tegyük át a bemutatót délelőttre.
The boss would like us to move the presentation to the morning.
Infinitive and major participles
The infinitive is tenni; personal forms are tennem, tenned, tennie, tennünk, tennetek, tenniük.
Valamit tennünk kell, mielőtt teljesen beázik a tető.
We have to do something before the roof starts leaking completely.
| Form | Function | Example phrase |
|---|---|---|
| tevő | present active participle | javaslatot tevő szakértő |
| tett | completed/result participle; also noun “deed” | félretett pénz |
| teendő | future/necessitative; lexical noun “task” | mai teendő |
| téve | adverbial participle | félretéve |
A módosító javaslatot tevő képviselő új számítást is bemutatott.
The representative proposing the amendment also presented a new calculation. (formal)
A nyaralásra félretett pénzhez csak végszükségben nyúlunk.
We touch the money set aside for the holiday only in an emergency.
Core complement frames
The central placement frame is tesz valamit valahová. The object is accusative, while the endpoint takes a directional case or adverb. A static case describes where something already is, not where it is put.
| Frame | Meaning | Typical morphology |
|---|---|---|
| valamit valahová tesz | put something somewhere | accusative + -ba/-be, -ra/-re, -hoz/-hez/-höz |
| valakit/valamit valamivé tesz | make someone/something become | accusative + -vá/-vé |
| tesz valamiért / valami ellen | act for/against something | -ért; ellen |
| tesz róla, hogy... | ensure that... | -ról/-ről pronoun + clause |
A váratlan siker sokkal magabiztosabbá tette a csapatot.
The unexpected success made the team much more confident.
Az önkormányzat végre konkrét lépéseket tesz a zaj csökkentéséért.
The municipality is finally taking concrete steps to reduce the noise. (formal)
English do often requires another Hungarian verb: Mit csinálsz? is the ordinary “What are you doing?”, while Mit teszel? asks what action someone will take and can sound serious or elevated. Conversely, Hungarian conventional expressions require tesz: ígéretet tesz “make a promise,” javaslatot tesz “make a proposal,” and kivételt tesz “make an exception.”
Prefixes, aspect, and focus
High-frequency combinations include betesz “put in,” kitesz “put out/display; amount to,” letesz “put down; pass an exam,” feltesz “put up/on a surface; ask,” áttesz “move,” eltesz “put away,” and megtesz “do/carry out.” Their meanings must often be learned as whole frames.
Feltettem egy kérdést, de senki sem válaszolt rá egyenesen.
I asked a question, but nobody answered it directly.
Nem tettem el a nyugtát, ezért nem tudom visszavinni a készüléket.
I didn't keep the receipt, so I can't return the appliance.
Melyik fiókba tetted be a lakásbiztosítási szerződést?
Which drawer did you put the home-insurance contract in?
Neutral affirmative order favors elteszem / betetted. Negation and the focused wh-phrase separate the prefix: nem tettem el, melyik fiókba tetted be. See the general prefix word-order pattern.
Common Mistakes
❌ A kulcsot a tálban teszem.
Incorrect endpoint case: putting something into the bowl requires -ba/-be.
✅ A kulcsot a tálba teszem.
I'm putting the key into the bowl.
❌ Minden reggel teszem egy szendvicset a táskámba.
Incorrect object conjugation: the indefinite object egy szendvicset requires teszek.
✅ Minden reggel teszek egy szendvicset a táskámba.
Every morning I put a sandwich in my bag.
❌ Tedd egy széket az ablak mellé!
Incorrect definite command with an indefinite object: use tegyél.
✅ Tegyél egy széket az ablak mellé!
Put a chair next to the window!
⚠️ Nem elteszem a dokumentumot.
Possible only with corrective contrast; it is not neutral prefix negation.
✅ Nem teszem el a dokumentumot.
I'm not putting the document away.
Key Takeaways
- Learn the stem family tesz – tett – tenn- – tegy- – tevő, not one imagined regular stem.
- Transitive tesz has full indefinite and definite paradigms: teszek valamit, but teszem azt.
- Placement takes an accusative object plus a directional endpoint; result states often take -vá/-vé.
- Everyday commands contrast tegyél with indefinite objects and tedd with definite ones.
- Prefixed meanings are lexical as well as directional, and focus or negation can separate the prefix.
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