Breakdown of Eddig nem volt defektem.
lenni
to be
nem
not
defekt
a flat tire or puncture
eddig
so far; up to now
Questions & Answers about Eddig nem volt defektem.
What does eddig mean in this sentence?
Eddig means so far, up to now, or until this point.
In Eddig nem volt defektem, it sets a time limit: from the past up to now, this has not happened to me.
So the sentence is not just I didn’t have a flat tire at some point in the past; it means I haven’t had a flat tire so far.
Why is volt used here instead of a verb meaning had?
Hungarian does not usually use a separate verb equivalent to English to have in sentences like this.
Instead, possession is expressed with:
- the thing possessed
- a possessive ending on that noun
- and usually van / volt (is / was)
So:
- defektem van = literally my puncture is → natural English: I have a flat tire
- defektem volt = literally my puncture was → natural English: I had a flat tire
So volt is not strange here; it is the normal Hungarian way to say had in this kind of structure.
Why does defektem mean something like I have a flat tire?