SZABAD – MAY, TO BE ALLOWED

It is a verb that helps you say things like: to be unbound to do sg. However, most of the time you just translate it as: may, to be allowed. The word ’szabad’ as an adjective means ’free’!

Formation:

SZABAD + INFINITIVE

As English doesn’t really have a separate word for szabad, I’ll use the expression: to be allowed to

PRESENT
Szabad nézni. – You’re allowed to look.
Nem szabad nézni. – You’re not allowed to look.

PAST
Szabad volt nézni. – You were allowed to look.
Nem volt szabad nézni. – You were not allowed to look.

FUTURE
Szabad lesz nézni. – You’ll be allowed to look.
Nem lesz szabad nézni. – You’ll be not allowed to look.

PRESENT CONDITIONAL
Szabad volna nézni. – You would be allowed to look.
Nem volna szabad nézni. – You would not be allowed to look.

PAST CONDITIONAL
Szabad lett volna nézni. – You would have been allowed to look.
Nem lett volna szabad nézni. – You would not have been allowed to look.

If you use szabad alone, it generally refers to everybody. If you talk about a specific person, you need the dative pronouns or you can omit dative pronouns and conjugate the infinitive!

Neked szabad úsznod.
You may swim / You are allowed to swim.

Nekünk nem szabad engedély nélkül elmennünk.
We’re not allowed to leave without permission.

Hát szabad ilyet mondani?
It’s not a proper way to talk!

Szabad bejönnöm?
May I come in?

Szabad (lenne) megkérdeznem…
Would you mind my asking…

If you deny szabad, then the English equivalents can be:

you can’t, you’re not allowed, you may not

Nem szabad csúnyán beszélni.
You can’t use bad language.

Nem szabad szaladgálni.
You’re not allowed to run around on the road.

–Szabad meztelenül sétálnom egy áruházba? –Nem szabad.
–May I walk around naked in a store? -No, you may not.

More about conjugating the infinitive in the next entry.