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Tag Archives: grammar
Charlie Chaplin: Dictator Speech
Charlie Chaplin: Egy zsarnok beszéde
1. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business.
I’m sorry – Sajnálom
but – de
I don’t want – nem akarok
to be – lenni
an Emperor – uralkodó
That’s not – Az nem
my business – az én dolgom
Sajnálom, de nem akarok uralkodó lenni. Az nem az én dolgom.
2. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone.
I don’t want – nem akarok
to rule – uralkodni + -n, -on, -en, -ön
or – vagy
conquer – meghódítani + -t accusative case
anyone – senki
Nem akarok senkin uralkodni vagy meghódítani.
>the verb uralkodni requires the suffix -n = uralkodni valakin. The verb meghódítani takes the accusative case -t = meghódítani valakit. In this case anyone is in negation, so Hungarian says senki. As uralkodni precedes meghódítani, it is enough to say senkin uralkodni. It is obvious for a Hungarian that meghódítani requires -t and not -n.
3. I should like to help everyone if possible- Jew, Gentile, black men, white.
I should like to – szeretnék
help – segíteni + -n, -on, -en, -ön OR -nak, -nek
everyone – mindenki
if possible – ha lehetséges, lehetőleg, ha lehet
Jew – zsidó
Gentile – nem zsidó
black men – feketék
white – fehér
Segíteni szeretnék mindenkinek, ha lehetséges: zsidónak, nem zsidónak, feketének, fehérnek.
>the verb segít requires the suffix -n or -nak, -nek unlike in English. When listing Jew, Gentile, etc., you can make them plural or leave them in singular form, but keep it consistent. You can also say zsidóknak, nemeseknek, feketéknek, fehéreknek. In this case, the singular form is more powerful as it clearly refers to people as a whole.
4. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that.
We all – mi mind, mi mindannyian, mi mindnyájan
we want – akarunk
to help – segíteni + -n, -on, -en, -ön OR -nak, -nek
one another – egymás
Human beings – az emberek
are like that – ilyenek.
Mi mindannyian segíteni akarunk egymáson. Az emberek ilyenek.
5. We want to live by each others’ happiness, not by each other’s misery.
We want – akarunk
to live – élni
by each other’ happiness – egymás boldogságában
misery – nyomorúság
Egymás boldogságában akarunk élni, nem egymás nyomorúságában.
>English says by each other, but it is a better Hungarian translation if we say -ban, -ben: boldogságában, nyomorúságában.
6. We don’t want to hate and despise one another.
We don’t want – Nem akarjuk
to hate – utálni + -t accusative case
to despise – megvet + -t accusative case
one another – egymás
Nem akarjuk utálni és megvetni egymást.
>We translate We don’t want as nem akarjuk because it refers to somebody definite: egymást. Nem akarunk would be incorrect.
7. In this world there is room for everyone and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone.
In this world – A világon
there is room for – jut hely…-nak, -nek
everyone – mindenki
and – és
the good earth – a jó Föld, a jóságos Föld
is rich – gazdag
can – -hat, -het; képes; tud
provide for – gondoskodik …-ról, -ről
everyone – mindenki
A világon mindenkinek jut hely és a jó Föld gazdag, gondoskodik mindenkiről.
>There is no need to say Ezen a világon because we know that we live on this planet. It is enough to say A világon. It is not necessary that we translate the modal verb can. It sounds more powerful without -hat, -het. It is my opinion. It is a matter of what the translator thinks is the better solution.
8. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
The way of like – Az életünk, az életmódunk
can be – lehet
free – szabad
beautiful – gyönyörű
but – de
to lose the way – eltéved; eltévelyedik; rossz irányba megy
Az életünk szabad és gyönyörű lehet, de rossz irányba megyünk.
9. Greed has poisoned men’s souls; has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.
Greed – kapzsiság
to poison – megmérgez
men – az ember, az emberek
soul – lélek
to barricade – elbarikádoz + -t accusative case
the world – a világ
with – -val, -vel
hate – gyűlölet
to goose-step – díszlépésben megy; in this case: díszlépéssel vezet
misery – nyomorúság
bloodshed – vérontás
A kapzsiság megmérgezte az ember lelkét, gyűlölettel barikádozta el a világot, díszlépéssel vezetett minket a nyomrúságba és vérontásba.
10. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.
To develop – kifejleszt
speed – sebesség
but – de; mégis
to shut in – bezár
machinery – gépezet; gépek
that – mely
to give – ad; szolgáltat
abundance – bőség
to leave – hagy
want – szükség, nélkülözés
Növeltük a sebességet, mégis bezárkóztunk; a gépek, melyek bőséget szolgáltatnak nélkülözésbe taszítottak minket.
>It sounds much better to write növeltük a sebességet-we have increased than kifejlesztettük-we have developed. Machinery is better translated as gépek, than gépezet because it expresses that mankind is already using machines everywhere. The verb to give-ad sounds better if we say szolgáltat + -t = to provide with. The verb to leave-hagy is weak in Hungarian in this context, so it is not incorrect to translate it as taszít-to push.
11. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind.
Our – (a mi)…-unk, -ünk
knowledge – tudás
to make sy sg – tesz valakit valamivé/valamilyenné
us – minket
cynical – cinikus
cleverness – okosság, ügyesség
hard – szigorú
unkind – faragatlan
Tudásunk cinikussá tett minket. Okosságunk szigorúvá és faragatlanná.
12. We think too much and feel too little.
We think – gondolkozunk
too much – túl sok; túl sokat
to feel – érez
too little – túl kevés, túl keveset
Túl sokat gondolkozunk és túl keveset érzünk.
>In this case gondolkozik és érez requires the suffix -t for túl sok and túl kevés.
13. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.
More than – …helyett inkább
to need – szükség van …-ra, -re; kell valakinek
humanity – emberség
kindness – kedvesség
gentleness – gyengédség
A gépek helyett inkább emberség kell. Az okosság helyett inkább kedvesség és gyengédség.
>If we simply say kell for to need, it is more powerful in this case.
14. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
Without – nélkül
these – ezek; ezen
quality – tulajdonság
life – élet
will be – lesz; válik valamivé
violent – erőszakos
all – minden
will be lost – elveszik
Ezen tulajdonságok nélkül az élet erőszakossá válik és minden elvész.
>The demonstrative pronoun ez is ezek in plural form. In this case, we should repeat it like ezek nélkül a tulajdonságok nélkül. To avoid that and make the translation more elevated, we can use a more elegant form ezen, so we do not need to repeat it: ezen tulajdonságok nélkül.
15. The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together.
Aeroplane – repülőgép
radio – rádió
to bring – hoz
us – minket
closer – közelebb
together – egymás
A repülőgép és a rádió közelebb hozott minket egymáshoz.
>the verb hoz-bring takes -hoz, -hez,- höz. That is why: egymáshoz.
16. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in man, cries out for universal brotherhood, for the unity of us all.
The very nature of – …-nak, -nek a természete; in this case> természetüknél fogva
these inventions – ezen találmányok
to cry out for – kiált …-ért
goodness – jóság
in man – az emberben lévő
universal – egyetemes
bortherhood – testvériség
unity – egység
of us all – mindannyiunk
Ezen találmányok természetüknél fogva az emberben lévő jóságért kiált, egyetemes testvériségért, mindannyiunk egységéért.
> We do not need to repeat cries out for-kiált…-ért. It gives more kick if we do not repeat it.
17. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women, and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.
Even now – most is (éppen)
my voice – hangom
to reach – elér + -t accusative case
millions – milliók; milliókat
throughout the world – világszerte
millions of – milliónyi
despairing – kétségbeesett
men, women, little children – férfi, nő, kisgyermek
victim – áldozat
system – rendszer
that – amely
to make sy torture – kínoz
to imprison – bebörtönöz, börtönbe vet
innocent – ártatlan
people – ember; emberek
Hangom most is milliókat ér el világszerte; milliónyi kétségbeesett férfit, nőt és kisgyermeket. Egy olyan rendszer áldozatait, amely kínozza őket és ártatlanokat vet börtönbe.
18. To those who can hear me, I say “Do not despair.”
To those who – Azokhoz szólok, akik
can hear – hall
me – engem
I say – WE DO NOT NEED TO TRANSLATE IT
Do not despair – Ne csüggedjetek
Azokhoz szólok, akik hallanak engem: ne csüggedjetek!
>The literal Hungarian translations is: I am speaking to those who can hear me: do not despair. That is why I did not translate I say.
19. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.
misery – nyomorúság
that – amely
is now upon us – literally: rajtunk van. I translate is as: minket sújt – afflicts us
but – de; in this case csupán OR nem több, mint
passing – múló mivolta
greed – kapzsiság
bitterness – keserűség
who – aki; akik
to fear sg – fél …-tól, -től
human progress – emberi fejlődés; az emberek/az emberiség fejlődése
A nyomorúság, amely minket sújt csupán a kapzsiság múló mivolta, olyan emberek keserűsége, akik félnek az emberiség fejlődésétől.
20. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people.
hate – gyűlölet
to pass – elmúlik
dictator – diktátor, zsarnok
to die – meghal
power – hatalom
to take from – elvesz…-tól, -től
to return – visszatér
Az emberek gyűlölete elmúlik, a zsarnokok meghalnak. A hatalom, melyet elvettek az emberektől, ismét az embereké lesz.
21. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.
so long as – amíg
to die – meghal
liberty – szabadság
never – soha
to perish – elpusztul
És amíg az emberek meghalnak, a szabadság soha nem pusztul el.
22. Soldiers! Don’t give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you; who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel. Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder.
Soldier – katona
to give – ad; in this case: odavet
yourselves – magatok; magatokat
brute – fenevad
to despise – megvet + -t accusative case
to enslave – rabigába dönt, szolgasorba taszít
to regiment – vezényel
life – élet
to tell – megmond
what to do, what to feel and what to think – in this case: mit csináljatok, mit érezzetek, mit gondoljatok
to drill – kiképez
to diet – in this case:éheztet
to treat – bánik valakivel valahogyan/mint
cattle – marha, jószág; in this case: állatok
to use as – használ valamiként/valaminek
cannon fodder – golyó fogó
Katonák! Ne vessétek oda magatokat fenevadaknak; embereknek, akik megvetnek és rabigába döntenek; akik vezénylik az életeteket; megmondják, hogy mit csináljatok, mit érezzetek, mit gondoljatok. Akik kiképeznek és éheztetnek; állatként bánnak veletek, golyó fogónak használnak.
23. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men—machine men with machine minds and machine hearts.
to give – ad; in this case: odavet
yourselves – magatok(at)
unnatural – természetellenes
machine men – gépemberek
mind – elme
heart – szív
Ne vessétek oda magatokat ezeknek a természetellenes embereknek; gépies elméjű, gépies szívű gépembereknek.
24. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men.
machine – gép
cattle – marha; in this case: állatok
Nem gépek vagytok. Nem állatok vagytok. Emberek vagytok.
25. You have a love of humanity in your hearts.
To have – van neki; in this case: hordoz-to carry
love – szeretet
humanity – emberiség
heart – szív
A szívetekben hordozzátok az emberiség iránti szeretetet.
>Literally translating to have is weak in Hungarian and sounds a little bit weird.
26. You don’t hate, only the unloved hate; the unloved and the unnatural.
to hate – gyűlöl; gyűlölködik
unloved – nem szeretett; much better: szeretetre éhező-starving for love
unnatural – természetellenes
Ti nem gyűlölködtök, csak a szeretetre éhezők; a szeretetre éhezők és a természetellenesek.
27. Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery. Fight for liberty.
Soldier – katona
to fight for – harcol …-ért
slavery – rabszolgaság
liberty – szabadság
Katonák! Ne a rabszolgaságért harcoljatok! Harcoljatok a szabadságért!
28. In the seventeenth chapter of St. Luke, it’s written:
“The kingdom of God is within man”
Not one man, nor a group of men, but in all men; in you.
seventeenth – tizenhetedik
chapter – fejezet
St. Luke – Szent Lukács
it is written – az áll …-ban, -ben; azt írja
Szent Lukács tizenhetedik fejezetében az áll:
”Isten királysága az emberben lakozik”
Nem egy emberben, nem egy embercsoportban, hanem minden emberben: bennetek.
29. You, the people, have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness.
power – hatalom
to have the power to – hatalma van, hogy
to create – létrehoz
machine – gép
happiness – boldogságába
Nektek, az embereknek, van hatalmatok; hatalmatok, hogy gépeket, boldogságot teremtsetek.
30. You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
to make sg sg – valamit valamivé/valamilyenné tesz
free – szabad
beautiful – gyönyörű
wonderful – csodálatos
adventure – kaland
Nektek, az embereknek, van hatalmatok, hogy az életet szabaddá és gyönyörűvé tegyétek; hogy az életet csodálatos kalandként éljétek.
>I translated to make this life a wonderful adventure as to live life like it is a wonderful adventure. Sounds better in Hungarian.
31. Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power.
Then – akkor; in this case: hát
in the name of – -nak, -nek a nevében
democracy – demokárcia
let us – USUALLY TRANSLATED AS IMPERATIVE MOOD
to use – használ; él valamivel
that – azt a
Éljünk hát azzal a hatalommal a demokrácia nevében.
32. Let us all unite.
to unite – egyesül
Egyesüljünk!
33. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security.
to fight for – harcol …-ért
new world – új világ
decent – rendes
that – amely
to give sy a chance – esélyt ad valakinek valamire
to work – dolgozik
youth – fiatalság; a fiatalok
future – jövő
old age – az idősek
security – biztonság
Harcoljunk egy új világért, egy rendes világért, amely esélyt ad az embernek, hogy dolgozhasson; amely a fiataloknak jövőt ad, az időseknek biztonságot.
34. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie.
By the promise of – -nak, -nek az ígéretével, …-t ígérve
brute – fenevad
to rise to power – hatalomra jut
to lie – hazudik
Ezeket ígérve fenevadak jutottak hatalomra, de hazudnak.
35. They do not fulfill their promise. They never will.
to fulfill – teljesít + -t accusative case
promise – ígéret
never – soha
will – in this case: fog
Nem teljesítik az ígéretüket. Soha nem fogják.
36. Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people.
dictator – diktátor, zsarnok
to free oneself – felszabadítja magát
to enslave – rabigába dönt, szolgasorba taszít
A zsarnokok magukat szabadítják fel, de szolgasorba taszítják az embereket.
37. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise.
now – most; in this case: hát
let us – TRANSLATED AS IMPERATIVE MOOD
to fight – harcol
Harcoljunk, hogy teljesítsük azt az ígéretet.
38. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance.
to free – felszabadít
to do away – megszabadul …-tól, -től
national barriers – nemzeti határok; nemzetek határai
intolerance – intolerancia
Harcoljunk a világ felszabadításáért, hogy megszabaduljunk a nemzetek határaitól, hogy megszabaduljunk a kapzsiságtól, gyűlölettől, intoleranciától.
39. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.
reason – értelem, ésszerűség
science – tudomány
progress – fejlődés
to lead to – (el)vezet …-hoz, -hez, -höz
Harcoljunk egy észszerű világért, egy világért, ahol a tudomány és fejlődés mindannyiunk boldogságához elvezet.
40. Soldiers, in the name of democracy: let us all unite!
Katonák! A demokrácia nevében: egyesüljünk!
Hungarian Folk Song
If the video shouldn’t work, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_YPfTXDDqo
| Repülj, madár
Ifijúság olyan madár, Repülj, madár, repülj! Ifijúságom telik el, Repülj, madár, repülj! Szabad madár vagy, te rózsám, |
Fly, bird
Youth is a bird, Fly, bird, fly. My youth is going by, Fly, bird, fly. You’re a free bird, darling, |
Hungarian Speech – Articulation, Strand of Speech, Intonation, Accent on Stem
This is the pdf. file you can download: HungarianSpeech
I wrote this entry in a pdf. file because WordPress did not allow me to create texts the way I wanted to. If there is any trouble with downloading, please notify me in the comment section.
Next time I’ll write about ‘Ambivalence in Meaning’ and a phenomenon that cannot really be written down with any scientific method, but it is an integral part of Hungarian speech.
I’ll also try to upload some sound files in addition to the pdf. file. After all, you should hear what those intonations sound like.
Hungarian way of speaking – Introduction
Soon I’ll write some entries about the following topics:
- Intonation (hanglejtés)Intonation means saying a single word or whole sentences with a certain cadence of your voice. Your voice can rise and fall according to saying question or statements.
- Tőhangsúlyos beszédI’ll try to find an adequate translation for it. Even Hungarian teachers don’t talk to the children about this very important phenomenon.
- Adding feeling to your speechAdding feeling to your speech means saying something with a certain tone of voice. It is much more entwined into Hungarian, then it is in English.
Sentence Structure Part 3
THERE ARE NO SUBORDINATE CLAUSES IN HUNGARIAN.
The best way to show you what I’m talking about is if I give you a German example. Our example means: I’m not going to school because I’m in hospital.
Ich gehe nicht zur Schule, weil ich im Krankenhaus liege.
German subordinate clauses are indicated by inversions after the conjunction. However, the basic German word order is SVO. If we remove the subordinate clause from the sentence, we’ll get an inversed sentence which does not make any sense in itself. It has to be the basic SVO order.
Weil ich im Krankenhaus liege. > incorrect sentence; it should be SVO like this:
Ich liege im Krankenhaus.
There is no such thing in Hungarian because there is no basic word order or inversions. Questions are not formed with inversions because the word order can be changed freely just like in any statement.
Hungarian uses conjunctions to connect two thoughts.
This explanation might seem ridiculous. Of course, it connects two thoughts. But if we take a look at the German example, we see why it is important to stress it. With all the possibilities we can have, let’s take a look at only a few to prove my point.
Nem mehetek iskolába, mert kórházban fekszek.
Nem mehetek iskolába, mert fekszek a kórházban.
Iskolába nem mehetek, mert kórházban fekszek.
Iskolába nem mehetek, mert fekszek a kórházba.
Nem mehetek iskolába = Iskolába nem mehetek; Kórházban fekszek. = Fekszek a kórházban. A different word order changes the importance of a certain part of the sentence, but it doesn’t make it subordinate to anything, especially not to the main clause. The conjunction BECAUSE-MERT simply connects two thoughts. That’s all. And that is true for every Hungarian conjunction.
Another example. Let’s change the word order only in the secondary clause:
I talked to him yesterday, although he couldn’t give me any new information.
Tegnap még beszéltem vele, jóllehet nem tudott új információval szolgálni.
Tegnap még beszéltem vele, jóllehet új információval nem tudott szolgálni.
I said to my colleague that if he was going to the post-office, he could take my letter, too.
Azt mondtam a munkatársamnak, hogy ha postára megy, elvihetné a levelemet is.
Azt mondtam a munkatársamnak, hogy ha megy a postára, a levelemet is elvihetné.
Give my drivers’ licence back or I can’t go to Pest by car.
Add vissza a jogosítványomat, különben nem mehetek autóval Pestre.
Add vissza a jogosítványomat, különben autóval nem mehetek Pestre.
Add vissza a jogosítványomat, különben nem mehetek Pestre autóval.
…
If we change the word order of the secondary clause, we have as many possibilities as many units there are in the sentence. We’ve talked about in Part 1. If we also change the main clause, the number of possibilities will increase according to how many units the main clause has.
Just a few examples, again. Writing it all down would be exhausting 🙂
Tegnap még beszéltem vele, jóllehet nem tudott új információval szolgálni.
Még beszéltem vele tegnap, jóllehet új információval nem tudott szolgálni.
Azt mondtam a munkatársamnak, hogy ha postára megy, elvihetné a levelemet is.
A munkatársamnak azt mondtam, hogy ha megy a postára, a levelemet is elvihetné.
Add vissza a jogosítványomat, különben nem mehetek autóval Pestre.
A jogosítványomat add vissza, különben autóval nem mehetek Pestre.
A jogosítványomat add vissza, különben nem mehetek Pestre autóval.
…
Roots H-, H-V, Har; H-R
Root H-, H-V, HaR
When it comes to weather and temperature you can think of some words as a group. It is the root H-. I keep writing the consonants in capitals.
Hi is an abstract root for Hideg – cold
Hű is an abstract root for HűVös – cool
Hó means snow > HaVas is snowy
Hő means heat > HeVes fierce (man), heated (debate)
Ha is an abstract root for HaRmat – dew
A hó hő hatására elolvad. – Heat causes snow to melt.
Hűvös az idő, de nem hideg. – It’s a cool weather, but it’s not cold.
A heves vita közepette nem vették észre a virágról lehulló harmatot.
While having a heated debate, they didn’t notice the dew falling from the flower.
Root H-R for decaying
HeRvad – to wither;
A virágok elhervadnak. – Flowers wither.
KoRhad – to rot, to decay;
A kidőlt fa elkorhad. – The fallen tree rots away.
SoRvad – to waste away, to recede;
A fogad elsorvad, ha nem húzzák ki. – Your teeth will recede if it is not removed.
The Hungarian Alphabet – Rovásírás
Not so long ago Hungarian people had their own alphabet just like the Chinese and the Japanese. Nowadays we refer to it as runic alphabet, but given the fact that in our modern days we use the Latin writing system, it is more appropriate to simply call it Hungarian alphabet.
Our ancestors originally carved these letters into wood sticks, then on their houses, buildings and probably books. I say ‘probably books’ because a lot of them were burnt after the Christians had arrived.
The Hungarian writing was exercised by both priests and ordinary people. Among others, we’ve found needle cases and other mundane objects decorated with these letters, which proves that the average people could write and read.
When the farmer carved these letters into the wood sticks, he was holding the stick with his left hand, so he started to write with his right hand. When he turned the stick, he continued to write from left to right, but fundamentally it is an alphabet written from right to left.
There was no need to use compound letters like we do today: sz, ny, ly, cs, etc. We have to do that because we have 40 letters in our alphabet and when our ancestors were forced to use the Latin writing, they had to figure out how to write a sound they had a character for in the Hungarian alphabet. Hence older family names like Weöres, Batthyhányi, Széchenyi…We pronounce them as Vörös, Battyányi, Szécsenyi. And that’s how we would have written any word back in the day because there is a character for every sound without letter combinations.
The rules of writing for the Hungarian alphabet are:
- Generally speaking, start writing from right to left.
- The omission of vowels was common especially the e-é vowels because originally these vowels were used to say the alphabet: eb, ec, ecs, ed, ef, eg, egy…(today we say bé, cé, csé, dé, ef, gé, gyé…). As the consonants express the meaning of the word, it is no problem omitting the vowels.
- You can omit the vowels when it does not hinder you from understanding the word, but always write it when back-vowels and front-vowels change in the same word and you always write it at the end of the word.
- The sounds w, x, y, q are transcribed with v, ksz, i, kv. Not part of the alphabet.
- The sounds dz, dzs are also not part of it, so they are written as in the Latin writing: d+z, d+zs
- The indication of long vowels is a recent development. Our ancestors didn’t make a distinction in writing, only in speech.
Here’s the alphabet from right to left:
m ly l k j í i h gy g f é e d cs c b á a
m L l k j í i h G g f é e d C c b á a
zs z v ű ü ú u ty t sz s r p ő ö ó o ny n
Z z v ű ü ú u T t S s r p ő ö ó o N n
Variations for o-ó, ö-ő and ü-ű can be found as we go back further in time. Check the Internet if you like for sites like that. Let’s see some texts. Keep in mind that the Hungarian alphabet goes from right to left.
Text with each character written out:
aNál moráh kanna sé NoSSa Ge reSGe tlov, tlov men loh, tlov reSGe
Egyszer volt, hol nem volt, volt egyszer egy asszony és annak három lánya.
Once upon a time there was a woman and she had three daughters.
Same text with vowel omission where possible:
aNál moráh knna s NoSSa G rSG tlv, tlv mn lh, tlv rSG
Egyszer volt, hol nem volt, volt egyszer egy asszony és annak három lánya.
Once upon a time there was a woman and she had three daughters.
The interesting thing about this alphabet is that you can use ligatures, that is you can combine these characters. It is your hand writing, if you will. The computer does not write ligatures, so I wrote it myself. Note that there are vowel omissions and ligatures in it.
Note that there are two versions of K = k and K. Linguist believe that it’s due to vowel harmony. The first is believed to be EK or KE like meredek kederem (steap), the second one is AK or KA like akna anK (mine). Some linguists say that the second ”deep-vowel” K was only used for expressing the plural form, but there is no evidence to that. It is simpler to use the first k k. Look at this:
Linguists saying there is Ek and AK would write KAKUKKOK (cuckoos) like this:
kokkukaK
Linguists saying that K is only for plural would write it like this:
Kokkukak
Root M-G and More
The Hungarian roots can be used like this:
-keeping the consonants and shading with vowels: magyar = megyer
-mutating the consonants: KöR (circle) > GuRul (to roll)
-using the inversion of the root: MaG (seed) <> GaM (no meaning in itself today)
The first solution can have the same meaning or it can shade the original meaning. In case of magyar-megyer it is the same meaning. Our ancestors used megyer just as magyar.
The second solution implies that consonants can be turned into other consonants. For example the M at the end of a word often changes into NG, ND, N to shade the meaning of that word. Or in case of kör-gurul the words express the same kind of thing, that is a circular motion and K often mutates into G.
I’d like to talk about the third solution in details because the inversion of the root can have the same meaning, it can shade the meaning or it can express the opposite of the base root. Look at this example: CsaVar – FaCSar. What happened in csavar? The root Cs_V was reversed and the V mutated into F, which is also very common. As a result, the two verbs have the opposite meaning. Csavar means to twist, facsar means to wring. The first implies – fundamentally – a motion inwards, the second a motion outwards.
Another example can be megy (to go) – jön (to come). Would you tell about these verbs that they are inversions? This is how it goes: MeGY <> GYeM > GYeN > GYüN > JöN.
So what is it about MaG<> GaM? They imply the same thing: something spherical that has a seed in it or it has the shape of a seed. The vowels and the consonants can change to shade the meaning. The root GaM has no meaning today, but its derivatives do. I’ll keep writing the consonants carrying the meaning in capital letters, so that you see the root better.
MaG – seed
Derivatives of MaG are:
MáK – poppy-seed
MaKK – acorn
MaGYar – Hungarian
MaGyal – holly
MaGzat – embryo
MáGlya – bonfire
MaGas – tall
and possibly NaGY – big
MeGGY – sour cherry
MeGYe – county (Originally means earth, ground. Ancient villages were circular, probably that’s the reason for this word)
The inversion of MaG is GaM. Take a look at the words that originated from it:
GuMó = GüMő – tuber
GoMB – button
GoMBa – mushroom
GoMBóc = GöMBőc – dumpling or something ball-shaped
GöMB – orb
GoMBolyag – skein, hank
GoMolyog – to wreathe
GöMBölyű – round, spherical
GuBó – cocoon
GőG – haughtiness (originally means something empty, spherical, inflatable)
GöNGYöleg – bundle, bale
GYöNGY – pearl
GYüMölcs – fruit
Other examples from our Kun ancestors. The Kuns liked to change the Hungarian consonants like this: G, GY > D, ND, NG, NT, MD, K; D > T.
áGas > áKas = today’s word is eke = plough
We had a word like KiJó. Nowadays we say KíGYó (snake). The inversion of KíGY is GYíK. GYíK means lizard. Animals belonging to the same kind of species, so to say. With consonant mutation GYíK became CSíK (streak, stripe). Obviously lizards and snakes look like a streak from the distance.
Other examples would never really ”show themselves” if we wouldn’t know their origins. Such roots are: ék, kő, üt, tű. Kő (stone) is the inversion of éK (wedge). It is obvious that a stone, especially a sharp one resembles a wedge. With a wedge you can hit things, and so some consonant and vowel mutations will allow us to create the verb üT (hit). The inversion of üt is Tű (needle). And a needle still looks like a small wedge. Out of the root éK, our eKe (plough) was born.
Another phenomenon is when the consonant H modifies the original root. Such root is aL (below, beneath). If you put an h at the beginning of the word, it becomes HaL (fish). Where do fish live? Under the ocean.
A HaL aLul van. – The fish is beneath.
The poetic way of thinking of our ancestors allowed them to identify fish with death:
HaL (fish-noun) – megHaL (to die-verb) – HaLLgat (to listen, to be silent)
What does a person do who died? If someone dies at sea, you say: That man perished at sea = Az az ember tengerbe HALT. And what does a dead person do? He’s silent like a fish, that is HaLLgat. This is how these words developed: aL (beneath) > HaL (fish-to die) > HaLott (dead) > HaLLgat (to be silent, to listen). Also, if someone’s listening to you while you’re speaking, they’re silent.
So much for now. I’ll try to write more.
Bye! 🙂
Omitting Pronouns in (In)Definite Conjugation
In English you always need to use any pronoun (direct, indirect, demonstrative…) irregardless of whether the verb refers to an indefinite or definite object/person.
I’m writing a letter. I’m writing the letter.
The object is ’letter’ and our verb ’write’ is the same in both sentences. The indefiniteness and definiteness of ’letter’ are expressed with the indefinite and definite articles ’a, the’. Here’s the Hungarian translation:
I’m writing a letter. – Írok egy levelet.
I’m writing the letter. – Írom a levelet.
As you can see, the Hungarian verb ’ír-write’ has two different conjugations. The indefinite conjugation requires the -ok suffix in 1st person singular present tense, whereas the definite conjugation in the same person/number/tense is formed with the -om suffix. The indefinite and definite articles are used accordingly.
So far so good. But what if we get a question like ’Are you writing a/the letter’? How do you answer that question?
Are you writing a letter? – Yes, I’m writing it.
Írsz egy levelet? – Igen, azt írok.
Are you writing the letter? – Yes, I’m writing it.
Írod a levelet? – Igen, azt írom.
The pronoun ’it’ refers back to ’a letter’ and ’the letter’. In the same way, the Hungarian demonstrative pronoun ’az’ turns into an accusative pronoun ’azt’ to refer back to ’egy levelet’ and ’a levelet’.
And that’s when omitting pronouns becomes relevant. In everyday language, we do tend to ”forget” saying certain pronouns when the context is clear and we know for sure what we are talking about. So the above-mentioned answers can be turned into:
Igen, írok. Igen, írom.
It is more common, though, that we leave out pronouns when the verbs are in definite conjugation. Since the definite conjugation already refers to the object, there is no confusion about the context. Let’s see more examples with other pronouns, too. So that you know what I omit, I’ll parenthesize the pronouns. It is also evident from the examples that English has to use those pronouns.
-Látod a lányt? – Igen, látom (őt).
-Can you see the girl? – Yes, I can see her.
-Akarjátok az új ruhákat vagy sem? – Nem, nem akarjuk (azokat).
-Do you want the new clothes or not? – No, we don’t want them.
The problem starts when there seems to be no context like in this question:
-Látod? – Can you see it?
We translate it with ’can you see it’ because ’látod’ is obviously in definite conjugation. The speaker knows exactly what he sees and that’s why he’s asking ’Látod?’.
-Látod? – Can you see it?
-Semmit nem látok. Te mit látsz? – I can’t see anything. What can you see?
-A boltot. – The shop.
-Igen, már látom. – Yes, I can see it now.
The other person answers ’nem látok’ in indefinite conjugation because he cannot see anything. And ’anything/nothing’ is something indefinite. So is ’something’, by the way :). Then he asks ’mit látsz’ in indefinite conjugation because he still cannot see anything. Finally, the speaker clarifies ’boltot’. So the other person answers ’látom’ in definite conjugation. Now he knows exactly what he sees. It does not matter if the answer is affirmative or negative. The same rules apply.
That’s why you give such answers:
-Nem értek semmit. -Az egyenletet így kell megoldani. Már érted? -Igen, értem.
-I don’t understand anything. -The equation has to be solved like this. Do you understand now? -Yes, I understand (it).
This is a good example for native English speakers because as you see the verb ’understand’ does not require ’it’ when you answer. Yet you know exactly what you understand.
-Érted? – Do you understand?
-Értem. – I understand.
Let’s take a look at more examples:
-A bank elveszi a házadat. – Nem hagyom.
-The bank is going to take your house. – I’m not going to let (it happen).
-Tessék a visszajáró! – Köszönöm.
-Here’s your change. – Thank you.
The verb ’köszön’ has two meanings ’to say thank you’ and ’to greet’. If it means ’to say thank you’, it is transitive, so Hungarian people thank something, and not thank for something. On the other hand, if you greet someone, it is transitive in English, but it requires an indirect object in Hungarian. Actually, we say ’greet to someone = köszön valakinek’.
-Köszönöm a visszajárót! – Köszöntem önnek, amikor bejöttem? – Igen, ön mindig köszön nekem.
-Thank you for the change. – Did I greet you when I entered? – Yes, you always greet me.
The difficulty also lies in the different use of verbs in English and Hungarian. A verb that is transitive in English might be intransitive in Hungarian and viceversa. In the above-mentioned sentence you can’t use ’köszön’ in definite conjugation because it is not transitive. It cannot require an object.
Let’s contrast indefinite and definite conjugation with ’ért’.
-Érted? – Mindent értek.
-Do you understand? – I understand everything.
’Minden’ is indefinite or general, so ’értek’ is in indefinite conjugation.
PROBLEMS WITH ACCUSATIVE PRONOUNS
As languages do not consist of rules that always make sense, we have to be prepared to learn odd things. That is the case with accusative pronouns if you conjugate verbs in definite mode. To make this problem tangible, I’ll use the accusative pronouns ’őt’ and ’engem’.
Látom őt. – I can see him.
Látod őt. – You can see him.
Látja őt. – He can see him.
Látjuk őt. – We can see him.
Látjátok őt. – You can see him.
Látják őt. – They can see him.
’Lát’ is in definite conjugation in every number/person. But what if we use ’engem’?
Lát engem. – He can see me.
Lát téged. – He can see you.
Látja őt. – He can see him.
Lát minket. – He can see us.
Lát titeket. – He can see you.
Látja őket. – He can see them.
’Lát’ is used in definite conjugation only when referring to the accusative pronoun in 3rd person singular and 3rd person plural. In any other number/person (engem, téged, minket, titeket) ’lát’ is in indefinite conjugation.
This goes for ’őt, őket, önt, önöket, maga, magát’. That is, for polite forms, too.
If there is an accusative pronoun, one would think it is definite. Well, it’s no use asking why it is that way. It just is. I couldn’t find any explanation why this phenomenon had developed the way it is. Something for you to struggle with :). So let’s ask more questions and give the right answers.
-Érted a szabályt? – Igen, értem (azt).
-Do you understand the rule? – Yes, I understand (it).
-Érted őket? – Igen, értem (őket).
-Do you understand them? – Yes, I understand them.
-Értesz engem? – Igen, értelek (téged).
-Do you understand me? -Yes, I understand you.
-Látjátok őket? – Nem, nem látjuk (őket).
-Can you guys see them? – No, we can’t see them.
-Látnak minket? – Nem, nem látnak (minket). Önt viszont látják.
-Can they see us? – No, they can’t see us. However, they can see you, sir.
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