Tag Archives: hungarian language

Vocabulary – Polite Expressions and Wishes in Conditional

P O L I T E   E X P R E S S I O N S

–Szeretnél inni valamit? -Köszönöm, szeretnék.
–Would you like to have a drink? – Thank you, I would.

Szeretném megkérdezni, hogy…
I’d like to ask if… / Can I ask if…

Elnézést, meg tudná mondani…
Excuse me, could you tell me…

Elnézést, meg tudná mondani, mennyi az idő?
Excuse me, could you tell me the time?

Elnézést, meg tudná mondani, hol van az állomás?
Excuse me, could you tell me where the station is?

Lennél / Volnál szíves eloltani a cigarettát?
Would you be so kind as to put out the cigarette?

Lenne / Volna szíves eloltani a cigarettát? (polite form)
Would you be so kind as to put out the cigarette?

And we should talk about this, too:

–Nem bánná, ha rágyújtanék? -Nem.
–Would you mind my smoking? -No, I wouldn’t.

In this case there’s no problem with ‘mind’. However, Hungarian does not always translate it with the equivalent verb: bán. Sometimes we just put the verb in conditional mood, while English uses ‘mind’.

–Becsuknád az ablakot? –Igen, be.
–Would you mind closing the window? –No, I wouldn’t.

As you see, the Hungarian answer is YES, while the English one is NO because Hungarian just asks:

–Would you close the window? –Yes, I would.

W I S H E S

English: If only / I wish + past simple or perfect
Hungarian: Ha / Bárcsak + present or past conditional

I wish he came at last. – Bárcsak jönne már!
I wish he had come. – Bárcsak eljött volna!

If only I understood what she’s saying in Hungarian.
Ha érteném, mit mond magyarul! OR
Bárcsak érteném, mit mond magyarul!

Vocabulary – Welcome

Welcome is a word Hungarian expresses in several ways.

If someone arrives:
Welcome! – Isten hozott! / Üdvözöllek! (informal)
Welcome! – Isten hozta! / Üdvözlöm! (formal polite)

You’re always welcome in my house.
Mindig szívesen látlak a házamban.

To be welcome – Szívesen lát valakit (= to see someone with pleasure)

If you answer to someone saying thank you:
-Thank you for helping me. –You’re welcome.
-Köszönöm, hogy segítettél. –Szívesen! / Nincs mit!

Vocabulary – Tessék!

It is a general and versatile exclamation. It comes from the verb tetszik. Actually, it is the imperative 3rd PS indefinite form of tetszik. Its meanings can be:

If someone is knocking at the door:
Come in! – Tessék!

If you give somebody a gentle order:
Please sit down. – Tessék csak leülni!

-May I come in? -Bejöhetek?
–Please. – Tessék!

If you didn’t understand something:
I beg your pardon? – Tessék?
> In this case it is a question.

When sitting at the table:
Help yourself. – Tessék!

Vocabulary – To like

T O   L I K E

This is a simple English verb, but Hungarian expresses it with three different verbs.

TO LIKE SOMEBODY, SOMETHING:
I like that girl.
She likes horror movies.

You can say these verbs in Hungarian like this: tetszik, kedvel

I like that girl.
Kedvelem azt a lányt. OR
Tetszik (nekem) az a lány.

She likes horror movies.
Kedveli a horrorfilmeket.
Tetszenek neki a horrorfilmek.

The formula is:

Kedvel + accusative case
Kedveli azt a filmet. – She likes that movie.
> The accusative case causes kedvel to be in definite conjugation!

Tetszik + dative pronouns + subjective case
Tetszik neki az a film. – She likes that movie.
> The subjective case causes tetszik to be simply in indefinite conjugation!
> And if there are more objects you like, tetszik is put in 3rd PP!
Tetszenek neki azok a filmek. – She likes those movies.

TO LIKE FOODS, DRINKS:
I like sushi.
I like red wine.

You can say these verbs in Hungarian like this: ízlik, szeret

I like sushi.
Szeretem a szusit.
Ízlik (nekem) a szusi.

I like red wine.
Szeretem a vörös bort.
Ízlik (nekem) a vörös bor.

The formula is:

Szeret + accusative case
Szeretem a bort. – I like wine.
> The accusative case causes szeret to be in definite conjugation!

Ízlik + dative pronouns + subjective case
Ízlik nekem a bor. – I like wine.
> The subjective case causes ízlik to be in indefinite conjugation!
> If there are more food, drink you like, ízlik is put in 3rd PP!
Ízlenek nekem a borok. – I like wines.

Summary:

To like people and objects: kedvel, tetszik

To like food, drink: szeret, ízlik

– kedvel / tetszik in definite conjugation 3rd PS + requires accusative case

– tetszik / ízlik in indefinite conjugation 3rd PS or 3rd PP + subjective case
> and the dative pronoun is not mandatory.

You should avoid saying ‘szeret’ if you talk about a person. In this case szeret means: to love

Szeretem azt a lányt. – I love that girl.

Vocabulary – Would like

Would like is said in Hungarian by putting the verb szeret in conditional mood.

Would you like to go shopping?
Szeretnél vásárolni menni?

I’d like to talk to you.
Szeretnék beszélni veled.

She’d like to make a lot of money.
Szeretne sok pénzt keresni.

If you would like someone else to do something than you say in English:

I’d like her to come with me.

In Hungarian you use conditional mood for both verbs as if you said:

I’d like if she came with me.
Szeretném, ha velem jönne.

This sentence is an if-clause which is our next topic.

As for ‘to want’, Hungarian uses szeret in conditional mood when it comes to sentences like:

I want you to know I told the truth.
Szeretném, ha tudnád, hogy az igazat mondtam.

Literally: I would want if you knew I told the truth.

Bye now. 🙂

Conditional Mood Part 2

Last time we discussed indefinite conjugation, now it’s about the definite one.

Conditional mood definite conjugation:
-(e)ném, -(a)nám !!!
-(e)néd, -(a)nád
-(e)né, -(a)ná
-(e)nénk, -(a)nánk !!!
-(e)nétek, -(a)nátok !!!
-(e)nék, -(a)nák

NOTE! The 1st PS is different in definite conjugation. The 1st PP and 2nd PP forms are the same as for the indefinite conjugation!!!

ÉLNI = TO LIVE
élném
élnéd
élné
élnénk
élnétek
élnék

SZÜLNI = TO BEAR
szülném
szülnéd
szülné
szülnénk
szülnétek
szülnék

JÁRNI = TO WALK
járnám
járnád
járná
járnánk
járnátok
járnák

Examples for verbs in two consonants:
nyújt: nyújtanám, nyújtanád, nyújtaná, nyújtanánk, nyújtanátok, nyújtanák
rejt: rejteném, rejtenéd, rejtené, rejtenénk, rejtenétek, rejtenék
költ: költeném, költenéd, költené, költenénk, költenétek, költenék

Examples for verbs in -ít and in -t with long ű:
lazít: lazítanám, lazítanád, lazítaná, lazítanánk, lazítanátok, lazítanák
hűt: hűteném, hűtenéd, hűtené, hűtenénk, hűtenétek, hűtenék

CONCLUSION! As you see the conditional mood suffixes are the easiest ones. Not only are a number of irregular verbs regular when in conditional, the suffixes are also easy to remember.

Some sentences:

Nem tudnám megmondani.
I couldn’t tell.

Megírnám a levelet, de nem tudom, hova küldjem.
I would write the letter, but I don’t know where to send it.

Kijárnám a gimnáziumot, aztán dolgoznék.
I would graduate from high-school and then I would work.

Next time we’ll discuss some verbs like ‘to want, to like, would like…

DON’T with Imperative Mood

Sorry! I forgot about NE when we were still talking about imperative mood.

Expressing the fact that something is prohibited goes like this:

Ne = Don’t

2nd PS: Don’t say that. – Ne mondd ezt!

3rd PS: He’d better not say that. – Ne mondja ezt!

1nd PP: We shouldn’t say that. – Ne mondjuk ezt!

2nd PP: Don’t say that. – Ne mondjátok ezt!

3rd PP: They’d better not say that. – Ne mondják ezt!

And the 1st PS can go like this:

Most csináljam vagy ne csináljam?
Now I should do it or I shouldn’t do it?

Ne menjek veled?
Don’t you want me to go with you?

It’s always NE!

You use NE even if you use the adverb SOHA = NEVER!!! Double negation is a must in Hungarian.

Never say that again. – Soha többet ne mondd ezt!

Conditional Mood

Verbs in conditional mood express uncertainty or a sort of condition (surprise) 🙂

Two tenses are used for that: present and past

GOOD NEWS! Exceptional verbs and some otherwise irregular verbs are regular in conditional mood. However, the rules are:

-Verbs in two consonants
-Verbs in -ít
–Monosyllabic verbs in -t with long ű
take the conditional suffixes with a link vowel!

And of course the irregular verbs are:

van/lesz, megy, jön, eszik, iszik, tesz, vesz, hisz, visz

P R E S E N T   C O N D I T I O N A L

The general ending for present conditional is: -né (= would)

Formation: fut + -né + -k = futnék > I would run

Indefinite suffixes for conditional mood:
-(e)nék, -(a)nék !!!!!!!
-(e)nél, -(a)nál
-(e)ne, -(a)na
-(e)nénk, -(a)nánk
-(e)nétek, -(a)nátok
-(e)nének, -(a)nának

IMPORTANT! There is no special suffix for verbs with ö ő ü ű. And the 1st PS indefinite form is the same for both high and deep-vowel verbs!!!!

ÉLNI = TO LIVE
élnék
élnél
élne
élnénk
élnétek
élnének

SZÜLNI = TO BEAR
szülnék
szülnél
szülne
szülnénk
szülnétek
szülnének

JÁRNI = TO WALK
járnék !!!
járnál
járna
járnánk
járnátok
járnának

Example for verbs in two consonant:
nyújt: nyújtanék, nyújtanál, nyújtana, nyújtanánk, nyújtanátok, nyújtanának
rejt: rejtenék, rejtenél, rejtene, rejtenénk, rejtenétek, rejtenének
költ: költenék, költenél, költene, költenénk, költenétek, költenének

Example for verbs in -ít and in -t with long ű:
lazít: lazítanék, lazítanál, lazítana, lazítanánk, lazítanátok, lazítanának
hűt: hűtenék, hűtenél, hűtene, hűtenénk, hűtenétek, hűtenének

Some sentences:

Nem tudnék így énekelni.
I can’t sing like that. (literally: I couldn’t sing like that)

Írnék egy levelet neki, de nem tudom, hova küldjem.
I’d write him a letter, but I don’t know where to send it.

Sétálnál velem egyet a parkban?
Would you have a walk with me in the park?

Mondanának valamit, de nem beszélnek spanyolul.
They would say something, but they don’t speak Spanish.

So much for indefinite conditional. Bye now. 🙂

When do you use imperative mood?

I mean you use it when you give an order to someone to do something. But what other situation requires it? Well, usually when English uses these constructions:

1. indirect object + to + verb: He wants me to go.

2. for + indirect object + to + verb: It’s time for me to go.

These sentences could be said (if English used that solution) with subjunctive mood:

1. He wants that I go.

2. It’s time that I go.

When it comes to subjunctive mood, you use the conjunction THAT and you put the verb in subjunctive mood. However, as English verbs has no more than three forms, there is no suffix or ending which would show us it is that mood.

Hungarian, in turn, uses this subjunctive mood-like solution by saying the conjunction HOGY (=that) and putting the verb in imperative mood. So the two sentences above sound like this in Hungarian.

1. Azt akarja, hogy menjek. = He wants that I go. (me to go)

2. Ideje, hogy menjek. = It’s time that I go. (for me to go)

Let’s see a summary from another point of view:

me to go = that I go = hogy menjek

for me to go = that I go = hogy menjek

So me…go and for me… go is equal to I go and the to preposition is equal to the conjunction that.

CONCLUSION! Hungarian uses the HOGY conjunction + imperative mood when English uses (FOR) + INDIRECT OBJECT + TO + VERB.

Usually it comes to such sentences when a verb expresses desire (want, would like, demand, order, wish…) and with impersonal expressions (time to, impossible to…). Some more examples:

It’s time for us to tell our opinion.
Ideje, hogy elmondjuk a véleményünket.

It’s impossible for him to get there in time.
Lehetetlen, hogy időben odaérjen.

We’re almost finished with imperative mood. Next time we’ll see how to say: DON’T

Irregular Verbs in Imperative Mood Part 3

FŐNI = TO BOIL, TO BE COOKED
Indef.: főjön, főjenek
Def.: fője, főjék

Főni makes sense only in 3rd PS and 3rd PP!

VERBS IN D
They take one -D in imperative mood definite conjugation 2nd PS!
fed > fedd; ad > add; mond > mondd; tagad > tagadd; enged > engedd

VERBS IN T WITH A SHORT VOWEL
They take double -SS in imperative mood in all numbers/persons for both definite and indefinite conjugation!

Examples in 2nd PS indefinite:
fut > fuss; üt > üss; nevet > nevess; kutat > kutass

MONOSYLLABIC VERBS WITH A LONG VOWEL OR IN TWO CONSONANTS (if the last consonant is T)
They take -TS for imperative mood for all numbers/persons, in both definite and indefinite conjugation! The TS is spelled like double CCS in speech. Exception to this rule is LÁT which is a regular Group 1 verb!

Examples in 2nd PS indefinite:
fűt > fűts; műt > műts; ejt > ejts; gyújt > gyújts

As for conjugating verbs, we’re finished with imperative mood.