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Tag Archives: hungarian
Answering to a reader’s questions (coverbs and tenses)
NY_blog_answer_tensesandcoverbs
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Problems with Verbal Prefixes (or Coverbs)
GOOD ADVICE IN ADVANCE: knowing when to choose a verbal prefix and which to choose requires a knowledge of the shades of meanings Hungarian verbs can have.
1. In the present tense verbal prefixes (coverbs) can add shades to the verb. These shades can be direction and perfectivity in the future.
NOTE! The general rule is that Hungarian verbs without verbal prefixes have a continous aspect in any tense and mode.
– DIRECTION:
Megyek a pincébe. <> Lemegyek a pincébe.
I’m going to the cellar. <> I’m going down to the cellar.
Sétálunk a parkban. <> Kisétálunk a parkba.
We’re walking in the park. <> We’re walking out to the park.
Ugrál az ágyon. <> Felugrál az ágyra.
He’s jumping on the bed. <> He keeps jumping up to the bed.
– PERFECTIVITY IN THE FUTURE:
a)
Megyek a boltba. <> Elmegyek a boltba.
I’m going to the shop. <> I’m going to the shop./I’ll go to the shop.
Megyek a boltba expresses a continous aspect. I’m going to the shop right now as I’m talking. Elmegyek a boltba refers to the direction el-away because the shop is farther away from where I am now and to the perfectivity in the future because I expressed the wish of going to the shop. That’s where I will be sometime in the future. It can also express a promise (I’ll go).
Elmegyek a boltba > és mikor befejeztem az odamenetelt, vagyis megérkeztem, ott leszek.
I’m going to the shop > and when I stopped going to that place, that is I have arrived, I will be there.
You see there is no equivalent of the verbal prefix el in the English sentence because it simply expresses completion and in this case it does not have the meaning equivalent to away.
As you can see, if verbal prefixes indicating a direction are attached to verbs expressing motion, the indication of direction is implied even though the point is perfecitivity.
b)
Nézem a műsort. <> Megnézem a műsort.
I’m watching the show. <> I’ll watch the show.
Nézem a műsort expresses a continous aspect. I’m watching the show right now as I’m talking. Megnézem a műsort cannot refer to any direction as watching something has no direction. That’s why meg- is used and not el-. It definitely refers to the future because as you can see the English sentence changed, too. Hungarian uses present tense with the aspect of completion expressed by meg-, which is expressed in English by Simple Future Tense (I’ll watch).
2. What happens to this phenomenon in the past tense?
Well, it is clearer because the Hungarian past tense can only refer to the past tense (in contrast with the present tense with the sense of future actions). That is proved by the English sentences, too.
a)
Mentem a boltba. <> Elmentem a boltba.
I was going to the shop. <> I went to the shop.
Mentem a boltba expresses a continous aspect. I was going to the shop right at the moment as Iwas talking. Elmentem a boltba refers to the direction el-away because the shop was farther away from where I was then and to the perfectivity in the past because I stated the fact that I went to the shop. That’s where I was in the past. An action that happened once: I went to the shop and I was there. End of story.
b)
Néztem a műsort. <> Megnéztem a műsort.
I was watching the show. <> I watched the show.
Néztem a műsort expresses a continous aspect. I was watching the show right at the moment as I was talking. Megnéztem a műsort cannot refer to any direction as watching something has no direction. That’s why meg- is used and not el-. It definitely refers to the past because as you can see the English sentence changed, too. Hungarian uses past tense with the aspect of completion expressed by meg-, which is expressed in English by Simple Past Tense (I watched).
3. Generally speaking, any verbal prefix can be used to express completion if a certain direction is implied.
a)
Jövök a kirándulásról. <> Visszajövök a kirándulásról.
I’m coming from the excursion. <> I’m coming back/I’ll come back from the excursion.
Jöttem a kirándulásról. <> Visszajöttem a kirándulásról.
I was coming from the excursion. <> I came back from the excursion.
Mutatjuk a grafikont. <> Rámutatunk a grafikonra.
We’re showing the diagram. <> We’re pointing at the diagram.
Mutattuk a grafikont. <> Rámutattunk a grafikonra.
We were showing the diagram. <> We pointed at the diagram.
True enough, Rámutattunk a grafikonra can also mean We were pointing at the diagram as Hungarian does not have specifically a different time for continuous past tense. In this case it is the context that matters.
Rámutattunk a grafikonra és mindenki odanézett.
We pointed at the diagram and all looked at it.
Rámutattunk a grafikonra, miközben mindenki odanézett.
We were pointing at the diagram while all were looking at it.
And that’s where there can be a little bit more confusion because rámutattunk indicates a direction and completion at the same time. The form megmutat exist just as well, with no sense of direction. Let’s see the difference:
Mutattuk a grafikont. – We were showing the diagram.
Megmutattuk a grafikont. – We showed the diagram.
Rámutattunk a grafikonra. – We pointed at the diagram.
Not only a different verbal prefix, but a different meaning, too. That different meaning can be seen in English as it uses a different verb for it (point and not show). Plus, the English preposition at expresses the Hungarian rá- requiring the postposition -ra meaning onto. Literally: We pointed at onto the diagram.
b) Verbs that don’t express motion take meg-, el-. Despite the fact that el- means away, it has a neutral meaning of completion just like meg-. It is also a question of memorizing such verbs.
Verbs with no aspect of motion:
Megláttam a lányt az utcán. – I noticed the girl in the street.
Megérezte, hogy baj lesz. – He had a feeling that there would be trouble.
Megköszönték a vendéglátást. – They said thank you for the hospitality.
Elkezdett hadarni. – She started jabbering.
Elmondtuk, hogyan történt. – We told how it had happened.
Elvégeztem a feladatot. – I finished/completed the task.
c) There are verbs with no aspect of motion that can have both meg- and el- for expressing completion with apparently no change in the meaning.
Elmondtuk, hogyan történt. – We told how it has happened.
Megmondtuk, mit tegyél. – We told you what to do.
Elkezdtem írni. – I started writing.
Megkezdtem az írást. – I started writing.
>In this case both sentences mean the same, but take a different part of speech (first verb, second noun). The first sentence is used in 99% of the cases.
Sometimes it is a matter of choosing like above, other times it is about an idiomatic expression.
Megmondtuk az igazat. – We told the truth. (a while ago)
4. What if we separate the verbal prefix from the verb and make it follow the verb?
Let’s see an example:
Megyek a padlásra. – I’m going to the attic.
Felmegyek a padlásra. – I’m going up to the attic./I’ll go up to the attic.
Megyek fel a padlásra. – I’m going up the the attic.
So what’s the difference between Megyek a padlásra and Megyek fel a padlásra? The fundamental rule of continuity is definitely there. Verbs with no verbal prefixes have a continuous aspect. So why then Megyek fel is continuous? Because it is more the emphatic sense the speaker wants to express then a grammatical rule.
An example for present tense whe the action is more important:
-Mit csináltok? –Sétálunk ki a piacra.
-What are you doing? -We’re walking (out) to the market
-Azt hittem, kocsival mentek. -Nem. Mondom, hogy sétálunk ki a piacra.
-I thought you’d go by car. -No. I’m telling you we’re walking to the market.
Sometimes Hungarian uses present tense to tell a story that happened in the past.You can use this when you think the action is really important. Watch this:
“Úgy döntöttem, hogy szombaton rendet teszek a padláson. Végül is semmi dolgom nem volt. A pincét is ki kellett volna takarítani, de ahhoz két hétvége sem lenne elég. Na mindegy. Megyek fel a padlásra, amikor zajt hallok fentről. Kinyitom a padlásajtót. Hát nem egy rusnya macska rohangál fent!”
Here’s the translation:
“I decided to tidy the attic up on Saturday. After all, I had nothing to do. The cellar should’ve been done, too, but even two weekends wouldn’t be enough for that. Whatever. I’m going up to the attic when I hear some noise. I open the attic door. And, of course, it is an ugly cat running around up there!”
The speaker wanted to put emphasis on the action as he/she was going up to the attic. Some more examples:
Indulok ki a garázsból, amikor elém áll a szomszéd és…
I’m about to leave the garage when the neighbour stands in front of me and…
Mondom neki, hogy hallgasson, de ő csak kiabál vissza nekem.
I keep telling him to be quiet, but all he’s doing is shouting back to me.
Egy csomó autó várt a zöld lámpára, a pasas meg csak fordul be a kereszteződésbe.
There were lots of cars waiting for the green light, but the guy just keeps turning in the junction.
5. Change in the meaning.
Verbs with no aspect of motion can still be given a direction. The meaning may change or not. It is a matter of memorization.
A fiú virágot ad a lánynak.
The boy gives a flower to the girl.
A fiú odaadja a virágot a lánynak.
The boy gives the flower to the girl.
>It means the same, but oda- emphasizes the direction (to the girl).
A lány visszaadja a virágot.
The girl gives the flower back.
A fiú feladja.
The boy gives up.
Verbs with an aspect of motion can be given a direction, too. The meaning may change or not. It is a matter of memorization.
A fiú fut a lányhoz.
The boy is running to the girl.
A fiú odafut a lányhoz.
The boy is running up to the girl.
A lány elfut a fiútól és befut a házba.
The girl is running away from the boy and is running in the house.
A lány összefut egy másik fiúval a házban.
The girl runs into another boy in the house.
A lány visszafut, ahol még várja az első fiú.
The girl is running back where the first boy is still waiting for her.
A lány átfut a hídon, de a másik oldalon is mindenhol fiúkat lát.
The girl is running over the bridge, but all she can see on the other side is boys.
A lány már össze-vissza/oda-vissza fut az üldözői elől.
The girl is now running around/back and forth from her pursuers.
6. Everyday conversation.
– Hoznál tejfölt? (-Would you bring some sour cream?)
– Igen, hoznék. (-Yes, I would.)
– Akkor menj el a boltba. (-Then go to the shop.)
A fiú felöltözött és kilépett az ajtón, amikor visszakiabált:
(The boy put on his clothes and stepped outside when he shouted back:)
– Mentem! (-I’m gone.)
You don’t see elmentem. Because both members of this conversation knew the context. Obviously, the boy didn’t want to talk about the continuity while he was going somewhere.
Of course, the correct way of saying is Elmentem! It is just a quick note for you to be aware of this, too.
After all, everyday language doesn’t abide by the grammar book. Just think of writing on a piece of paper GONE SHOPPING. It has quite the same feeling.
The ambiguity of the definite conjugation
The advantage the definite conjugation guarantees us, that is concision and short phraseology, is the disadvantage at the same time.
Here we have a simple dialogue:
-Látod? -Igen, látom.
-Can you see it? -Yes, I can see it.
With no context, it is not possible to tell what we refer to. It is because the definite form ’látom’ can refer to the following:
| Látom | azt azokat |
őt őket |
magát magukat |
önt önöket |
| I can see | it those |
him/her them |
you-sing. polite you-plur. polite |
you-sing. polite you-plur. polite |
So who or what exactly do we refer to in the dialogue? The answer is: we don’t know until we give it a context. That is why I translated ’látod’ and ’látom’ with the pronoun ’it’. In Hungarian there is no distinction between genders. That can cause problems when you have to translate sentences without any context.
In excercises for Hungarian students references are given: Látom őt. – I can see ____ (girl). That is how the students know that they have to write the pronoun ’her’.
Now back to our example. We need a context.
-Nézd! Ott van egy csinos lány. Látod? -Igen, látom.
-Look. There’s a pretty girl over there. Can you see her? -Yes, I can see her.
Here I’ll enumerate the possibilities for you with ’lát-see’ in definite conjugation:
| Látom | azt, azokat őt, őket magát, magukat önt, önöket magamat magunkat |
I can see | it, those him/her, them you (polite) you (polite) myself ourselves |
| Látod | azt, azokat őt, őket magadat magatokat |
You can see | it, those him/her, them yourself yourselves |
| Látja | azt, azokat őt, őket magát, magukat önt, önöket magát magukat |
He can see She can see |
it, those him/her, them you (polite) you (polite) him/herself themselves |
| Látjuk | azt, azokat őt, őket magát, magukat önt, önöket magunkat |
We can see | it, those him/her, them you (polite) you (polite) ourselves |
| Látjátok | azt, azokat őt, őket magatokat |
You can see | it, those him/her, them yourselves |
| Látják | azt, azokat őt, őket magát, magukat önt, önöket magukat |
They can see | it, those him/her, them you (polite) you (polite) themselves |
As you can see, I wrote ’magát, magukat’ twice where it is possible because these pronouns are different in English. In Hungarian they can be personal pronouns expressing politeness. In this case they are equivalent to ’you, sir/madam…’. They can also be reflexive pronouns meaning …self (himself, themselves…).
Olvashatnékom van
It is quite a unique feature in the Hungarian language. I have no knowledge about whether other languages are able to use this construction or not. It is something we should call a Hungarianism. Use this grammar solution and you sound more like a Hungarian. That’s all.
Our example for the explanation is taken from the title. So here it is:
| Base verb | + | suffix for possibility/permission | + | -nék | + | possessive ending |
| olvas | + | -hat | + | -nék | + | -om |
a) If the base verb is a back (deep)-vowel word, it takes the back-vowel suffix for possibility/permission -hat: olvashat. If the base verb is a front (high)-vowel word, it takes the high-vowel suffix for possibility/permission -het.
b) Then the verb equipped with -hat or -het takes the first person suffix for conditional mood, indefinite conjugation -nék: olvashatnék. Remember this suffix is the same for both front- and back-vowel verbs: aludhatnék, élhetnék, ülhetnék…
c) After adding -nék, we attach a possessive ending according to who is doing the action. So we choose number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, third).
d) BE CAREFUL WITH THE POSSESSIVE ENDINGS. Just because the last element the possessive ending is attached to is -nék, it does not mean that vowel harmony goes hand in hand with it. Whether the possessive endings are front or back-vowel is decided based on the type of the base verb. Olvas is back-vowel, so it takes the possessive ending -om.
The j of the third person possessive endings is omitted: -a, -e, -uk, -ük. A table for better understanding:
|
TYPE OF VERB |
BASE VERB WITH -HAT, -HET AND -NÉK |
POSSESSIVE ENDINGS |
|
| Back-Vowel | olvashatnék | olvashatnék | -om |
| olvashatnék | -od | ||
| olvashatnék | -a | ||
| olvashatnék | -unk | ||
| olvashatnék | -otok | ||
| olvashatnék | -uk | ||
| Front-vowel | tévézhetnék főzhetnék |
tévézhetnék főzhetnék |
-em -em |
| tévézhetnék főzhetnék |
-ed -ed |
||
| tévézhetnék főzhetnék |
-e -e |
||
| tévézhetnék főzhetnék |
-ünk -ünk |
||
| tévézhetnék főzhetnék |
-etek -etek |
||
| tévézhetnék főzhetnék |
-ük -ük |
||
Then we add the verb ’to be’: van. In this case, van is in correlation with a word equipped with a possessive ending. That means: van should be equivalent to ’to have’ in English. From a contextual point of view it is. However, English has its own construction: to feel like.
Olvashatnékom van. – I feel like reading.
Ehetnékem van. – I feel like eating.
-Miért iszol egész nap? -Mert ihatnékom van.
-Why are you drinking all day? -Because I feel like drinking.
-Már két órája csak ültök. -Tudjuk. -Ezért van most állhatnékunk.
-All you’ve been doing for two hours now is sitting. -We know. That’s why we feel like standing right now.
-Mit csinálnak? -Semmit. Nézhetnékük van. Megérkeztek a pom-pom lányok. -Hirtelen nekem is nézhetnékem támadt.
-What are they doing? -Nothing. They feel like watching. The cheerleaders have arrived. -Suddenly I feel like watching, too.
Note that this construction cannot be used if a noun follows the verb. You can’t say:
Nézhetnékem van a lányokat.
In this case, you say:
Kedvem van nézni a lányokat.
I’m in the mood for watching the girls.
Summary for Hungarian Verbs
Here’s another writing of mine about Hungarian verbs and how to conjugate them.
You can download it in .pdf format for free:
MORE EXAMPLES FOR DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE CONJUGATION
USE INDEFINITE CONJUGATION:
-WITH THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE. The article is egy in singular. There is no form for it in plural or it can be expressed with néhány (some). The indefinite article and néhány are not mandatory to use. When we omit them, the noun in accusative case begins the sentence. Also, note that néhány requires the noun to be singular.
|
Singular |
Plural |
| egy | NO ARTICLE or néhány |
Let’s see a comparison with indefinite and definite conjugation:
|
SINGULAR |
PLURAL |
| Akarok egy kanapét. Kanapét akarok. I want a sofa. |
Akarok néhány kanapét. Kanapékat akarok. I want some sofas. |
| >Akarom a kanapét/a kanapékat. >I want the sofa/the sofas. |
|
| Takarítunk egy szobát. Szobát takarítunk. We tidy up a room. |
Takarítunk néhány szobát. Szobákat takarítunk. We tidy up some rooms. |
| >Takarítjuk a szobát/ a szobákat. >We tidy up the room/the rooms. |
|
| Vakolnak egy házfalat. Házfalat vakolnak. They plaster a house wall. |
Vakolnak néhány házfalat. Házfalakat vakolnak. They plaster some house walls. |
| >Vakolják a házfalat/a házfalakat. >They plaster the house wall(s). |
|
| Írtok egy dolgozatot. Dolgozatot írtok. You write a test. |
Írtok néhány dolgozatot. Dolgozatokat írtok. You write some tests. |
| >Írjátok a dolgozatot/a dolgozatokat. >You write the test/the tests. |
-WITH INDEFINITE PRONOUNS. There is a great number of words we can put in this category. Just a few of them: sok (many, much), kevés (a few, a little), valami (something), valaki (someone), bármi (anything), bárki (anyone), néhány (some), egy-két (one or two), sehány (none), senki (nobody), semmi (nothing), minden (every), mindenki (everyone), az összes (all)
Although this does not belong to our conjugation topic, it is important to know that the indefinite pronouns require the words following them to be in singular form. Watch the difference in English:
kevés ember – a few people
(NOT kevés emberek)
sok kérdés – many questions
(NOT sok kérdések)
néhány ház – some houses
(NOT néhány házak)
akárhány könyv – no matter how many books
(NOT akárhány könyvek)
Minden filmet megnézek, ami bűnüggyel kapcsolatos.
I watch every movie that’s related to crime.
Ha ismersz valakit, aki ért a kocsikhoz, szólj!
If you know anyone who has a grasp for cars, tell me.
Mennyi gyümölcs van ebben a kertben, és mennyit ettünk belőle!
So many fruits in this garden and so many we ate!
Túl sokat dolgozol. Lepihensz egy kicsit?
You’re working too much. Will you get a little rest?
Keveset isztok, emiatt érzitek rosszul magatokat.
You drink little. That’s why you feel bad.
Senkit nem érdekel, mi van velem.
No one cares about what’s with me.
–Az összes fényképet eldobta?
-Did he throw all the photos away?
-Igen, az összeset eldobta.
-Yes, he threw all away.
-Csak egyet dobott el.
–He only threw one away.
-WITH THE INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS when asking about the unknown. If you don’t know something, it is unknown to you, so it is not possible to ask such questions with verbs conjugated with definite suffixes.
And the verb in the answer either agrees with the question or not. That is, if the answer contains the indefinite article, indefinite pronouns, interrogative pronouns or simply refers to something unspecific/unknown, then the verb is conjugated with indefinite suffixes.
However, if we answer with something specific, we have to conjugate the verb with the definite suffixes, even though it is conjugated with the indefinite ones in the question.
-Mit tanulsz?
-What are you learning?
-Történelmet tanulok.
–I’m learning history.
–A magyar igeragozást tanulom.
–I’m learning the Hungarian verb conjugation.
-Mit tud felhozni mentségére?
-What can he mention in his defence?
-Nos, sok dolgot tud felhozni.
-Well, he can mention lots of things.
-Nos, a fáradságot tudja felhozni.
-Well, he can mention the tiredness.
-Mit esznek? – What are they eating?
-Almát/Egy almát esznek. – They’re eating an apple.
-Almákat/Néhány almát esznek. – They’re eating some apples.
–Azt az almát eszik, amelyiket tegnap hoztad.
–They’re eating the apple you brought yesterday.
-Mit kérdezel tőle?
-What are you going to ask him?
–Bármit is kérdezhetek.
–I ask whatever I want to.
–A három vizsgakérdést kérdezem tőle.
–I’m going to ask him the three exam questions.
-Kérdezek tőle valamit, amit nem tud.
–I’m going to ask him something he doesn’t know.
-Azt kérdezem tőle, kit szeret a legjobban.
–I’m going to ask him who he loves the most.
A T T E N T I O N!
Of course, if you ask about something specific, you use definite conjugation in questions, as well.
-Melyiket szereted? A szőke vagy a barna lányt?
-Which one do you love? The blonde or the brunette girl?
–A barnát szeretem. A szőkének nincs humora.
-I love the brunette one. The blonde one has no humor.
Sometimes you can ask in two ways:
| Indefinite | -Mikor főzöl ebédet? -Nemsokára. |
-When will you cook lunch? -Soon. |
| Definite | -Mikor főzöd meg az ebédet? -Nemsokára. |
-When will you cook the lunch? -Soon. |
USE DEFINITE CONJUGATION:
-WITH THE DEFINITE ARTICLES, DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS, POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS, POSSESSIVE ENDINGS AND PROPER NAMES.
A kék cipőt választom. – I’ll choose the blue shoes.
Az ebédet kihagyjuk. – We’ll skip lunch.
Ezt a lányt szeretem. – I love this girl.
Azokat az állatokat megmentjük.
We’re going to save those animals.
Látom Jánost, de a barátját nem látom.
I can see John, but I can’t see his friend.
Értik az elméletet, de a gyakorlati részét nem ismerik.
They understand the theory, but they don’t know the practice.
Annát nem kedvelem, de Viktóriát annál inkább bírom.
I don’t like Ann, but I dig Victoria all the more.
Az én házamat felépítem, de a tiédet nem építem fel.
I’m going to build my house, but I’m not going to build yours.
Szép kocsid van, de az övéket mindenki megbámulja.
You have a nice car, but everyone is staring at theirs.
The suffixes -ás, -és versus -at, -et
Hungarian verbs can be turned into nouns with the suffixes -ás, -és and -at, -et. The question is: what’s the difference between their meanings?
-ÁS, -ÉS: they refer to the progress of the action expressed by the verb.
-AT, -ET: they refer to the result of the action expressed by the verb.
emel – to lift, to raise; to elevate
emelés – lifting; elevation
emelet – storey; floor
ír – to write
írás – writing
irat – document; written paper > note that the long í becomes short i.
von – to drag, to draw
vonás – dragging; line; feature
vonat – train
mond – to say, to tell
mondás – saying; locution
mondat – sentence
jósol – predict
jóslás – prophecy; prediction, forecast
jóslat – prophecy
>The last o is omitted in the substantivated forms.
fúr – to drill
fúrás – drilling
furat – borehole > note that the long ú becomes short u.
terem – to bear, to produce, to grow
termés – crop, harvest
termet – stature, figure
>The last e is omitted in the substantivated forms.
szel – to slice
szelés – slicing
szelet – slice (of bread)
(fel)kel – to get up
(fel)kelés – getting up
kelet – east
akar – to want
akarás – willingness
akarat – will
áll – to stand
állás – standing; job
állat – animal
500 verbs
| there is, there are; to be finished; here it is! |
megvan + subj. |
| to adjust | igazít |
| to admire | csodál |
| to adore | imád |
| to allow sy to | megenged |
| to amuse sy | mulattat |
| to analyse | elemez |
| to angle for, to fish | horgászik |
| to applaud | tapsol |
| to argue (pej) | okoskodik |
| to arrange; to settle to direct (a play) |
rendez |
| to arrive | érkezik |
| to ask for | kér |
| to ask sg | kérdez |
| to associate with | társul …-hoz, -hez, -höz |
| to attest | tanúsít |
| to attract | vonz |
| to bake, to roast | süt |
| to bark | ugat |
| to be absent; to be missing; to be missed by sy |
hiányzik |
| to be afraid of sg | fél …-tól, -től |
| to be apparent; to seem | látszik |
| to be ashamed | szégyell |
| to be bored | un |
| to be born | születik |
| to be burnt | megég |
| to be clamorous | hangoskodik |
| to be cold | fázik |
| to be dying | haldoklik |
| to be finished; to finish sg |
elkészül |
| to be getting dark | esteledik |
| to be glad about | örül …-nak, -nek |
| to be growing dusk | szürkül |
| to be hot/warm | melege van |
| to be idle | tétlenkedik |
| to be impudent | szemtelenkedik |
| to be possible; maybe | lehet |
| to be postponed | eltolódik |
| to be put off | elmarad |
| to be recovered (sy’s loss) | megtérül |
| to be right about | igaza van …-ban, -ben |
| to be sickly/unwell | betegeskedik |
| to be situated | elterül |
| to be solved | megoldódik |
| to be sorry for | sajnál |
| to be stupefied | elképed …-on, -en, -ön |
| to be surprise | meglepődik …-on, -en, -ön |
| to be terrified | retteg …-tól, -től |
| to be wrong about | téved …-ban, -ben |
| to be; there is | van |
| to bear (a child) | szül |
| to beat | ver |
| to become black | megfeketedik |
| to become crazy | megőrül … miatt; …-tól, -től |
| to become dim | elhomályosul |
| to become empty | kiürül |
| to become faster | gyorsul |
| to become invalid | megrokkan |
| to become lowered | elhalkul |
| to become mute | megnémul |
| to become paralysesd | megbénul |
| to become rotten | elrohad |
| to become slower | lassul |
| to become stupid | butul |
| to begin sg | kezd |
| to begin to (int.) | kezdődik |
| to believe | hisz …-ban, -ben |
| to bend | hajlít |
| to bend, to bow down | lehajol |
| to betray | elárul |
| to blind | megvakít |
| to blush | elpirul |
| to bore | untat |
| to brake down | lefékez |
| to break (int.) | eltörik |
| to break sg | eltör |
| to break, to tear (int.) | elszakad |
| to bring | visz |
| to bring up | felnevel |
| to build | épít |
| to burn (int.) | ég |
| to burn (sg) | eléget |
| to burst out | kipukkad |
| to bury | eltemet |
| to busy oneself | serénykedik …-on, -en, -ön |
| to buy; to take | vesz |
| to call | hív |
| to call sy by first name | tegez |
| to call sy by last name | magáz |
| to capture | elfog |
| to catch a cold | megfázik |
| to catch fire | meggyúl |
| to cause | okoz |
| to chase | üldöz |
| to cheat | csal |
| to chew | rág |
| to chirp | csiripel |
| to choose | választ |
| to close | csuk, becsuk |
| to collapse | összedől |
| to collect, to gather | gyűjt |
| to comb oneself | fésülködik |
| to come | jön |
| to come home | hazajön |
| to come into being | létrejön |
| to come to an end | befejeződik |
| to come to an end | végződik |
| to command, to order | parancsol |
| to compensate | kárpótol |
| to compete | versenyez |
| to complain | panaszkodik |
| to condemn | elítél |
| to connect; to attach to switch |
kapcsol |
| to cook | főz |
| to cool | hűt |
| to corrupt | megront |
| to cough | köhög |
| to count | számol |
| to countersign | láttamoz |
| to court sy | udvarol …-nak, -nek |
| to cover | takar |
| to create | létrehoz |
| to credit | jóváír |
| to crunch | rágcsál |
| to cry about | sír … miatt |
| to cure | gyógyít |
| to cut | vág |
| to cut (hair) | nyír |
| to dawn | hajnalodik |
| to decide, to settle | eldönt |
| to defend, to protect | véd |
| to deify | istenít |
| to deliver a speech | szónokol |
| to delude | ámít |
| to demand sy sg | követel …-tól, -től …-t |
| to demolish | lebont |
| to denounce | feljelent |
| to deny | tagad |
| to derail | kisiklik …-ról, -ről |
| to destroy | pusztít |
| to destroy | rombol |
| to detail | részletez |
| to deteriorate; to grow worse | megromlik |
| to dictate (a text for students) | tollba mond |
| to die | meghal |
| to dig | ás |
| to digest | emészt |
| to direct | írányít |
| to dispparove of; to think sg is wrong |
rosszall |
| to disturb | zavar |
| to divide | oszt |
| to do, to make | csinál |
| to do, to prepare | elkészít |
| to doubt | kételkedik |
| to drag; to pull | von |
| to draw | rajzol |
| to draw a lesson from | okul …-ból, -ből |
| to dream | álmodik |
| to dream about | ábrándozik …-ról, -ről |
| to drill | fúr |
| to drink | iszik |
| to drink beer | sörözik |
| to drink wine | borozik |
| to drive (machine); to fold (paper); to strike (root) |
hajt |
| to drive; to manage | vezet |
| to drudge, to work hard | gürcöl |
| to eat | eszik |
| to educate | nevel |
| to educate, to instruct | oktat |
| to elect | megválaszt |
| to embezzle | sikkaszt |
| to embrace | átölel |
| to empty; to evacuate | kiürít |
| to end, to finish | befejez |
| to enlist | besoroz |
| to enumerate | felsorol |
| to exaggerate | eltúloz |
| to expiate for | bűnhődik … miatt |
| to expire | lejár |
| to explode, to blow up | robban |
| to fail, not to have success | meghiúsul |
| to fail; to be rejected | megbukik |
| to fall asleep | elalszik |
| to fall down | lehullik |
| to fall; to rain | esik |
| to feed on sg | táplálkozik |
| to feel | érez |
| to feel dizzy | szédül |
| to fight for | harcol …-ért |
| to fight for | kiáll …-ért |
| to find | talál |
| to find a cure (fig.) | orvosol |
| to find sg too much | sokall |
| to fire (from job) | kirúg |
| to flee, to escape from | menekül … elől |
| to flood | eláraszt |
| to fly | repül |
| to fondle, to pet | dédelget |
| to forbid | megtilt |
| to forgive sy for sg | megbocsát …-nak, -nek …-ért |
| to get baked | megsül |
| to get dark | elsötétül |
| to get ill | megbetegszik |
| to get injured | megsebesül |
| to get on (a bus) | felszáll |
| to get stopped up | eldugul |
| to get to know | megtud |
| to get up | felkel |
| to get wet | ázik |
| to give in one’s notice | felmond |
| to glaze | mázol |
| to glide | suhan |
| to go | megy |
| to go bad; to break down |
elromlik |
| to go blind | megvakul |
| to go green | zöldül |
| to go home | hazamegy |
| to go in for sports | sportol |
| to go in frequently; to walk all over |
bejár |
| to go on, to advance; to make progress |
halad |
| to gobble up | zabál |
| to grieve at; to be sad about | szomorkodik … miatt |
| to grow | nő |
| to grow tired | elfárad |
| to hammer | kalapál |
| to hate | utál |
| to have a conversation with sy about sg | társalog …-val, -vel …-ról, -ről |
| to have a good time | mulat |
| to have a wash | mosakszik |
| to have a wash | tisztálkodik |
| to have breakfast | reggelizik |
| to have dinner | vacsorázik |
| to have lunch | ebédel |
| to have to, must; to need to |
kell |
| to hear | hall |
| to heat | fűt |
| to help sy do sg | segít …-nak, -nek …-ban, -ben |
| to hide | rejt |
| to hide; to keep a secret | titkol |
| to hit | üt |
| to hit sy (with a car) | elüt |
| to hold, to keep | tart |
| to hold, to take; to take hold of |
fog |
| to hope | remél |
| to howl | üvölt |
| to hunt | vadászik …-ra, -re |
| to hurt | bánt |
| to hurt, to ache; to have …-ache |
fáj |
| to imprison | bebörtönöz |
| to improve (int.) | javul |
| to inform, to make known | közöl |
| to inherit | örököl |
| to injure; to insult to violate (a law) |
megsért |
| to instruct; to command | utasít |
| to insult; to assault | bántalmaz |
| to interpret | értelmez |
| to irritate | felbosszant |
| to jam, to be squeezed | szorul |
| to join | csatlakozik …-hoz, -hez, -höz |
| to jump | ugrik |
| to know (only for things, not for people) | tud |
| to land | leszáll |
| to laugh about | nevet …-on, -en, -ön |
| to learn, to study | tanul |
| to let | hagy |
| to let sg fall | leejt |
| to let sy know sg | tudat …-val, -vel …-t |
| to lie (swhere) | fekszik |
| to lie down, to go to bed | lefekszik |
| to light | meggyújt |
| to like sy | kedvel |
| to limp | sántít |
| to listen to | hallgat |
| to litter | szemetel |
| to live | él |
| to live swhere, to reside | lakik |
| to loaf | lófrál |
| to lock | zár, bezár |
| to loiter | ténfereg |
| to look for | keres |
| to look for food in a refuse bin | kukázik |
| to look, to watch | néz |
| to lose | veszít |
| to lose one’s way | eltéved |
| to love | szeret |
| to make a show of | fitogtat |
| to make angry | felmérgesít |
| to make experiments | kísérletezik |
| to make friends with sy | barátkozik …-val -vel |
| to make sg faster | gyorsít |
| to make sy lose the power of speech | megnémít |
| to make sy smarter | okosít |
| to make war | háborúzik |
| to make white | fehérít |
| to manage, to administer | igazgat |
| to marinade | pácol |
| to marvel about | ámul …-on, -en, -ön |
| to measure, to weigh | lemér |
| to meet sy | találkozik …-val, -vel |
| to mend | javít |
| to mew | nyávog |
| to neigh | nyerít |
| to nurse; to care of | ápol |
| to obey sy | engedelmeskedik …-nak, -nek |
| to offer for sale | árul |
| to open | nyit, kinyit |
| to operate on | műt |
| to organize | szervez |
| to outwit | kicselez |
| to overthrow (a government); to break (a record) |
megdönt |
| to overturn (int.) | felborul |
| to overturn; to decide | dönt |
| to own; to endure | bír |
| to pack | csomagol |
| to pack | pakol |
| to paint | fest |
| to paralyse | megbénít |
| to park | parkol |
| to pass (time passes) | múlik |
| to pay | fizet |
| to pay sy a visit | vizitel …-nál, -nél |
| to pay taxes | adózik |
| to peep | kukucskál |
| to penetrate | behatol |
| to pick up; to engage (worker) |
felvesz |
| to pity | szán |
| to place; to assert | állít |
| to plan | tervez |
| to play | játszik |
| to play chess | sakkozik |
| to poison | megmérgez |
| to ponder about | elmélkedik …-on, -en, -ön |
| to possess | birtokol |
| to pour; to fill | tölt |
| to praise | dícsér |
| to press | szorít |
| to pretend | tettet |
| to prevent; to precede; to overtake (another car) |
megelőz |
| to prick, to sting | szúr |
| to protect | óv |
| to provoke | provokál |
| to publish | kiad |
| to publish | publikál |
| to pull | húz |
| to purchase, to buy | vásárol |
| to purr | dorombol |
| to push (with elbow) | meglök |
| to push over | felborít |
| to push, to shove | tol |
| to put one’s hands up; to apply for (a job) |
jelentkezik |
| to put out of order; to spoil; to bungle |
elront |
| to put; to do | tesz |
| to ravage; to rage | dúl |
| to read sg/about sg | olvas …-t/…-ról, -ről |
| to recover (one’s health) | meggyógyul |
| to refuel | tankol |
| to refuse | visszautasít |
| to regret | megbán |
| to reign, to rule | uralkodik |
| to reject (at an exam) to overthrow (a government) |
megbuktat |
| to repair | szerel |
| to rest | nyugszik |
| to return | visszatér |
| to revolve, to turn | forog |
| to ride a horse | lovagol |
| to ring | cseng |
| to ring the bell | csenget |
| to rise | árad |
| to risk | kockáztat |
| to roar | ordít |
| to rob | rabol |
| to rummage | turkál |
| to run | fut |
| to run along | rohan |
| to run at top speed | száguld |
| to scold | lehord |
| to scold | megszid |
| to scream | sikít |
| to screech | rikácsol |
| to scrub (floor); to rub against | súrol |
| to see | lát |
| to seem | tűnik |
| to sell | elad |
| to send to school | iskoláztat |
| to set (a watch) | beállít |
| to set off, to depart | indul |
| to set the table | megterít |
| to settle down (swhere) | letelepszik |
| to settle, to colonize | telepít, kolonizál |
| to shake | ráz |
| to shake (head); to wag (tail) |
csóvál |
| to shake (int.) | reng |
| to shed its coat | vedlik |
| to shiver (with cold) | didereg |
| to shiver with cold | vacog |
| to shoot | lő |
| to shout | kiabál |
| to shovel | lapátol |
| to show | mutat |
| to shriek | sikolt |
| to shunt | tolat |
| to sing | énekel |
| to sit, to be seated | ül |
| to ski | síel |
| to skin | nyúz |
| to sleep | alszik |
| to slow down | lassít |
| to smear | ken |
| to smoke | füstöl |
| to sneak | oson |
| to sneeze | tüsszent |
| to snow | havazik |
| to solve | megold |
| to speak | beszél |
| to spell | betűz |
| to spit | köp |
| to spoil | elkényeztet |
| to spring, to burst | fakad |
| to squander | eltékozol |
| to squat on one’s heel | guggol |
| to stab | ledöf |
| to stand | áll |
| to stand about | ácsorog |
| to start | rajtol |
| to stay | marad |
| to steal | lop |
| to step | lép |
| to stick | ragad |
| to stick; to occur | akad |
| to stop | abbahagy |
| to storm; to rage | tombol |
| to strike; to afflict | sújt |
| to stroke, to pet | simogat |
| to struggle; to fight (for/against) |
küzd |
| to stumble | megbotlik |
| to stupefy | butít |
| to succeed | sikerül |
| to suck; to smoke (cigarattes) | szív |
| to suffer | szenved |
| to suffer torments | gyötrődik |
| to surpass | túlszárnyal |
| to sweat | izzad |
| to sweep | seper/söpör |
| to swim | úszik |
| to swing | ringat |
| to swing (int.) | lendül |
| to swing (int.) | ring |
| to swing sg | lendít |
| to tail skid | farol |
| to take a bath | fürdik |
| to take a walk | sétál |
| to take care of | törődik …-val, -vel |
| to take in (a paper); to run (the engine) |
járat |
| to talk about | beszélget …-ról, -ről |
| to talk over; to come to an agreement |
megbeszél |
| to talk; to warn | szól |
| to teach | tanít |
| to tear apart | szakít |
| to tear, to rip | tép |
| to tell a lie | hazudik |
| to tell, to narrate | mesél |
| to tell, to say | mond |
| to think | gondol |
| to think about | gondolkodik …-on, -en, -ön |
| to think sg too little | kevesell |
| to thread (needle) | fűz |
| to thrust; to be repulsive | taszít |
| to tickle | csiklandoz |
| to tidy up | takarít |
| to to blow sg up | robbant |
| to toast | pirít |
| to torment | gyötör |
| to torture | kínoz |
| to tow | vontat |
| to trade | kereskedik |
| to travel | utazik |
| to trust | megbízik |
| to try | próbál |
| to turn up the volume | felhangosít |
| to turn/switch off | lekapcsol |
| to turn/switch on | felkapcsol |
| to understand | ért |
| to value, to estimate | értékel |
| to visit | meglátogat |
| to walk, to take a walk | gyalogol |
| to walk; to be swhere | jár |
| to want | akar |
| to wash | mos |
| to watch TV | tévézik |
| to water, to irrigate | öntöz |
| to weave | fon |
| to weld (metal) | hegeszt |
| to win | győz |
| to wither | elhervad |
| to wonder at | csodálkozik …-on, -en, -ön |
| to work (on sg) | dolgozik (…-on, -en, -ön) |
| to write sg/about sg | ír …-t/…-ról, -ről |
| to yawn | ásít |
| to yelp | csahol |
| will be; to become | lesz |
Translation part 2
1.
„Manapság magára valamit adó hollywoodi sztár kizárólag műanyagból készült ruhát, cipőt, táskát, kabátot hord, vagy anyaszült meztelenül pózol az állati jogok védelmét szolgáló kampányban. Valódi bundát újabban egyedül az engedhet meg magának, aki abban jött a világra. Vagy mégsem?”
’Nowadays any self-respecting Hollywood star is wearing clothes, shoes, bags, jackets exclusively made of plastic or is posing in the buff for a campaign serving the protection of animal rights. Lately, only those can afford real fur who were born in it. Or not?’
The literal translation is:
Nowadays on herself something giving Hollywood star exclusively of plastic made clothes, shoes, bags, jackets is wearing, or naked as born by her mother is posing in the protection of animal rights serving campaign. Real fur lately only those can afford who in it came into the world. Or not?
manapság = nowadays
magára valamit adó = self-respecting > this idiomatic expression literally: who gives something on him/herself
hollywood + -i (adjectival suffix)
sztár = star > words used frequently enough are transcribed according to the phonetic writing in Hungarian
kizár (to exclude) + -ó (excluding, exclusive) + -lag (suffix for adverb of manner equivalent to –ly) = kizárólag = exclusively
műanyag (plastic) = mű- (artificial) + anyag (material, substance)
műanyag + -ból (suffix equivalent to the OF preposition because ’to be made’ requires ’of’ and in Hungarian ’készült’ requires ’-ból, -ből’)
készül (to be made) + -t (past tense ending) = készült (used as past participle) = made
ruha > ruhát (accusative case)
cipő > cipőt (accusative case)
táska > táskát (accusative case)
kabát > kabátot (accusative case)
> these words are in accusative case because they are the direct object of the verb ’hord=wear’
hord = to wear
vagy = or
anyaszült = as born by his/her mother
mez (shirt) + -telen (privative suffix) = meztelen + -ül (suffix for adverb of manner) = meztelenül = naked
>anyaszült meztelenül = in the buff, totally naked
pózol = to pose
állat + -i (adjectival suffix) = állati = animal
jog (right) + -ok (nominative plural ending with link vowel) = jogok = rights
védelem (protection) > it is a drop-vowel word due to the –elem suffix. The ending –e of the possessive case is added: védelme. The e becomes é because it is followed by the accusative ending –t: védelmét
szolgál (to serve) + -ó (adjectival suffix) = szolgáló = serving
> az állati jogok védelmét szolgáló = serving the protection of animal rights
kampány (campaign) + -ban (equivalent is the IN preposition but now FOR sounds better in English)
valódi = real
bunda (fur) + -t (accusative ending) = bundát
új (new) + -abb (comparative degree suffix = newer) + -an (suffix for adverb of manner) = újabban = lately
egyedül = only; alone
megenged magának = can afford
-het = can
az, aki = he/those who
az engedhet meg magának, aki = those can afford who
az (that) + -ban (in) = abban = in that/it
világra jön = to be born, to come into the world
mégsem > in this case it should be translated as: not
2.
„A forint az igen kedvező nemzetközi befektetői hangulatban, és a két hónap múlva várható magyar EU/IMF-megállapodás reményétől fűtve a héten jelentősen tovább erősödött amellett is, hogy a Magyar Nemzeti Bank váratlanul nem emelt kamatot valószínűleg az új monetáris tanácstagok ellenkezése miatt.”
’In the quite favourable international mood of investment and fired up by the hope of Hungarian EU/IMF agreement expected in two month, this week forint continued getting stronger significantly even apart from the fact that, unexpectedly, the Hungarian National Bank did not raise interest presumably due to the opposition of the new monetary council members.’
The literal translation is:
The forint in the quite favourable international investment mood, and by the hope of the in two month to be exptected Hungarian EU/IMF agreement fired up this week significantly further got stronger even apart from the fact that the Hungarian National Bank unexpectedly did not raise interest probably due to the opposition of the new monetary council members.
igen = quite, very
kedvez (to favour) + -ő (adjectival suffix) = kedvező = favourable
nemzet (nation) + -közi (inter-) = nemzetközi = international
befektet (to invest) + -ő (noun suffix) = befektető = investor
befektető + -i (adjectival suffix) = investing, of investment
hangulat (mood) + -ban (equivalent to the IN preposition)
és = and
két hónap múlva = in two month
vár (to expect) + -ható (suffix for something made possible) = várható = to be expected
magyar = Hungarian > note that magyar is not capitalized
megállapodik (to agree) > remove –ik and add the –ás noun suffix = megállapodás = agreement
reményétől fűtve = fired up by the hope
> remény (hope) + -e (possessive case suffix equivalent to OF) + -től (equivalent to BY in this case = reményétől = by the hope of
> fűt (to heat) + -ve (suffix for condition now) = fűtve = heated, fired up
a héten = this week
jelentős (significant) + -en (equivalent to –ly) = jelentősen = significantly
tovább = further, on, continues doing
erős (strong) + -ödik (verb suffix) = erősödik = to get stronger
> remove –ik and add –ött (past tense ending with proper link vowel) = erősödött = got stronger
> tovább erősödött = continued getting stronger
amellett = apart from the fact
is = even
hogy = that
Magyar Nemzeti Bank = Hungarian National Bank
váratlan (unexpected) + -ul (suffix for adverb of manner) = váratlanul = unexpectedly
nem = no, not; in this case: did not
emel (to raise) + -t (past tense ending) = emelt = raised
kamat (interest) + -ot (accusative ending with proper link vowel) = kamatot
> nem emelt kamatot = did not raise interest
valószínű (probable) + -leg (suffix for adverb of manner) = valószínűleg = probably, presumably
új = new
monetáris = monetary
tanács = council
tag = member
>tanácstag (council member) + -ok (nominative plural ending) = tanácstagok = council members
ellenkezés = opposition; disagreement
miatt = due to, because of
> az új tanácstagok ellenkezése miatt = due to the opposition of the new council members
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