Hungarian, magyarázva.
Magyarázva means "explained". This is a reference to Hungarian grammar written for English speakers: every rule stated precisely, every exception named, and every point shown in real Hungarian sentences.
Explore by topic
Basics
Sounds, spelling, vowel harmony, word building and word order: the foundations every other rule rests on.
Cases
All 18 Hungarian cases, the 3×3 system of local cases, possession and postpositions, with every suffix variant.
Verbs
Definite and indefinite conjugation, tenses, moods, -ik verbs, verbal prefixes and the irregular verbs you need daily.
Everyday Hungarian
Numbers, time, dates, names, questions, negation and polite address: the grammar of real conversations.
Comparisons
How Hungarian relates to Finnish, Turkish and English, and how to plan learning it.
Tools
Suffix builder, conjugator, number and time converters, vowel harmony checker and a case quiz.
New to Hungarian? Start here
- Read it aloud. Hungarian spelling is phonetic, so an hour with the alphabet lets you pronounce any word you see.
- Hear the harmony. Nearly every suffix changes its vowel to match the word. Learn this once and hundreds of forms become predictable.
- Conjugate in the present. Six persons, two conjugations, one clear pattern.
- Master the 3×3 grid. Nine local cases cover in, into, out of, on, onto, off, at, to and from.
- Learn how focus works. Hungarian word order is not free. It follows emphasis, and once you see that, sentences stop looking scrambled.
The questions learners search for most
- Beginner
Definite and indefinite conjugation
When to say látok and when látom: every rule for Hungarian definite and indefinite conjugation, with full tables, a decision flowchart and 25 contrast pairs.
- Beginner
Hungarian cases: the complete guide
All 18 Hungarian noun cases in one master table, with suffixes, question words, vowel harmony rules and a step-by-step method for choosing the right case.
- Beginner
Hungarian vowel harmony
How Hungarian vowel harmony picks -ban or -ben, -hoz, -hez or -höz: back, front and neutral vowels, mixed words, híd-type exceptions, loanwords, compounds.
- Intermediate
Hungarian verbal prefixes (igekötők)
Hungarian verbal prefixes explained: meg, el, ki, be, le, fel and more, what they mean, how they mark completion, and exactly when they split from the verb.
- Intermediate
Place names: -ban or -on?
Which Hungarian place names take -ban/-ben and which take -on/-en/-ön: tables of towns, countries, islands and regions, predictive patterns and to/from forms.
- Beginner
Telling the time in Hungarian
How to tell the time in Hungarian: Hány óra van?, negyed, fél and háromnegyed pointing to the next hour, múlt and múlva, the 24-hour clock and -kor.
Tools that show their working
Type a word and see every form, with the rule behind each one.
- All levels
Hungarian suffix builder
Type any Hungarian noun and get all its case forms (accusative, -ban, -hoz, -val and more) with vowel harmony and assimilation applied and explained.
- All levels
Hungarian verb conjugator
Conjugate regular Hungarian verbs in the present, past and conditional, side by side in the indefinite and definite conjugation, with the rules explained.
- Beginner
Hungarian number converter
Convert any number into written Hungarian, with the két/kettő distinction, correct hyphenation above 2000, and the ordinal form (első, második...).
- Beginner
Hungarian time converter
Turn any clock time into natural Hungarian: negyed, fél and háromnegyed, official 24-hour style, and the "at what time" form with -kor.
- Beginner
Vowel harmony checker
Check whether a Hungarian word takes back, front or front rounded suffixes. Vowels are colour-coded and the rule behind the answer is explained.
- Beginner to intermediate
Hungarian case quiz
Practise choosing the right Hungarian case ending in real sentences. Instant feedback explains every answer and links to the rule behind it.
How we explain Hungarian
Most Hungarian courses list endings and hope the pattern sinks in. We start from the logic instead: why the language needs a definite conjugation, why word order follows focus, why Budapesten but Bécsben. Then we give the complete forms, the exceptions and the mistakes learners actually make.
Every guide is checked against standard reference grammars and the Hungarian Academy's spelling rules, which are listed at the end of each page. Read more about our editorial standards and the sources we rely on.