Hungarian grammar FAQ
Direct answers to the questions learners ask most often about Hungarian, grouped by topic. Each answer links to the full guide with rules, tables and examples.
Basics
How many letters are in the Hungarian alphabet?
There are 44 letters. The count includes 14 vowel letters, the digraphs cs, dz, gy, ly, ny, sz, ty, zs, the trigraph dzs, and q, w, x, y, which appear mainly in foreign words and names.
Read the full guide: The Hungarian alphabet and pronunciation
How do you pronounce "sz" and "s" in Hungarian?
sz is the English "s" of see, and s is the "sh" of shop. So szia (hi) starts with "s", and Budapest ends in "-pesht".
Read the full guide: The Hungarian alphabet and pronunciation
How do you pronounce "gy" in Hungarian?
gy is a single sound, a palatal stop [ɟ], similar to the "d" in British duke or dew. Press the middle of your tongue against the hard palate and release it; do not say "g" followed by "y".
Read the full guide: The Hungarian alphabet and pronunciation
What is vowel harmony in Hungarian?
It is the rule that a suffix's vowel must match the vowels of the word it attaches to. Back-vowel words take back suffixes (házban), front-vowel words take front suffixes (kertben), and some suffixes have a third, rounded form (sörhöz).
Which vowels are neutral in Hungarian?
i, í and é are fully neutral, and e is partly neutral. In a word that also has back vowels they do not count, so papír and kávé take back suffixes.
Why is it "hídon" and not "hídön" or "híden"?
híd is one of a few dozen back-harmonic stems that contain only i, í or é but take back suffixes, for historical reasons. Others include cél, nyíl, zsír and the verbs ír, nyit, iszik.
What does agglutinative mean in Hungarian?
It means that grammatical information is added by gluing separate suffixes onto a stem, one meaning per suffix. házainkban is ház-a-i-nk-ban: house, plural of possessed, our, in.
In what order do Hungarian suffixes go?
Stem, then derivational suffixes, then the plural (or the possessed plural -i-), then the possessor, then the case ending. The case ending is always last.
What is the longest word in Hungarian?
The usual showpiece is megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért, "for your (plural) acts of behaving as if you could not be desecrated". It is well formed but artificial; its value is that it shows the suffix slots working perfectly.
Is Hungarian word order free?
No. The words can appear in many orders, but each order means something different, because position marks topic and focus. Grammatical roles are shown by case endings, which frees word order to show emphasis.
What is the focus position in Hungarian?
It is the position immediately before the finite verb. An element there is stressed and understood exclusively, as in PÉTER hívta meg Marit, "It was Péter who invited Mari".
Why is it "nem ettem meg" and not "nem megettem"?
nem occupies the slot before the verb, so the verbal prefix meg has to move behind it. The same happens with focused elements and question words.
When do you use "a" and when "az" in Hungarian?
Use a before a word that starts with a consonant sound and az before a vowel sound: a ház, az alma. Digits and abbreviations count as they are read aloud, so it is az 5. oldal because ötödik starts with a vowel.
Does Hungarian have an indefinite article?
Yes, egy, which is also the number one. It is used less than English "a/an": Hungarian says Tanár vagyok ("I'm a teacher") and Van autód? ("Do you have a car?") without it.
Why do Hungarians say "a Péter"?
Putting the article before first names is a common feature of informal spoken Hungarian. It is avoided in formal speech and writing, where the name stands alone.
How do you make a noun plural in Hungarian?
Add -k. After a vowel it attaches directly (autók, with a/e lengthening: almák); after a consonant a linking vowel is inserted (ablakok, kertek, gyümölcsök, házak).
Why is it "két alma" and not "két almák"?
Hungarian does not mark the plural twice. After numbers and quantity words such as sok, néhány, hány, minden, the noun stays singular and the verb agrees in the singular.
Why is the plural of ház "házak" and not "házok"?
ház is a lowering stem, a lexical class of nouns that take a or e as their linking vowel. The accusative házat shows the same vowel, so learning one form tells you the other.
What are the personal pronouns in Hungarian?
én (I), te (you), ő (he/she), mi (we), ti (you all), ők (they), plus formal Ön/Önök and maga/maguk, which take third-person verbs.
How do you say "me" in Hungarian?
It depends on the case: engem as a direct object, nekem for "to/for me", velem for "with me", rólam for "about me", and so on. Each case ending takes a personal suffix instead of combining with én.
Does Hungarian have separate words for "he" and "she"?
No. ő covers both, and Hungarian has no grammatical gender anywhere in its grammar.
How long does it take to learn Hungarian?
The US Foreign Service Institute estimates about 44 weeks, or 1,100 class hours, of intensive full-time study for English speakers to reach professional working proficiency. Part-time learners need proportionally longer.
Is Hungarian the hardest language to learn?
No. FSI puts it in Category III together with Russian, Polish, Finnish and Turkish. Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean are in Category IV, estimated at about twice the time.
What is the hardest part of Hungarian?
For most English speakers it is vocabulary, because almost nothing is cognate, followed by the definite conjugation and verbal prefixes with their effect on word order.
How many people speak Hungarian?
About 13 million people speak Hungarian as their native language. Most live in Hungary (about 9.6 million inhabitants), with sizeable communities in Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine.
How many cases does Hungarian have?
18 in the most common count. Some grammars list about 17, others over 20, depending on whether suffixes such as -ul, -kor, -stul and -nként are counted as cases.
How many tenses does Hungarian have?
Three in modern use: present, past and a future formed with fog. The present is also often used for future events.
Cases
How many cases does Hungarian have?
Most textbooks count 18. The number varies from 17 to more than 20 depending on whether the nominative and semi-productive suffixes such as -ul/-ül or -nként are counted.
Are Hungarian cases harder than German or Russian cases?
They are more numerous but much more regular. Hungarian has no genders or declension classes, and each case has one suffix with predictable vowel-harmony variants, so there is far less to memorise per case.
Which Hungarian cases should I learn first?
Start with the accusative -t, the inner cases -ban, -ba, -ból, the surface cases -on, -ra, -ról, the dative -nak and the instrumental -val. Add the proximity cases next, and leave the minor cases for later.
Why is it házat and not házot?
Ház is a lowering stem: it takes the linking vowel a instead of o, and its plural is házak. This is a property of the word that has to be learned, but the plural reveals it.
When does the Hungarian accusative not need a linking vowel?
After a vowel (autót) and after most words ending in j, l, ly, n, ny, r, s, sz, z, zs (asztalt, bort, buszt). Lowering stems such as hal → halat are exceptions.
What is the accusative of "én" and "te"?
Engem (or engemet) and téged (or tégedet). Both take the indefinite conjugation: Péter lát engem.
Is it "segít valakit" or "segít valakinek"?
Segít valakinek, with the dative: Segítek a szomszédnak ("I help the neighbour"). The task you help with goes in -ban/-ben: segít valakinek valamiben.
How do you say "I have" in Hungarian?
Use van plus a possessive suffix: Van egy kutyám ("I have a dog"). For a noun owner add the dative: Péternek van egy kutyája. The negative is Nincs kutyám.
What is the difference between neki and nekik?
Neki is "to him/her" (singular) and nekik is "to them" (plural). For formal "to you", use Önnek or Önöknek.
What are the nine local cases in Hungarian?
Inessive -ban/-ben, illative -ba/-be, elative -ból/-ből, superessive -on/-en/-ön, sublative -ra/-re, delative -ról/-ről, adessive -nál/-nél, allative -hoz/-hez/-höz and ablative -tól/-től.
How do I know whether to use -ban or -on?
Use -ban for enclosed spaces and -on for surfaces and open areas. Some places are conventional: Hungarian towns and Hungary take -on, foreign cities and countries take -ban.
Why is it "orvoshoz megyek" and not "orvosba"?
People are treated as points you approach, so they take the proximity row: orvoshoz (to the doctor), orvosnál (at the doctor's), orvostól (from the doctor).
What is the difference between -ban and -ba in Hungarian?
-ban/-ben means "in" (location, answering Hol?) and -ba/-be means "into" (direction, answering Hová?): a házban vagyok versus a házba megyek.
Is "a boltba vagyok" correct?
No. It is heard in casual speech, but standard Hungarian requires a boltban vagyok for location. A boltba is only correct with movement: a boltba megyek.
How do you say "in May" or "in 2024" in Hungarian?
Add -ban/-ben: májusban, 2024-ben. For years, write the suffix after a hyphen and choose the harmony by the spoken form of the last number word.
When do I use -on, -en or -ön?
After a vowel, just -n. After a consonant, use -on for back-vowel words, -en if the last vowel is e, é, i, í, and -ön if the last vowel is ö, ő, ü, ű.
Why is it Budapesten and not Budapestben?
Most Hungarian settlements use the surface cases by convention: Budapesten, Szegeden, Pécsen. Foreign cities use the inner cases: Bécsben, Londonban.
How do you say "on Monday" in Hungarian?
Hétfőn. The other days are kedden, szerdán, csütörtökön, pénteken, szombaton, and "on Sunday" is simply vasárnap.
What is the difference between -hoz and -ba?
-ba/-be means "into" and -hoz/-hez/-höz means "up to, next to" or "to a person". So a boltba is into the shop, a bolthoz is to the front of the shop, and az orvoshoz is to the doctor.
How do you say "at someone's house" in Hungarian?
Use -nál/-nél on the person: Péternél (at Péter's), nálunk (at our place). With the family plural: Péteréknél.
Is "nagyobb nálam" or "nagyobb, mint én" correct?
Both are correct and mean "bigger than me". Use mint when comparing clauses or words that carry another suffix, since -nál/-nél only attaches to a plain noun or pronoun.
Why is it "busszal" and not "buszszal"?
When a two-letter consonant such as sz is doubled, Hungarian spelling doubles only its first letter. So busz + val becomes busszal, and likewise hegy → heggyel, lány → lánnyal.
How do I say "with me" in Hungarian?
Velem. The full set is velem, veled, vele, velünk, veletek, velük, and formally Önnel, Önökkel.
Is it "találkozom Pétert" or "találkozom Péterrel"?
Találkozom Péterrel. The verb találkozik (meet) takes the instrumental, not the accusative.
What does -ért mean in Hungarian?
It means "for" in the sense of fetching (kenyérért megy), price (ezer forintért), sake (a gyerekeiért) or reason (a késésért). Miért? ("why?") is built from it.
Read the full guide: The minor cases: -ért, -ig, -vá, -ként, -kor and others
What is the difference between -ként and -képpen?
-ként is the everyday "as, in the role of" (tanárként). -képp(en) is formal and mostly found in set words such as másképp, mindenképpen, ajándékképpen.
Read the full guide: The minor cases: -ért, -ig, -vá, -ként, -kor and others
How do you say "daily" and "weekly" in Hungarian?
Naponta and hetente; also havonta (monthly) and évente (yearly). Add a number for intervals: kéthetente (every two weeks).
Read the full guide: The minor cases: -ért, -ig, -vá, -ként, -kor and others
Is it Budapesten or Budapestben?
Budapesten. The capital takes the surface cases: Budapesten (in), Budapestre (to), Budapestről (from). Budapestben is incorrect.
Why is it Magyarországon but Ausztriában?
By convention, Hungary takes the surface cases while other countries take the inner cases. It is a fixed usage that has to be learned; even -ország neighbours like Németország take -ban.
Is it Debrecenben or Debrecenen?
Debrecenben, with Debrecenbe (to) and Debrecenből (from). Debrecen is one of the major Hungarian cities that take the inner cases.
How do you say "my" in Hungarian?
Add -m after a vowel (autóm) or -om/-am/-em/-öm after a consonant (kalapom, házam, kertem, gyümölcsöm). For emphasis, add az én in front: az én házam.
When do I use -ja and when -a?
Almost always -ja/-je after a vowel. After s, sz, z, zs, c, cs, j, ly, gy, ny, ty, almost always -a/-e. After other consonants it depends on the word (kertje but széke), so check a dictionary.
What is the difference between házuk and házaik?
Házuk is "their house" (one house); házaik is "their houses". Házai is "his/her houses".
How do you say "Peter's house" in Hungarian?
Péter háza. The possessor comes first without a suffix and the possessed noun gets the third person possessive ending. Péternek a háza is also correct and slightly more emphatic.
When do I have to use -nak in possessive phrases?
When the possessor is a demonstrative phrase (ennek a háznak a teteje), a question word (kinek a...), a relative pronoun, when it is separated from the possessed noun, and on the middle link of a chain.
How do you say "mine" and "yours" in Hungarian?
Az enyém (mine), a tiéd or a tied (yours), az övé (his/hers), a miénk (ours), a tiétek (yours, plural), az övék (theirs).
What is the difference between a postposition and a case suffix in Hungarian?
A case suffix is attached to the noun and follows vowel harmony (házban, kertben). A postposition is a separate word that never changes (a ház mellett, a kert mellett) and takes possessive endings with pronouns (mellettem).
How do you say "next to me" in Hungarian?
Mellettem for location (Mellettem ül), mellém for movement (Leült mellém) and mellőlem for moving away (Felállt mellőlem).
What does "szerintem" mean?
"In my opinion", literally "according to me". It is the first person form of szerint; szerinted? means "What do you think?"
Verbs
What is the difference between látok and látom?
Látok is indefinite: "I see" with no object or with an indefinite one (látok egy madarat). Látom is definite: "I see it/him/her" or "I see the ..." (látom a madarat).
Is "engem" definite or indefinite in Hungarian?
Indefinite. Engem, téged, minket and titeket always take the indefinite conjugation, as in Anna szeret engem. Only third-person pronouns such as őt trigger the definite.
Why is it "Kérek egy kávét" and not "Kérem egy kávét"?
The object egy kávét is indefinite, so the verb must be indefinite. Kérem is correct only with a definite object, as in Kérem a számlát ("The bill, please").
Is it "olvasol" or "olvasz"?
Olvasol. Verbs whose stem ends in s, sz, z or dz take -ol/-el/-öl in the 2sg indefinite instead of -sz.
Why is it "tanítasz" and not "tanítsz"?
Stems ending in -ít or in two consonants insert a linking vowel before consonant-initial endings, which gives tanítasz, tanítotok, tanítanak.
Does Hungarian have a present continuous tense?
No. Olvasok covers both "I read" and "I am reading"; context or an adverb like most ("now") makes the ongoing meaning clear.
Is it "lakom" or "lakok"?
Both are heard. Lakom is the standard, formal form; lakok is very common in casual speech but is judged informal. Learners should default to lakom.
Why do Hungarian dictionaries list verbs in the third person?
The 3sg present indefinite is the barest form of most verbs (ír), and it is the only form that reveals whether a verb is an -ik verb (lakik). The infinitive does not show this.
What is suksükölés?
It is using subjunctive forms like tanítsuk or lássa where the indicative tanítjuk or látja is required. It affects verbs ending in -t, is strongly stigmatized, and is unrelated to -ik verbs.
How many past tenses does Hungarian have?
One in modern standard Hungarian. It translates English simple past, present perfect and past progressive, with verbal prefixes adding a sense of completion.
When does the Hungarian past tense use -ott instead of -t?
Verbs in -ít, verbs ending in a cluster with final t, and one-syllable verbs in vowel + t (except lát) use -ott/-ett/-ött throughout. Sibilant and plosive stems use it only in the 3sg indefinite (olvasott but olvastam).
What is the past tense of "van" in Hungarian?
Volt: voltam, voltál, volt, voltunk, voltatok, voltak. The negative is simply nem volt; there is no past form of nincs.
Does Hungarian have a future tense?
Not as a verb ending. Hungarian uses the present tense with time words or perfective prefixes, the auxiliary fog with an infinitive, and lesz as the future of van.
Is it "el fogom olvasni" or "fogom elolvasni"?
In a neutral statement, El fogom olvasni. Fogom elolvasni appears only after negation, a question word or a focused element, as in Nem fogom elolvasni or Mikor fogod elolvasni?
How do you say "I will be" in Hungarian?
Leszek, from lesz: Holnap otthon leszek ("I'll be at home tomorrow"). The negative is nem leszek.
Is it "látnék" or "látnák"?
For "I would see", látnék (indefinite) or látnám (definite). Látnák means "they would see it"; using it for "I" is the stigmatized feature called nákolás.
How do you say "I would like" in Hungarian?
Szeretnék with an indefinite object or an infinitive (Szeretnék egy kávét, Szeretnék fizetni) and szeretném with a definite object (Szeretném a számlát).
How is the Hungarian past conditional formed?
Past tense form plus volna: láttam volna ("I would have seen"), elmentél volna ("you would have gone"). Volna never changes.
What is the difference between the imperative and the subjunctive in Hungarian?
Only their use. The forms are identical: Várj! is a command, while Azt akarom, hogy várj uses the same form as a subjunctive after hogy.
Is it "várj" or "várjál"?
Both are correct. Várj is the short form and várjál the long form; the long form is especially common in speech. The same applies to kérd / kérjed in the definite.
How do you say "come here" in Hungarian?
Gyere ide! to one person, Gyertek ide! to several, and formally Jöjjön ide! or Jöjjenek ide!
How do you form the infinitive in Hungarian?
Add -ni to the verb stem: olvas → olvasni, dolgozik → dolgozni. Stems in -ít and most stems ending in two consonants take -ani/-eni, as in tanítani and küldeni.
What does "mennem kell" mean?
It means "I have to go". Mennem is the infinitive menni with the first person ending -em, used because kell itself cannot show the person.
Is it "nekem kell menni" or "nekem mennem kell"?
The standard form is Nekem mennem kell, with the personal ending on the infinitive. Nekem menni kell is heard in casual speech but is best avoided in writing.
What does "meg" mean in Hungarian?
As a verbal prefix, meg has no directional meaning. It usually marks that the action is completed or has a result (megír, "write and finish"), and sometimes it changes the meaning (megfog, "grab"). Do not confuse it with the conjunction meg, "and".
Why is it "Nézd meg!" and not "Megnézd!"?
In positive commands the prefix always moves behind the verb. Megnézd is a subjunctive form used in clauses such as Azt akarom, hogy megnézd, not as a command.
How do you say "no" to a question with a prefix?
Say Nem, or repeat the verb with the prefix after it: Megcsináltad? Nem, nem csináltam meg. "Yes" is the bare prefix: Meg.
What does -lak/-lek mean in Hungarian?
It is a verb ending meaning "I (do something to) you", where "you" is informal. Szeretlek is "I love you" and Látlak is "I see you".
Read the full guide: The -lak/-lek ending (szeretlek, látlak)
How do you say "I love you" in Hungarian?
Szeretlek. For emphasis you can say Nagyon szeretlek ("I love you very much") or Téged szeretlek ("It's you I love").
Read the full guide: The -lak/-lek ending (szeretlek, látlak)
How do you say "I will see you" with -lak/-lek?
Put the ending on the future auxiliary: Látni foglak. More often Hungarians simply use the present, Majd látlak, or Találkozunk! ("See you!").
Read the full guide: The -lak/-lek ending (szeretlek, látlak)
How many irregular verbs does Hungarian have?
Very few. Only van, megy and jön are irregular throughout; a further dozen or so common verbs, such as eszik, iszik, tesz, alszik, belong to small families with predictable stem changes.
What is the past tense of eszik?
The past is ettem, ettél, evett, ettünk, ettetek, ettek. Note the special third person singular evett, and the definite ette ("he ate it").
How do you conjugate van in the future?
Use lesz: leszek, leszel, lesz, leszünk, lesztek, lesznek. It is the normal future of "to be", so Otthon leszek is "I'll be at home".
What does -hat/-het mean in Hungarian?
It is a suffix meaning "may" or "can" in the sense of permission or possibility. Olvas is "reads", olvashat is "may read, is allowed to read".
How do you say "May I come in?" in Hungarian?
Bejöhetek? The prefix be- means "in", jön is "come" and -het adds "may". The same form works in formal and informal situations, because the verb describes what you yourself would do.
What is the difference between "tudok" and "-hatok"?
Tud + infinitive is about ability: Tudok vezetni, "I can drive". -hat/-het is about permission or possibility: Vezethetek?, "May I drive?"
How do you say "I had my hair cut" in Hungarian?
Levágattam a hajam. The causative vágat ("have cut") shows someone else did it; Levágtam a hajam would mean you cut it yourself.
When do you use -tat/-tet instead of -at/-et?
Use -tat/-tet with stems of two or more syllables (csináltat, javíttat) and with one-syllable stems ending in a vowel plus t (láttat). Other one-syllable stems take -at/-et: írat, hozat, festet.
What case is the person who does the action in?
If the verb has its own object, the doer goes in the instrumental: Megjavíttatom a kocsit a szerelővel. If not, the doer is in the accusative: Megnevettette a közönséget.
What is the difference between "olvasó" and "olvasott"?
Olvasó is the present participle, "reading" or "reader": az újságot olvasó férfi, "the man reading the paper". Olvasott is the past participle, "read": a sokat olvasott könyv, "the much-read book".
How do you say "the door is closed" in Hungarian?
Az ajtó be van zárva ("locked") or Az ajtó csukva van ("shut"). For a shop, zárva van means "is closed", and signs simply say Zárva or Nyitva.
What does -andó/-endő mean?
It forms a future participle meaning "to be done": fizetendő "payable, to be paid", megoldandó "to be solved". It is mostly used in formal and written Hungarian.
Everyday Hungarian
How do you count to 10 in Hungarian?
Egy, kettő, három, négy, öt, hat, hét, nyolc, kilenc, tíz. When counting aloud, "two" is always kettő.
What is the difference between két and kettő?
Két is used directly before a noun (két kávé) and inside larger numbers (kétszáz). Kettő stands alone or takes suffixes (kettőt, kettőkor).
Why is it "két alma" and not "két almák"?
In Hungarian the number already signals plurality, so the noun stays singular after any numeral or quantity word. The verb agrees with the singular noun too: Két alma van az asztalon.
What does "fél három" mean in Hungarian?
It means 2:30. Hungarian quarter expressions count toward the next hour, so "half three" in Hungarian is half of the way to three o'clock.
How do you say "What time is it?" in Hungarian?
Hány óra van? or Mennyi az idő? To be polite to a stranger, start with Elnézést, ("Excuse me").
How do you say "at 3 o'clock" in Hungarian?
Háromkor or három órakor. The suffix -kor means "at" and has no vowel harmony variants.
How do you write the date in Hungarian?
Year first, then month, then day, with a full stop after the year and the day: 2026. szeptember 27. or 2026. 09. 27.
Are Hungarian days and months capitalized?
No. Hétfő, kedd, január, február and the rest are written in lowercase unless they begin a sentence.
How do you say "on Monday" in Hungarian?
Hétfőn. Other days take -n/-on/-en/-ön too (kedden, szombaton), but "on Sunday" is simply vasárnap.
What is the difference between Ön and maga in Hungarian?
Both are formal "you" with third-person verbs. Ön is neutral and official, suitable everywhere; maga is more personal and colloquial and can sound either warm or brusque depending on tone.
How do you say "How are you?" formally in Hungarian?
Hogy van? (to one person) or Hogy vannak? (to several). The informal versions are Hogy vagy? and Hogy vagytok?
What does "Csókolom" mean?
It literally means "I kiss (your hand)" and is a respectful greeting for hello and goodbye, used mainly by children to adults and toward older women.
Why do Hungarians put their last name first?
Hungarian orders names from the general to the particular, family then individual, just as dates go year, month, day. In English-language contexts, most Hungarians reverse their names.
What does -né mean in a Hungarian name?
It means "wife of". Kovács Jánosné is the wife of Kovács János, and Kovácsné Tóth Anna is Anna Tóth married to a man named Kovács.
How do you say Mr and Mrs in Hungarian?
"Mr" is úr, placed after the name: Kovács úr. There is no exact equivalent of "Mrs/Ms"; common options are the given name with formal verbs, hölgyem in direct address, or a professional title such as doktornő.
How do you ask a yes/no question in Hungarian?
Use normal statement word order and change the melody: raise the pitch on the second-to-last syllable and drop it on the last. Beszélsz angolul?
What is the difference between hol and hová?
Hol asks where something is; hová (or hova) asks where something is going. Hol vagy? but Hová mész?
What does -e mean at the end of a Hungarian verb?
It is the question particle, roughly "whether". It is standard in indirect questions (Nem tudom, jön-e.) and sounds formal in direct ones (Jön-e?).
What is the difference between nem and ne in Hungarian?
Nem negates statements and questions (Nem megyek.), while ne negates commands, wishes and subjunctive clauses (Ne menj!).
Does Hungarian use double negatives?
Yes, they are required. With a negative word like senki or semmi, the verb must also be negated: Nem láttam senkit. ("I didn't see anyone.")
Why is it "nincs" and not "nem van"?
The third-person present of van has a dedicated negative form, nincs (plural nincsenek). Other persons and tenses use nem normally: nem vagyok, nem volt.
Why is there no "van" in "Péter tanár"?
In the third person present, Hungarian omits van when the predicate is a noun or adjective. It reappears in other persons (tanár vagyok) and tenses (tanár volt).
How do you say "I have" in Hungarian?
Use van with a possessive suffix: Van egy kutyám ("I have a dog"). The negative is Nincs kutyám.
What is the difference between van and vannak?
Van is singular ("is"), vannak plural ("are"). After a number the singular is used: Van két jegy.
What is the most common mistake in Hungarian?
Mixing up definite and indefinite conjugation (látok vs látom) is the error learners make longest. Plurals after numbers and wrong local cases are also very common.
Is it Budapestben or Budapesten?
Budapesten. Budapest and most Hungarian towns take the surface cases: Budapesten, Budapestre, Budapestről.
Why is "két almák" wrong?
After a number, Hungarian nouns stay singular because the number already expresses plurality: két alma.
Comparisons
Are Hungarian and Finnish related?
Yes. Both are Uralic languages, descended from a common ancestor spoken several thousand years ago. The relationship is distant and is proven by regular sound correspondences and shared grammar, not by obvious similarity.
Can Hungarians understand Finnish?
No. There is no practical mutual intelligibility; a Hungarian hearing Finnish may recognise only a handful of words. Finnish and Estonian are much closer to each other.
What is Hungarian's closest relative?
Khanty and Mansi, two small Ugric languages spoken in western Siberia. Together with Hungarian they form the Ugric branch of the Uralic family.
Is Hungarian a Turkic language?
No. Hungarian is a Uralic language, related to Finnish, Estonian, Khanty and Mansi. It borrowed a number of words from early Turkic languages, but its core vocabulary and grammar are Uralic.
Why do Hungarian and Turkish look so similar?
They share a structural type: agglutinative word building, vowel harmony and no grammatical gender. Such features can arise independently and do not prove a common ancestor.
What Hungarian words come from Turkic?
Well-attested early loans include alma (apple), búza (wheat), árpa (barley), kecske (goat), disznó (pig), bika (bull), ökör (ox) and tyúk (hen).
Is Hungarian similar to English?
No. They belong to different language families, and Hungarian grammar works very differently. The shared Latin alphabet and a number of international loanwords are the main points of contact.
What is the hardest part of Hungarian for English speakers?
Usually the definite conjugation, the case system with its many suffixes, and word order driven by focus. None of these has a close English equivalent.
Does Hungarian have a verb "to have"?
Not in everyday use. Possession is expressed with van ("there is") plus a possessive suffix: Van egy autóm ("I have a car").
How long does it take to learn Hungarian?
The US Foreign Service Institute estimates about 1100 class hours (44 weeks of intensive study) for English speakers to reach professional working proficiency. Basic conversation is reachable much sooner with regular study.
What should I learn first in Hungarian?
Pronunciation and spelling, vowel harmony, the present tense, "to be", the accusative with the definite conjugation, and the most common location cases, together with survival phrases.
Is Duolingo enough to learn Hungarian?
On its own, no. Duolingo's Hungarian course is useful for vocabulary and a daily habit, but you will need a grammar resource for explanations and a tutor, class or partner for speaking.