Hungarian verbs
Hungarian verbs have only three tenses and no gender, but they encode something English never does: whether the object is definite. Every verb therefore has two sets of endings. Master that distinction and verbal prefixes, and the rest is pattern practice.
The verb system at a glance
| Feature | What Hungarian does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Persons | 6, marked by the ending, so pronouns are usually dropped | várok, vársz, vár... |
| Conjugations | 2: indefinite and definite | Látok egy házat. / Látom a házat. |
| Tenses | Past, present, future (mostly with fog) | vártam, várok, várni fogok |
| Moods | Indicative, conditional, imperative-subjunctive | várnék, várj |
| Aspect | Mostly expressed with verbal prefixes | ír / megír |
| Modality | Suffix -hat/-het ("can, may") | várhatok |
Recommended learning order
- Present tense in both conjugations
- When to use the definite conjugation
- -ik verbs and the core irregular verbs
- Past tense and verbal prefixes
- Imperative, conditional, then the rest
Try any regular verb in the conjugator to see both conjugations side by side.
All verbs guides
- 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
The Hungarian present tense
The complete Hungarian present tense: indefinite and definite endings for back, front and rounded verbs, sibilant verbs like olvas and néz, and tanít.
- Intermediate
Hungarian -ik verbs
What Hungarian -ik verbs are, how lakik and eszik conjugate, lakom vs lakok, laknám vs laknék, pairs like tör and törik, and what suksükölés really is.
- Intermediate
The Hungarian past tense
How to form the Hungarian past tense: when to use -t or -ott/-ett/-ött, full definite and indefinite tables, and irregular pasts like volt, evett and aludt.
- Intermediate
The future in Hungarian
How Hungarian talks about the future: the present with time words, fog + infinitive, lesz for "will be", prefix placement and when natives really use fog.
- Intermediate
The Hungarian conditional
The Hungarian conditional: -na/-ne and -nék/-nám endings, full tables, láttam volna, ha clauses, polite requests like Kérnék egy kávét, and bárcsak wishes.
- Intermediate
Imperative and subjunctive
The Hungarian imperative and subjunctive: the -j suffix and its changes (olvass, láss, taníts), várj or várjál, gyere and menj, ne, and hogy clauses.
- Beginner
The Hungarian infinitive
How to form the Hungarian infinitive in -ni, use it with akar, tud, kell and szabad, build personal forms like mennem kell, and handle irregular verbs.
- 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.
- Beginner
The -lak/-lek ending (szeretlek, látlak)
When Hungarian uses -lak/-lek: "I" acting on informal "you". Forms in every tense and mood, foglak and akarlak, why Önt is definite, and common mistakes.
- Intermediate
Hungarian irregular verbs
Full tables for van, megy, jön, eszik, iszik and tesz, plus the patterns behind them: the v-stem family, -szik verbs like alszik, and nő, lő, sző.
- Beginner
The -hat/-het suffix: can and may
How Hungarian -hat/-het works: conjugation tables, permission and possibility, -hat versus tud, irregular forms like ehet and lehet, and -hatatlan adjectives.
- Intermediate
The causative: -at/-et and -tat/-tet
How to say "have something done" in Hungarian: -at/-et or -tat/-tet, which case the doer takes, traps like írass, and lexical forms like etet and itat.
- Advanced
Hungarian participles
Every Hungarian participle: present -ó/-ő, past -t/-tt, future -andó/-endő, adverbial -va/-ve and -ván/-vén, negative -atlan/-etlen, and be van zárva.
Frequently asked questions
How many tenses does Hungarian have?
Three in modern use: past, present and future. Older texts also show a few extra past forms, but they are no longer used in speech.
What is the dictionary form of a Hungarian verb?
The 3rd person singular present indefinite, such as vár or lakik, not the infinitive.
What is the hardest part of Hungarian verbs?
For most learners, the definite conjugation and the movement of verbal prefixes (megnézem but nem nézem meg). Both are rule-governed and become automatic with practice.