Language/Hungarian/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Hungarian Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Hungarian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use "have" in the Hungarian language. "Have" is a very essential verb in English and many other languages. It has many different usages, such as indicating possession, obligation, or completed actions. In Hungarian, "have" can be expressed by several verbs with different nuances. So, let's dive in and explore them!

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Passive voice and indirect speech & Forming Plurals.

Possession

In Hungarian, when talking about possession, we use the verb "van". It literally translates to "is/are" and "there is/there are", but can also mean "has/have" in the sense of possessing something.

Let's see some examples:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Van egy kutyám.	/vɑn ɛɟ kutiːaːm/	I have a dog.
Van egy autóm.	/vɑn ɛɟ ɒutom/	I have a car.
Van egy otthonom.	/vɑn ɛɟ otthonom/	I have a home.

Note how the verb "van" is used in these sentences to indicate possession.

Completed actions

In Hungarian, we use the suffix "-t/-tt" to indicate completed actions. This suffix is attached to the verb if the action has been completed. If you want to use "have" to indicate completed actions in Hungarian, you can use the verb "teljesít/-ett".

Let's see some examples:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Teljesítettem a feladatomat.	/tɛʎɛʃiːtɛtːɛm ɒ fɛlɒdɒtomɒt/	I've completed my task.
Előre lefoglaltam a szállást.	/ɛløːrɛ lɛfogɬɒɫtɒm ɒ saːlaːʃt/	I've booked the accommodation in advance.
Idén elvégeztem az egyetemet.	/iːdeːn ɛlveːɡɛztɛm ɒz ɛɟɛtɛmɛt/	I've finished the university this year.

As you can see, we use the verb "teljesít/-ett" when we want to indicate that the action is completed.

Obligation

When we want to express an obligation in Hungarian, we can use the verb "kell". "Kell" literally means "must" or "have to", and is conjugated with the respective pronouns.

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Nekem kell mennem.	/nɛkɛm kɛl mɛnnɛm/	I have to go.
Neked kell dolgoznod.	/nɛkɛd kɛl doɫɡoznɒd/	You have to work.
Neki kell tanulnia.	/nɛki kɛl tɒnuɫniɒ/	He/she has to study.

In these sentences, "kell" is used to express that the action is an obligation or necessity.

Dialogue

Let's see a dialogue to see how "have" is used in Hungarian:

• Person 1: Van neked autód? (Do you have a car?)
• Person 2: Igen, van egy autóm. (Yes, I have a car.)

• Person 1: Kellenek ezek a könyvek? (Do you need these books?)
• Person 2: Igen, kellene nekem. (Yes, I need them. / Literally: Yes, they would have to go for me.)

• Person 1: Teljesítetted már a feladatot? (Have you completed the task yet?)
• Person 2: Igen, tegnap teljesítettem. (Yes, I completed it yesterday.)

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have learned how to use "have" in the Hungarian language. "Van" is used to indicate possession, "-t/-tt" suffix is used to indicate completed actions, and "kell" is used to express obligation. Learning the nuances of these verbs will make your Hungarian language skills more natural and accurate.

To improve your Hungarian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Conditional and subjunctive moods & Nouns and cases.

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Future Tense
• Plural
• Cardinal Numbers
• Conditional Mood
• How to form the feminine
• How to Use Be
• Possessed object
• Give your Opinion

Sources

• Hungarian grammar - Wikipedia
• A Beginner's Guide to Basic Hungarian Grammar