Language/Hungarian/Grammar/Imperative-and-gerund-forms

Hungarian Grammar → Intermediate Hungarian grammar → Imperative and gerund forms

As a Hungarian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the topic of imperative and gerund verb forms in Hungarian. These forms are essential to speaking Hungarian fluently and confidently.

Imperative verbs

The imperative form is used to give commands or orders. In Hungarian, the imperative form is formed by taking the third person singular form of the present tense of the verb and dropping the suffix "-ik". Here are some examples:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Ne sírj!	ne ʃiːrj	Don't cry!
Szégyelld magad!	seːɟɛlld mɒɡɒd	Be ashamed of yourself!
Gyere ide!	d͡ʒɛrɛ idɛ	Come here!

To negate the imperative, add "ne" before the verb. For example:

• Ne menj! - Don't go!
• Ne egyél meg mindent! - Don't eat everything!

Gerund verbs

The gerund form is used to express simultaneous actions or actions that are taking place continuously. In Hungarian, the gerund form is formed by adding the suffix "-va" or "-ve" to the stem of the verb. Which suffix you use depends on the vowel harmony rules. Here are some examples:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Örülve hallottam a hírt.	ørylvɛ hɒllottɒm ɒ hiːrt	I heard the news with joy.
Sétálva jobban meg lehet ismerni a várost.	ʃeːtaːlvɒ jobbɒn mɛɡ lɛhɛt iʃmɛrni ɒ vaːroʃt	Walking is a better way to get to know the city.
Írva könnyebb megjegyezni a dolgokat.	iːrvɒ kœɲjɛb mɛɡjɛɟɛzni ɒ dollɡokɒt	Writing makes it easier to memorize things.

The gerund form can also be used in conjunction with auxiliary verbs to form compound tenses. For example:

• A könyvet éppen olvasva vagyok. - I am currently reading the book.

Summary

In this lesson, you have learned about the imperative and gerund verb forms in Hungarian. These forms are crucial to conveying meaning in different ways in the Hungarian language. Remember to practice using these forms regularly, and you will see improvement in your Hungarian communication skills.

Sources

• Hungarian Grammar
• Hungarian Language

Table of Contents - Hungarian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Pronouns and Verb Conjugation

• Personal Pronouns
• Present Tense Verb Conjugation

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Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

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Questions and Negation

• Asking Questions
• Negation

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Time and Frequency

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Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering at a Restaurant

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Prepositions and Location

• Common Prepositions
• Expressing Location

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

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Hungarian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Foods

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Possessive Pronouns and Plurals

• Possessive Pronouns
• Forming Plurals

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Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Discussing Interests

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Hungarian History and Geography

• Important Historical Events
• Geography of Hungary

Related Lessons

• Nouns
• How to Use Have
• Plurals
• Possessed object
• Plural
• Verbs and tenses
• Future Tense
• Gender
• How to form the feminine