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

Hungarian Grammar - How to Use "Be"

Hi Hungarian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the Hungarian verb "lenni" (to be) in the present tense. We will provide cultural information, interesting facts, and examples to help you understand how to use "lenni" correctly. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to use "lenni" confidently to talk about yourself and others.

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Nouns & Aspect and mood combinations.

"Lenni" - To Be

Let's begin with the verb "lenni," which means "to be" in English. We use it to talk about existence, identification, and location. "Lenni" is an irregular verb, which means that its conjugation doesn't follow a fixed pattern.

Conjugation of "Lenni"

Here's how "lenni" is conjugated in the present tense:

Pronoun	Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Én	vagyok	[va-jog]	I am
Te	vagy	[va-ig]	You are (informal)
Ő	van	[vɒn]	He/She/It is
Mi	vagyunk	[va-junk]	We are
Ti	vagytok	[va-jotok]	You are (plural)
Ők	vannak	[vɒn-nak]	They are

It's important to note that in Hungarian, the verb "lenni" is often omitted when it's clear from the context. For example, instead of saying "Én vagyok tanár" (I am a teacher), you can just say "Én tanár vagyok" (I teacher am).

Using "Lenni" to Talk About Yourself

Let's look at some examples of how to use "lenni" to talk about yourself:

• Én magyar vagyok. ([eːn maɟɒr vɒjok.]) - I am Hungarian.
• Én diák vagyok. ([eːn diːaːk vɒjok.]) - I am a student.
• Én itt vagyok. ([eːn itː vɒjok.]) - I am here.

Notice that we add the subject after the verb when we use "lenni" to talk about ourselves.

Using "Lenni" to Talk About Others

Let's see some examples of how to use "lenni" to talk about other people:

• Ő amerikai. ([øː ɒmɛrikɒi.]) - He/She is American.
• Ő tanár. ([øː tɒnaːr.]) - He/She is a teacher.
• Ő Budapestben van. ([øː buːdɒpɛʃt-bɛn vɒn.]) - He/She is in Budapest.

Notice that we omit the subject when we use "lenni" to talk about other people, and the verb "lenni" agrees with the number of the subject, not the object.

Using "Lenni" to Talk About Location

Let's see some examples of how to use "lenni" to talk about location:

• Az iskola a városban van. ([ɒz iʃkolɒ ɒ vaːroʃbɒn vɒn.]) - The school is in the city.
• Az autó az udvaron van. ([ɒz ɒuto ɒz uːdvɒron vɒn.]) - The car is in the yard.
• A kutya az ágyban van. ([ɒ kutjɒ ɒz aːɟbɒn vɒn.]) - The dog is in the bed.

Notice that in Hungarian, we use the preposition "a" (meaning "in" or "on") after the subject to describe its location.

Using "Lenni" to Ask Questions

Now let's see some examples of how to use "lenni" to ask questions:

• Te magyar vagy? ([tɛ maɟɒr vɒj]?) - Are you Hungarian?
• Ő tanár? ([øː tɒnaːr?]) - Is he/she a teacher?
• Az iskola a városban van? ([ɒz iʃkolɒ ɒ vaːroʃbɒn vɒn?]) - Is the school in the city?

Notice that in Hungarian, we don't use the auxiliary verb "do" like in English when we ask questions.

Cultural Information

Hungarians are known for their hospitality and welcoming nature. When someone visits a Hungarian's home, it is customary to take off their shoes and wear slippers provided by the host.

Hungarian cuisine is famous for its goulash, which is a stew made with meat and vegetables, seasoned with paprika. Paprika is considered an essential spice in Hungarian cooking, and Hungary even has a paprika museum in the town of Szeged.

Interesting Facts

Hungarian is a unique language that has no connection to any other major European language. Its grammar and vocabulary are significantly different from other European languages.

One interesting fact about Hungarian grammar is that it has no relative pronouns like "who" or "which." Instead, it uses participles to create relative clauses.

Another interesting fact is that Hungarian has vowel harmony, meaning that the vowels in the suffix must match those in the root word. This is a fascinating feature of Hungarian that makes it challenging to learn but also rewarding when mastered.

Dialogue

Béla and Péter are discussing their jobs:

• Béla: Én tanár vagyok. ([eːn tɒnaːr vɒjok.]) - I am a teacher.
• Péter: Nagyon jó! Én is tanár vagyok. ([nɒɟon joː. eːn iʃ tɒnaːr vɒjok.]) - That's great! I am also a teacher.
• Béla: Hol tanítasz? ([hol tɒniːtɑs?]) - Where do you teach?
• Péter: Az egyetemen tanítok. ([ɒz ɛɟɛtɛmɛn tɒniːtok.]) - I teach at the university.
• Béla: Az érdekes! Én gimnáziumban tanítok. ([ɒz eːrdɛkɛʃ! eːn ɡimnaːziʊmobɒn tɒniːtok.]) - That's interesting! I teach at the high school.

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of "lenni":

1. Én _____ magyar vagyok. (I am Hungarian.) 2. Budapestben _____ van a parlament. (The parliament is in Budapest.) 3. Ő _____ tanár. (He/She is a teacher.) 4. Ti _____ diák vagytok. (You are students.) 5. Az állatok a farmban _____ vannak. (The animals are on the farm.) 6. A magyar nyelv _____ nehéz. (The Hungarian language is difficult.)

Answers: 1. vagyok, 2. van, 3. tanár, 4. vagytok, 5. vannak, 6. nehéz.

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. 😎

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Negation
• Plurals
• Possessed object
• Plural
• Questions
• Adjectives
• Future Tense
• How to form the feminine

Sources

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