Language/Hungarian/Grammar/Negation

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Hungarian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Negation

Welcome to our lesson on Negation in Hungarian! Understanding how to negate sentences is crucial for effective communication in any language, and Hungarian is no exception. In this lesson, we'll dive into the basics of negation, focusing primarily on the word "nem," which means "not."

Why is Negation Important?

Negation allows us to express disagreement, denial, or the absence of something. In Hungarian, mastering negation will enable you to articulate your thoughts more clearly, refuse offers, or simply state that something is not the case. Imagine trying to say “I don’t understand” or “This is not my book” without knowing how to negate properly – it would be quite challenging!

Structure of the Lesson

1. Introduction to Negation

2. Using "nem" in Sentences

3. Examples of Negation

4. Practice Exercises

5. Conclusion

Introduction to Negation

In Hungarian, negation is primarily achieved with the word "nem." It is placed before the verb or the element you want to negate. For example, if you want to say "I am happy," the negated form would be "I am not happy," which in Hungarian is "Nem vagyok boldog."

Using "nem" in Sentences

The placement of "nem" is fairly straightforward. Here are the key points to remember:

• Before the Verb: In most sentences, "nem" comes before the conjugated verb.

• Before Adjectives: If you are negating an adjective, it also precedes it.

Examples of Negation

Let’s look at some examples to illustrate how negation works in Hungarian. Below, you'll find a table that showcases various sentences negated with "nem."

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Nem vagyok fáradt.	Nem vayők fa̋ra̋dt.	I am not tired.
Nem szeretek úszni.	Nem sérétek űzni.	I do not like to swim.
Nem tudom a választ.	Nem tudom a válást.	I do not know the answer.
Nem eszem húst.	Nem ésem hűst.	I do not eat meat.
Nem olvasok könyvet.	Nem olvasok könyvet.	I do not read a book.
Nem jövök ma.	Nem yővők ma.	I am not coming today.
Nem nézem a filmet.	Nem nézem a fílmet.	I am not watching the movie.
Nem beszélek németül.	Nem beszélek németúl.	I do not speak German.
Nem fogok elmenni.	Nem fógok elmenni.	I will not go.
Nem találkozunk este.	Nem tálálkozunk este.	We are not meeting in the evening.
Nem hívom őt.	Nem hívom őt.	I am not calling him/her.
Nem akarok kávét.	Nem akarók kávét.	I do not want coffee.
Nem tudok jönni.	Nem tudok yőnni.	I cannot come.
Nem érdekel a sport.	Nem érdekel a sport.	I am not interested in sports.
Nem sok a pénzem.	Nem sok a pénzem.	I do not have much money.
Nem hiszem el.	Nem hiszem el.	I do not believe it.
Nem voltam ott.	Nem voltam ott.	I was not there.
Nem írok most.	Nem írok most.	I am not writing now.
Nem látom a problémát.	Nem látom a próblémát.	I do not see the problem.
Nem szeretem a szendvicseket.	Nem széretém a széndvicseket.	I do not like sandwiches.
Nem járok iskolába.	Nem yárok iskolába.	I do not go to school.

As you can see, negation is quite versatile and can be used in various contexts. Now, let’s move on to some practice exercises!

Practice Exercises

Here are some exercises to help you practice negation in Hungarian. Try to complete them before looking at the answers!

Exercise 1: Translate the following sentences into Hungarian using "nem."

1. I am not hungry.

2. She does not like dancing.

3. They are not coming.

4. We do not have a car.

5. He is not my friend.

Exercise 2: Negate the following sentences.

1. Én tanulok. (I am studying.)

2. Te eszel. (You are eating.)

3. Ő olvas. (He/She is reading.)

4. Mi utazunk. (We are traveling.)

5. Ti dolgoztok. (You all are working.)

Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with "nem."

1. __________ tudom, miért.

2. Ő __________ jön velem.

3. Az autó __________ működik.

4. Én __________ szeretem a teát.

5. Ti __________ írtok ma.

Exercise 4: Correct the following sentences by adding "nem."

1. Én vagyok boldog. (I am happy.)

2. Ő szereti a zenét. (He/She loves music.)

3. Mi találkozunk. (We are meeting.)

4. Te jössz velem. (You are coming with me.)

5. Ők tudják a választ. (They know the answer.)

Exercise 5: Create sentences using “nem” with the following verbs:

1. játszani (to play)

2. érteni (to understand)

3. tanítani (to teach)

4. főzni (to cook)

5. nézni (to watch)

Solutions to Practice Exercises

Here are the solutions to the exercises above. Check your answers!

Exercise 1:

1. Nem vagyok éhes.

2. Ő nem szeret táncolni.

3. Ők nem jönnek.

4. Nincs autóm.

5. Ő nem a barátom.

Exercise 2:

1. Én nem tanulok.

2. Te nem eszel.

3. Ő nem olvas.

4. Mi nem utazunk.

5. Ti nem dolgoztok.

Exercise 3:

1. Nem tudom, miért.

2. Ő nem jön velem.

3. Az autó nem működik.

4. Én nem szeretem a teát.

5. Ti nem írtok ma.

Exercise 4:

1. Én nem vagyok boldog.

2. Ő nem szereti a zenét.

3. Mi nem találkozunk.

4. Te nem jössz velem.

5. Ők nem tudják a választ.

Exercise 5:

1. Nem játszom.

2. Nem értem.

3. Nem tanítom.

4. Nem főzök.

5. Nem nézem.

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson on negation! Now you should have a solid understanding of how to use "nem" to negate sentences in Hungarian. Practice makes perfect, so keep using these structures in your conversations.

Remember, negation is a vital part of communication, and mastering it will enhance your ability to express yourself in Hungarian significantly. Keep practicing, and don't hesitate to revisit this lesson as you continue your journey toward fluency.

Table of Contents - Hungarian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Verb Conjugation

• Personal Pronouns
• Present Tense Verb Conjugation

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Asking Questions
• Negation

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Time and Frequency

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering at a Restaurant

  ---

Prepositions and Location

• Common Prepositions
• Expressing Location

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Hungarian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Foods

  ---

Possessive Pronouns and Plurals

• Possessive Pronouns
• Forming Plurals

  ---

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Discussing Interests

  ---

Hungarian History and Geography

• Important Historical Events
• Geography of Hungary

Sources

• Hungarian Negation: Learn How to Form Negative Sentences
• Negatives - nem, ne, sem, se [HungarianReference.com > Grammar ...
• Expletive negation in exclamatives – Evidence from Hungarian in ...

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Possessor
• Nouns
• Gender
• Possessed object
• Future Tense
• How to form the feminine
• Give your Opinion
• How to Use Have

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