Difference between revisions of "Language/Hungarian/Grammar/Definite-and-indefinite-articles"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m (Quick edit) |
m (Quick edit) |
||
Line 73: | Line 73: | ||
[[Category:0-to-A1-Course]] | [[Category:0-to-A1-Course]] | ||
[[Category:Hungarian-0-to-A1-Course]] | [[Category:Hungarian-0-to-A1-Course]] | ||
==Videos== | |||
===The Definite and Indefinite Article in Hungarian - YouTube=== | |||
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRo5uSz6ZxU</youtube> | |||
{{Hungarian-Page-Bottom}} | {{Hungarian-Page-Bottom}} |
Revision as of 12:42, 12 March 2023
Hungarian Grammar → Introduction to Hungarian grammar → Definite and indefinite articles
As a Hungarian language teacher for over 20 years, I know that understanding the use of definite and indefinite articles is essential for learning Hungarian. In this lesson, you will learn how to choose the right one and use it correctly.
Definite article
The Hungarian definite article is "a" or "az" depending on the word it accompanies. "A" is used when the word begins with a consonant, while "az" is for words that start with a vowel or the consonants "l", "n" and "r".
Examples
Hungarian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
a macska | [ɑ mɑtʃkɑ] | the cat |
a kisállatok | [ɑ kiʃaːlɑtok] | the small animals |
az alma | [ɑz ɑlmɑ] | the apple |
az én családom | [ɑz eːn ʧɑlaːdom] | my family (literally: the my family) |
Indefinite article
The Hungarian indefinite article is "egy". It always precedes a singular noun, and it is not used with plural nouns or uncountable nouns.
Examples
Hungarian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
egy fa | [ɛɟ fɑ] | a tree |
egy nagy oroszlán | [ɛɟ nɑɟ oroslɑːn] | a big lion |
nem szeretem a húsokat | [nɛm sɛrɛtɛm ɑ huːʃokɑt] | I don't like meats (literally: not like-the meats) |
When not to use an article
In Hungarian, there are some cases where no article should be used.
- Proper nouns: names of people, places, or things are not accompanied by articles.
- Péter = Peter
- Magyarország = Hungary
- Balaton = Lake Balaton
- Generalizations: when the meaning is general, and we refer to a whole class of things, no articles should be used.
- Doctor = orvos (in general, all doctors)
- Cats like to play = A macskák szeretnek játszani (all cats, in general)
Exercises
Practice choosing the right article for the following sentences:
- _____ kutya ugat az udvaron. (A/An/The) (dog is barking in the yard.)
- Szeretnék venni _____ almát a piacról. (a/an/the) (I would like to buy _____ apple at the market.)
- Nem szeretem, amikor _____ rágcsálják a könyveimet. (a/an/the) (I don't like it when _____ nibble on my books.)
Sources
Videos
The Definite and Indefinite Article in Hungarian - YouTube