Language/Hungarian/Grammar/Present-Tense-Verb-Conjugation
As a Hungarian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I'm delighted to introduce you to the fourth lesson of our course "Complete 0 to A1 Hungarian Course." In this lesson, we'll focus on the Present Tense Verb Conjugation. You'll learn how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs and comprehend the importance of verb conjugation in sentence formation. Let's get started!
Present Tense Verb Conjugation
The present tense is the most common conjugation in Hungarian, and it is a fundamental element of the language. Verbs change depending on the subject (who is doing the action); therefore, you must understand the personal pronouns first.
Personal Pronouns
In Hungarian, the personal pronouns replace the nouns, making the speech more efficient and smooth. As you learned in the previous lesson, here are the personal pronouns in Hungarian:
| Hungarian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Én | [eːn] | I |
| Te | [tɛ] | You (singular) |
| Ő | [øː] | He/She/It |
| Mi | [mi] | We |
| Ti | [ti] | You (plural) |
| Ők | [øk] | They |
Regular Verbs
Regular verbs are those that follow a specific pattern in all conjugations. In the present tense, regular verbs have the suffix -ik for the third person singular (-he/she/it) while in the other persons, the suffix is -m/-sz/-nk/-tok/-nak according to the personal pronoun. Let's observe the verb szeret (to love):
| Person | Hungarian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Én | szeretem | I love |
| Te | szereted | You love |
| Ő, ők | szereti, szeretik | He/She/It, They loves |
| Mi | szeretjük | We love |
| Ti | szeretitek | You love (plural) |
It's vital to pay attention to the accents, especially when it comes to verbs' conjugation as different accent patterns may lead to different meanings in Hungarian.
Irregular Verbs
Unfortunately, irregular verbs don't follow the regular patterns, and you must memorize all forms of them; they represent a significant challenge for the learners of Hungarian. In this section, we'll cover the conjugation of some of the most common irregular verbs in the present tense:
lenni
The verb "to be" in Hungarian is lenni.
| Person | Hungarian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Én | vagyok | I am |
| Te | vagy | You are |
| Ő, ők | van, vannak | He/She/It, They is/are |
| Mi | vagyunk | We are |
| Ti | vagytok | You are (plural) |
Note that there are two forms for the third person singular because the verb lenni has two meanings in Hungarian. The form van is for the verbs indicating the presence, and vannak for the others.
jönni
The verb "to come" in Hungarian is jönni.
| Person | Hungarian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Én | jövök | I come |
| Te | jössz | You come |
| Ő, ők | jön, jönnek | He/She/It, They come(s) |
| Mi | jövünk | We come |
| Ti | jöttök | You come (plural) |
menni
The verb "to go" in Hungarian is menni.
| Person | Hungarian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Én | megyek | I go |
| Te | mész | You go |
| Ő, ők | megy, mennek | He/She/It, They go(es) |
| Mi | megyünk | We go |
| Ti | mentek | You go (plural) |
akarni
The verb "to want" in Hungarian is akarni.
| Person | Hungarian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Én | akarok | I want |
| Te | akarsz | You want |
| Ő, ők | akar, akarnak | He/She/It, They want(s) |
| Mi | akarunk | We want |
| Ti | akartok | You want (plural) |
These verbs are only a few examples of the irregular verbs in Hungarian that you can find. As you continue learning Hungarian, you'll discover many other irregular verbs with unique and diverse conjugations.
Importance of Verb Conjugation
In Hungarian, verbs are essential components of sentences, and they dictate tense and mood. Therefore, the correct conjugation of the verb is crucial to convey the intended meaning of the sentence clearly. A verb that doesn't match its subject can create confusion or unreadability of a sentence.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you've learned the Hungarian personal pronouns, regular and irregular verb conjugations in the present tense, and the importance of verb conjugation. These are fundamental elements of the Hungarian language that give you the tools to build more complex sentences as you continue your language journey. Practice these concepts continually, and you'll be on the right track to achieve fluency in Hungarian.
I hope you found this lesson informative and enjoyable. Don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, and see you in the next lesson!