Language/Hungarian/Grammar/Forming-Plurals
As a Hungarian language teacher, I have been teaching Hungarian for 20 years. It brings me great joy to help students learn Hungarian, especially when they begin to understand the grammar rules and can use them to form sentences. In this lesson, we will be discussing the formation of plurals in Hungarian.
Understanding Plurals in Hungarian
Every language has its own rules for forming plurals, and Hungarian is no exception. In Hungarian, we form plurals by adding a suffix to the end of nouns. The suffix used varies depending on the noun, and there are certain rules to follow when adding the suffix.
Forming Regular Plurals
Let's first take a look at the rules for forming regular plurals in Hungarian. To form the plural of a noun, we usually add the suffix "-k" to the end of the word. For example:
Hungarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
alma | ɒlmɒ | apple |
almák | ɒlmaːk | apples |
As you can see from the table above, to form the plural of "alma," we simply add "-k" to the end of the word to create "almák".
Another example is "fa" which means "tree". The plural form is "fák", which is formed the same way by adding "-k" at the end.
What if the noun ends in a vowel? Do we still add "-k"? The answer is yes. For example:
Hungarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
ének | eːnɛk | song |
énekek | eːnɛkɛk | songs |
Again, we just add "-k" to "ének" to form "énekek".
Forming Irregular Plurals
While some nouns form their plurals using the regular rule, there are many that do not. Hungarian has a number of nouns that form their plurals in other ways. Here are a few examples:
Nouns ending in az, ez, and oz
Some nouns that end in "az," "ez," or "oz" will drop the "z" and add "-nak" to form their plural. Here are some examples:
Hungarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
anya | ɒɲɒ | mother |
anyák | ɒɲɒːk | mothers |
cég | tseːɡ | company |
cégek | tseːɡɛk | companies |
járás | jaːraːʃ | district |
járások | jaːraːʃok | districts |
Nouns ending in s
Some nouns that end in "s" will add "-ok" or "-ek" to form their plural. It depends on the noun. Here are some examples:
Hungarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
apa | ɒpɒ | father |
apák | ɒpaːk | fathers |
kereszt | kɛrɛst | cross |
keresztek | kɛrɛstɛk | crosses |
kert | kɛrt | garden |
kertek | kɛrtɛk | gardens |
Nouns ending in consonants
Some nouns that end in consonants will add "-ok," "-ek," or "-ök" to form their plural. It also depends on the noun. Here are some examples:
Hungarian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
szék | seːk | chair |
székek | seːkɛk | chairs |
toll | toɬ | pen |
tollak | toɬːɒk | pens |
paradicsom | pɒrɒdit͡ʃom | tomato |
paradicsomok | pɒrɒdit͡ʃomok | tomatoes |
Practice Sentences
In order to better understand how to form plurals, it's useful to see them used in context. Here are some practice sentences using both regular and irregular plural forms:
- Nagy családom van (I have a big family)
- Van öt testvérem és sok rokonom (I have five siblings and many relatives)
- Mindannyian nagyon szeretjük a finom ételeket (We all love delicious food)
- Kedvenc ételem a főtt krumpli (My favorite food is boiled potatoes)
- A kertünkben sok csodálatos virág van (There are many beautiful flowers in our garden)
- Az emberek szeretik a híres magyar ételeket, mint a gulyás (People love famous Hungarian dishes, like goulash)
Conclusion
Learning how to form plurals in Hungarian is an important step in understanding the language. While some nouns form their plurals regularly, there are many others that require a specific suffix to be added. By practicing these rules and using them in context, you can become more confident in your Hungarian language skills. I hope this lesson has been helpful in your language learning journey.
Related Lessons
- Possessed object
- Possessive Pronouns
- How to Use Be
- Imperative and gerund forms
- Plural
- Gender
- Comparisons and superlatives
- Give your Opinion
- Common Prepositions
- Conditional Mood
Sources
- Plurals in Hungarian [HungarianReference.com > Grammar > Misc ...
- Hungarian Plural
- [Hungarian Plurals – Better Hungarian]