Language/Hungarian/Grammar/Verbs-and-tenses

Hungarian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and tenses

Welcome to our lesson on Hungarian Verbs and Tenses! Understanding verbs and their tenses is crucial in mastering any language, and Hungarian is no exception. Verbs help us convey actions, express time, and share experiences. In this lesson, we'll explore how to navigate the different tenses used in Hungarian, enabling you to express yourself more clearly and effectively.

This lesson will cover:

• The importance of verbs and tenses in Hungarian.

• An overview of the present, past, and future tenses.

• Detailed examples to illustrate the usage of each tense.

• Practice exercises to reinforce your understanding.

So, let’s dive in!

The Importance of Verbs and Tenses

Verbs are the backbone of any sentence. They tell us what action is taking place, who is performing it, and when it is happening. In Hungarian, the verb system is rich and nuanced, allowing speakers to convey precise meanings through various tenses.

Understanding the tenses is essential because:

• Present Tense allows you to describe actions occurring now or regularly.

• Past Tense helps you discuss events that have already happened.

• Future Tense enables you to talk about actions that will occur.

Mastering these tenses will not only enhance your communication skills but also deepen your understanding of Hungarian culture and everyday life.

Overview of Tenses

In Hungarian, there are three primary tenses:

1. Present Tense (Jelen idő)

2. Past Tense (Múlt idő)

3. Future Tense (Jövő idő)

Let's explore each of them in detail.

Present Tense (Jelen idő)

The present tense is used to describe actions that are currently happening or general truths. In Hungarian, present tense verbs are conjugated based on the subject pronoun.

Conjugation Pattern:

Here are the personal pronouns and their corresponding present tense verb endings:

| Personal Pronoun | Ending |

|------------------|--------|

| én (I) | -ok/-ek/-ök |

| te (you, singular) | -sz |

| ő (he/she/it) | -ik |

| mi (we) | -unk/-ünk |

| ti (you, plural) | -tok/-tek/-tök |

| ők (they) | -nak/-nek |

Example Verbs:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
írok	ˈiːrok	I write
írsz	ˈiːrs	you (singular) write
ír	iːr	he/she/it writes
írunk	ˈiːrunɡ	we write
írtok	ˈiːrtok	you (plural) write
írnak	ˈiːrnɑk	they write

Past Tense (Múlt idő)

The past tense describes actions that have already occurred. In Hungarian, the past tense is formed by adding specific endings to the verb stem.

Conjugation Pattern:

| Personal Pronoun | Ending |

|------------------|--------|

| én (I) | -tam/-tem |

| te (you, singular) | -tál/-tél |

| ő (he/she/it) | -t |

| mi (we) | -tunk/-tünk |

| ti (you, plural) | -tatok/-tettetek |

| ők (they) | -tak/-tek |

Example Verbs:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
írtam	ˈiːrtɒm	I wrote
írtál	ˈiːrtɒl	you (singular) wrote
írt	iːrt	he/she/it wrote
írtunk	ˈiːrtunk	we wrote
írtatok	ˈiːrtɒtok	you (plural) wrote
írtak	ˈiːrtɑk	they wrote

Future Tense (Jövő idő)

The future tense expresses actions that will happen. It is formed using verb prefixes and specific endings.

Conjugation Pattern:

| Personal Pronoun | Ending |

|------------------|--------|

| én (I) | -ni fogok |

| te (you, singular) | -ni fogsz |

| ő (he/she/it) | -ni fog |

| mi (we) | -ni fogunk |

| ti (you, plural) | -ni fogtok |

| ők (they) | -ni fognak |

Example Verbs:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
fogok írni	ˈfoɡok ˈiːrni	I will write
fogsz írni	ˈfoɡsz ˈiːrni	you (singular) will write
fog írni	ˈfoɡ ˈiːrni	he/she/it will write
fogunk írni	ˈfoɡunk ˈiːrni	we will write
fogtok írni	ˈfoɡtok ˈiːrni	you (plural) will write
fognak írni	ˈfoɡnɑk ˈiːrni	they will write

Practice Exercises

To solidify your understanding of Hungarian verbs and tenses, here are some exercises for you to complete.

Exercise 1: Present Tense Conjugation

Conjugate the following verbs in the present tense for each personal pronoun:

1. tanulni (to learn)

2. olvasni (to read)

Solution:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
tanulok	ˈtɒnulok	I learn
tanulsz	ˈtɒnulsz	you (singular) learn
tanul	ˈtɒnul	he/she/it learns
tanulunk	ˈtɒnulunk	we learn
tanultok	ˈtɒnultok	you (plural) learn
tanulnak	ˈtɒnulnɑk	they learn

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
olvasok	ˈolvɒsok	I read
olvasol	ˈolvɒsol	you (singular) read
olvas	ˈolvɒs	he/she/it reads
olvasunk	ˈolvɒsunk	we read
olvastok	ˈolvɒstok	you (plural) read
olvasnak	ˈolvɒsnɑk	they read

Exercise 2: Past Tense Conjugation

Conjugate the following verbs in the past tense for each personal pronoun:

1. tanulni (to learn)

2. olvasni (to read)

Solution:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
tanultam	ˈtɒnultam	I learned
tanultál	ˈtɒnultɒl	you (singular) learned
tanult	ˈtɒnult	he/she/it learned
tanultunk	ˈtɒnultunk	we learned
tanultatok	ˈtɒnultɒtok	you (plural) learned
tanultak	ˈtɒnultɑk	they learned

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
olvastam	ˈolvɒstɒm	I read (past)
olvastál	ˈolvɒstɒl	you (singular) read (past)
olvasott	ˈolvɒsott	he/she/it read (past)
olvastunk	ˈolvɒstunk	we read (past)
olvastatok	ˈolvɒstatok	you (plural) read (past)
olvastak	ˈolvɒstɑk	they read (past)

Exercise 3: Future Tense Conjugation

Conjugate the following verbs in the future tense for each personal pronoun:

1. tanulni (to learn)

2. olvasni (to read)

Solution:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
fogok tanulni	ˈfoɡok ˈtɒnulni	I will learn
fogsz tanulni	ˈfoɡsz ˈtɒnulni	you (singular) will learn
fog tanulni	ˈfoɡ ˈtɒnulni	he/she/it will learn
fogunk tanulni	ˈfoɡunk ˈtɒnulni	we will learn
fogtok tanulni	ˈfoɡtok ˈtɒnulni	you (plural) will learn
fognak tanulni	ˈfoɡnɑk ˈtɒnulni	they will learn

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
fogok olvasni	ˈfoɡok ˈolvɒsni	I will read
fogsz olvasni	ˈfoɡsz ˈolvɒsni	you (singular) will read
fog olvasni	ˈfoɡ ˈolvɒsni	he/she/it will read
fogunk olvasni	ˈfoɡunk ˈolvɒsni	we will read
fogtok olvasni	ˈfoɡtok ˈolvɒsni	you (plural) will read
fognak olvasni	ˈfoɡnɑk ˈolvɒsni	they will read

Exercise 4: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

1. Én ______ (tanulni) magyarul.

2. Ő ______ (olvasni) egy könyvet.

3. Mi ______ (tanulni) a múlt időt.

4. Ti ______ (olvasni) jó könyveket.

5. Ők ______ (tanulni) a jövőt.

Solution:

1. Én tanulok magyarul.

2. Ő olvassa egy könyvet.

3. Mi tudtuk a múlt időt.

4. Ti olvassátok jó könyveket.

5. Ők fognak tanulni a jövőt.

Exercise 5: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Hungarian.

1. I will read a book.

2. They learned yesterday.

3. You write very well.

Solution:

1. Fogok olvasni egy könyvet.

2. Tegnap tanultak.

3. Nagyon jól írsz.

Exercise 6: Verb Matching

Match the verb to its correct tense:

1. írok

2. írtál

3. fogok írni

4. tanult

5. olvastam

Solution:

1. írok - Present

2. írtál - Past

3. fogok írni - Future

4. tanult - Past

5. olvastam - Past

Exercise 7: Sentence Creation

Create sentences using the following verbs in different tenses:

1. tanulni

2. olvasni

Solution:

1. Present: Én tanulok magyarul. (I am learning Hungarian.)

Past: Tegnap tanultam magyarul. (I learned Hungarian yesterday.)

Future: Holnap fogok tanulni. (I will learn tomorrow.)

2. Present: Ő olvas egy könyvet. (He/She is reading a book.)

Past: Ő olvasott egy könyvet. (He/She read a book.)

Future: Ő fog olvasni egy könyvet. (He/She will read a book.)

Exercise 8: Identify the Tense

Identify the tense of the following sentences:

1. Én olvastam tegnap.

2. Ők tanulnak most.

3. Te fogsz tanulni.

Solution:

1. Past

2. Present

3. Future

Exercise 9: Conjugation Challenge

Conjugate the verb menni (to go) in all three tenses for the pronoun "mi" (we).

Solution:

Present: megyünk (we go)

Past: mentünk (we went)

Future: fogunk menni (we will go)

Exercise 10: Create a Dialogue

Write a short dialogue between two people using all three tenses.

Solution:

Person A: Tegnap tanultam magyarul. (I learned Hungarian yesterday.)

Person B: Most tanulsz? (Are you learning now?)

Person A: Igen, írok egy szöveget. (Yes, I am writing a text.)

Person B: Holnap fogok olvasni. (I will read tomorrow.)

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Hungarian verbs and tenses! Remember, practice makes perfect. Keep using the verbs and tenses in your conversations, and you’ll become more comfortable over time.

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 verbs - Wikipedia
• A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Hungarian Verb Conjugation
• The Hungarian past tense [HungarianReference.com > Grammar ...

Other Lessons

• Passive voice and indirect speech
• 0 to A1 Course
• Aspect and mood combinations
• Imperative and gerund forms
• Possessor
• Plural
• Adjectives
• Future Tense
• Plurals
• How to Use Be