Language/Hungarian/Grammar/Imperative-and-gerund-forms

Hungarian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Imperative and gerund forms

Welcome to this exciting lesson on Hungarian grammar, where we will dive into the fascinating world of imperative and gerund forms! Understanding these forms is essential for effective communication in Hungarian, especially if you want to give commands or talk about actions in progress. Whether you're asking someone to "come here" or describing an activity you're currently doing, mastering these forms will significantly enhance your conversational skills.

In this lesson, we will:

• Explore the imperative form, which is used for giving commands, requests, or instructions.

• Delve into the gerund form, which helps express ongoing actions or states.

• Provide plenty of examples to illustrate how these forms work in real-life contexts.

• Engage you with exciting exercises to practice what you've learned.

So, grab a cup of coffee, make yourself comfortable, and let’s get started!

The Imperative Form

The imperative form in Hungarian is used to issue commands or requests. It’s direct and often conveys urgency, making it a handy tool in everyday conversations.

Formation of the Imperative

To form the imperative, we typically take the root of the verb and modify it according to the following guidelines:

• For singular commands, the root of the verb is often used without any endings.

• For plural commands, the suffix -jatok/-jetek is added, depending on the verb.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

• Singular: Just use the verb root.

• Plural: Add -jatok (if the root ends in a consonant) or -jetek (if the root ends in a vowel).

Examples of Imperative Form

Let’s look at some examples to clarify how this works.

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Gyere!	ˈɟɛrɛ	Come!
Menj!	mɛnɲ	Go!
Kérlek!	ˈkeːrlɛk	Please!
Nézd!	neːzd	Look!
Írj!	iːrj	Write!
Olvassátok!	ˈolvɒʃːaːtok	Read! (plural)
Jöjjetek!	ˈjœjːɛtɛk	Come! (plural)
Kérjétek!	ˈkeːrjɛtɛk	Please! (plural)
Segítsetek!	ˈʃeːɡiːtʃɛtɛk	Help! (plural)
Táncoljatok!	ˈtɒntsoljɒtok	Dance! (plural)

The Gerund Form

The gerund form is used to express an action in progress, akin to the English "-ing" form. In Hungarian, the gerund can also convey a sense of duration or simultaneous actions.

Formation of the Gerund

To form the gerund, you generally take the verb root and add specific suffixes based on the vowel harmony of the word. The most common endings are -va/-ve for actions that are ongoing.

Here’s how it plays out:

• Vowel harmony is crucial: Use -va if the last vowel of the root is back and -ve if it’s front.

Examples of Gerund Form

Check out these examples to see how the gerund works in Hungarian.

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Olvasva	ˈolvɒʃːvɒ	Reading
Írva	ˈiːrvɒ	Writing
Nézve	ˈneːzve	Looking
Táncolva	ˈtɒntsolvɒ	Dancing
Játék közben	ˈjaːtɛk ˈkøːzːbɛn	Playing (in the process)
Segítve	ˈʃeːɡiːtve	Helping
Főzve	ˈfyːzve	Cooking
Tanulva	ˈtɒnulvɒ	Studying
Úszva	ˈuːsvɒ	Swimming
Beszélgetve	ˈbɛseːlɡɛtve	Chatting

Bringing it All Together

Now that we've covered the imperative and gerund forms, it’s time to practice what you’ve learned. Below are some exercises designed to reinforce your understanding of these concepts.

Exercises

1. Convert the following verbs into the imperative form:

• Tanulni (to study)

• Sétálni (to walk)

• Beszélni (to speak)

2. Translate the following commands into Hungarian:

• Eat! (singular)

• Help! (plural)

• Read! (plural)

3. Convert the following verbs into the gerund form:

• Futni (to run)

• Énekelni (to sing)

• Rajzolni (to draw)

4. Translate the following gerund forms into Hungarian:

• Running

• Singing

• Drawing

5. Fill in the blanks with the correct form (imperative or gerund):

• (Segíteni) _______ a barátomnak. (to help)

• (Főzni) _______ a vacsorát. (to cook)

6. Make a command using the verb "menni" (to go) in both singular and plural forms.

7. Write a short sentence using the gerund form of "tanulni" (to study).

8. Identify whether the following sentences use the imperative or gerund form:

• "Főzök vacsorát." (I’m cooking dinner.)

• "Olvasd el a könyvet!" (Read the book!)

9. Create a dialogue using both imperative and gerund forms.

10. Translate the following sentences into Hungarian:

• "Please help me."

• "I am reading a book."

Solutions and Explanations

1.

• Tanulj! (singular)

• Sétálj! (singular)

• Beszélj! (singular)

2.

• Egyél! (singular)

• Segítsetek! (plural)

• Olvassatok! (plural)

3.

• Futva

• Énekelve

• Rajzolva

4.

• Futás

• Éneklés

• Rajzolás

5.

• Segíteni segítek a barátomnak.

• Főzni főzve a vacsorát.

6.

• Menj! (singular)

• Menjetek! (plural)

7.

• Tanulva vagyok. (I am studying.)

8.

• "Főzök vacsorát." - Gerund

• "Olvasd el a könyvet!" - Imperative

9.

• A: "Kérlek, segíts nekem!" (Please help me!)

• B: "Főzök vacsorát." (I’m cooking dinner.)

10.

• "Kérlek, segíts nekem."

• "Olvasok egy könyvet."

Congratulations on completing this lesson! Understanding the imperative and gerund forms is a crucial step in your journey to mastering Hungarian. Keep practicing, and you’ll find yourself becoming more comfortable and confident in your conversations!

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
• Expressing need with personal infinitive verbs in Hungarian ...
• A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Hungarian Verb Conjugation
• The adverbal particple: -va/ve [HungarianReference.com ...

Other Lessons

• Nouns
• How to Use Have
• Plurals
• Possessed object
• Plural
• Verbs and tenses
• Future Tense
• Gender
• How to form the feminine