Hungarian Through Pictures

Magyarul a Kpekkel

Crystal Holmes
2012

Why?
Why am I writing this course? Because there are very few resources for Hungarian. (Trust me,
I have looked.) But a lack of resources shouldnt stop you from learning Hungarian, as it really
is a beautiful language. Since Im not using a textbook (I found them all to be inefficient), I
decided to write my own course to enhance my own learning (based on my Teaching As
Learning article). It requires a lot of effort, but I dont think it requires much more than a
standard course would. I write the sentences to be included here, covering vocabulary and
grammar step-by-step, as Im learning it. I have the writing corrected by native speakers, and
then I have the corrected text read by native speakers. I do not claim to be an artist, but I have
used a variety of sources for the images, including some of my own drawings.
Thanks
The audio is provided to you by volunteer native speakers. I give my special thanks to the
users whatthefatis and csib on RhinoSpike for making recordings for this course.
Structure
The idea of using just pictures with text and audio to learn a language is not new. A small
series of books was written decades ago using this principle for German, French, and Italian.
More recently a series for English learners has been produced. Popular language courses also
use this idea: Rosetta Stone and the Livemocha community are the two that immediately
come to my mind.
But Im not using a similar structure because its popular, but because its effective. This
method is essentially comprehensible input, which is the bedrock of all effective language
learning. Some people can read a book in a foreign language and eventually decode the
message, but I think many people (myself included) would be overwhelmed by this method.
Its easier to start with pictures and use them to build a larger vocabulary and understanding
of grammar. And thats just what well do in Hungarian Through Pictures.
Layout
The course is arranged with 4 panels per page. They should be read
from left to right, top to bottom, as shown in the image to the right.
Contact
If this work will help even just a few people learn Hungarian, then I will
be happy. I always welcome feedback, positive or negative, so if you
have something to say, please contact me. You can write to me at
crystal@langhacking.com or cdh114@gmail.com. I look forward to reading about your success
with the Hungarian language!

Mi

2
Te

Ti

3
k

lny

fi

vagy
lny s fi

Ki?

Hol?

Milyen?

Mikor?

?
?
?

Translation
n = I
Mi = We
Te = You (singular)
Ti = You (plural)
= He, she, it
k = They
lny s fiu = boy and girl
vagy = or
Hol? = Where? (In what place?)
Ki? = Who?
Mikor? = When?
Milyen? = Which?
Grammar
1. Word stress in Hungarian is always on the first syllable.

n frfi vagyok.

n fi vagyok.

n n vagyok.

n lny vagyok.

 n.

frfi.

fi.
lny.

Mi nk vagyunk.

k fik.

Mi frfiak vagyunk.

k lnyok.

Itt vagyok.

ott
Itt van.

itt

itt

Ott van.

Ott van.
ott

ott

itt

ott

itt

Ez egy veg.

Ez egy nagy veg.

Ott az veg van?

Az veg nincs ott.

Itt van az veg.

ott

ott

itt

Ez egy kicsi veg.

itt

Ez egy asztal.

ott

Az asztal ott van.

itt

ott

Itt az asztal van?

Az asztal nincs itt. Ott az asztal van.

itt

Hol van az veg?

Az veg az asztalon van.

Milyen ez a knyv?
Ez egy nagy knyv.

Mi ez?
Ez egy knyv.

Itt vannak a knyvek.

ott

Milyen ez a knyv?
Ez egy kicsi knyv.

itt

Translation
n frfi vagyok. = I am a man.
n n vagyok. = I am a woman.
n fi vagyok. = I am a boy.
n lny vagyok. = I am a girl.
n. = She is a woman.
frfi. = He is a man.
lny. = She is a girl.
fi. = He is a boy.
Mi nk vagyunk. = We are women.
Mi frfiak vagyunk. = We are men.
Ok fik. = They are boys.
Ok lnyok. = They are girls.
Itt vagyok. = I am here.
Itt van. = She is here.
Ott van. = He is there.
Ott van. = She is there.
Ez egy veg. = This is a bottle.
Ez egy nagy veg. = This is a big bottle.
Ez egy kicsi veg. = This is a small bottle.
Itt van az veg. = The bottle is here.
Ott az veg van? = Is the bottle there?
Az veg nincs ott. = The bottle is not there. There is no bottle there.
Ez egy asztal. = This is a table.
Az asztal ott van. = The table is there.
Itt az asztal van? = Is the table here?
Az asztal nincs itt. = The table is not here. There is no table here.
Hol van az veg? = Where is the bottle?
Az veg az asztalon van. = The bottle is on the table.

Mi ez? = What is this?

Ez egy knyv. = This is a book.
Milyen ez a knyv? = What kind of book is this?
Ez egy nagy knyv. = This is a big book.
Ez egy kicsi knyv. = This is a small book.
A knyvek itt vannak. = The books are here.
Grammar
1. In Hungarian when you want to say he/she/it is... or they are... followed by
a noun or adjective, the verb van/vannak is omitted. These are called
equational sentences and this rule applies only to the third person. That is why
it is correct to say n but incorrect to say n n. When you want to say
something else which is not equational, for example, where something is, the
verb must be included.
2. Emphasis in a sentence is always at the beginning of the sentence, and word
order is very important for conveying different meanings. For example, Az asztal
ott van means There is the table with the emphasis being that the table is not
HERE but THERE. And, Ott az asztal van means that there is a TABLE (and not a
bottle or some other object).
3. Hungarian cases can be difficult to understand, but it may be easier if you think
about them simply as suffixes. Hungarian nouns have no gender, so there are not
many forms you have to learn for the suffixes. This lesson introduces the suffix/
case meaning on (some surface) using the ending -on. It can also appear as
-en, -n, and -n. The technical name for this case in grammar books is the
Superessive.
4. The word nincs expresses there is no, so do not use it to express not. :)

Mi ez?
Ez egy kutya.

Ezek kutyk.

Mi ez?
Ez egy macska.

Ezek macskk.

Mi ez?
Ez egy madr.

Mi ez?
Ez egy teknsbka.

Ezek madarak.

Ezek teknsbkk.

A knyvek az asztalon vannak.

Ez egy gy.

A kutya az gyon van. Rossz kutya!

Nincs a macska az gyon.

Ez egy kanap.

A macska a kanapn van.

Ez egy ajt.

A madr az ajtn van.

Hol van a kutya?

A kutya az gyon van.

Hol van a madr?

A madr az ajtn van.

Hol van a macska?

A macska a kanapn van.

s hol van a teknsbka?

A teknsbka nincs itt.

Milyen ez a kanap - nagy vagy kicsi?

Ez egy nagy kanap.

Milyen kutya van az gyon - j vagy rossz?

Ez egy rossz kutya.

Milyen ez az ajt - nagy vagy kicsi?

Ez egy kicsi ajt.

Milyen ez az asztal - j vagy rossz?

Ez egy j asztal.

Translation
Mi ez? Ez egy kutya. = What is this? This is a dog.
Ezek kutyk. = These are dogs.
Mi ez? Ez egy macska. = What is this? This is a cat.
Ezek macskk. = These are cats.
Mi ez? Ez egy madr. = What is this? This is a bird.
Ezek madarak. = These are birds.
Mi ez? Ez egy teknsbka. = What is this? This is a turtle.
Ezek teknsbkak. = These are turtles.
A knyvek az asztalon vannak. = The books are on the table.
Ez egy gy. = This is a bed.
A kutya az gyon van. Rossz kutya! = The dog is on the bed. Bad dog!
Nincs a macska az gyon. = There is no cat on the bed.
Ez egy kanap. = This is a sofa.
A macska a kanapn van. = The cat is on the sofa.
Ez egy ajt. = This is a door.
A madr az ajtn van. = The bird is on the door.
Hol van a kutya? = Where is the dog?
A kutya az gyon van. = The dog is on the bed.
Hol van a macska? = Where is the cat?
A macska a kanapn van. = The cat is on the sofa.
Hol van a madr? = Where is the bird?
A madr az ajtn van. = The bird is on the door.
s hol van a teknsbka? = And where is the turtle?
A teknsbka nincs itt. = The turtle isn't here.
Milyen ez a kanap - nagy vagy kicsi? = What kind of sofa is this - big or small?
Ez egy nagy kanap. = This is a big sofa.
Milyen ez az ajt - nagy vagy kicsi? = What kind of door is this - big or small?
Ez egy kicsi ajt. = This is a small door.
Milyen kutya van az gyon - j vagy rossz? = What kind of dog is on the bed good or bad?

Ez egy rossz kutya. = This is a bad dog.

Milyen ez az asztal - j vagy rossz? = What kind of table is this - good or bad?
Ez egy j asztal. = This is a good table.
Grammar
1. When adding a suffix to a word whose last letter is a or e, the a becomes and
the e becomes .
2. The indefinite article in Hungarian is egy. The definite article is a (or az when
the next word begins with a vowel). Articles are used somewhat differently in
Hungarian than in English, but if you study the sentences in this course, you will
get the hang of it! :)

Ez egy kalap.

Ezek kalapok.

Ez a kalapom.

Ezek a kalapjaim.

Ez a macskm.

Ez a madaram.

Ezek a macskim.

Ezek a madaraim.

Ez a kanapm.

Ez az ajtm.

Ezek a kanapim.

A madr az ajtmon van.

Ez a kertem.
Ez a kutyd.

Hol van a kutyd?

A kutyd a kertemben van.
Rossz kutya!

Hol van a madaram?

A madaram a kertemben van.

Az autdban a macskd van.

Ez az autd.

Igen, de a macskd a kabtodban van.

A madr van a teknsbkan.

Ez egy doboz.

Ez az doboza.

Ez nem a dobozom.

A teknsbka a dobozban van.

Translation
Ez egy kalap. = This is a hat.
Ez a kalapom. = This is my hat.
Ezek kalapok. = These are hats.
Ezek a kalapjaim. = These are my hats.
Ez a macskm. = This is my cat.
Ezek a macskim. = These are my cats.
Ez a madaram. = This is my bird.
Ezek a madaraim. = These are my birds.
Ez a kanapm. = This is my sofa.
Ezek a kanapim. = These are my sofas.
Ez az ajtm. = This is my door.
A madr az ajtmon van. = The bird is on my door.
Ez a kutyd. = This is your dog.
Ez a kertem. = This is my garden.
Hol van a kutyd? = Where is your dog?
A kutyd a kertemben van. = Your dog is in my garden.
Rossz kutya! = Bad dog!
Hol van a madaram? = Where is my bird?
A madaram a kertemben van. = My bird is in my garden.
Ez az autd. = This is your car.
Az autdban a macskd van. = Your cat is in your car.
Igen, de a macskd a kabtodban van. = Yes, but your cat is in your jacket.
A madr van a teknsbkan. = The bird is on the turtle.
Ez egy doboz. = This is a box.
Ez nem a dobozom. = It is not my box.
Ez az doboza. = It is his box.
A teknsbka a dobozban van. = The turtle is in the box.

Grammar
1. Here we begin to learn the possessive suffixes. If the object possessed is
singular, you may add -om, -em, or -m to the noun for first person singular.
Add -od, -ed, or -d for second person singular. For third person singular add -a
or -e; if the word ends in a vowel, add -ja or -je instead. (The form you should use
depends on vowel harmony.)
If the object possessed is plural, there are several different possibilities. The key
is that they all contain the vowel i, and then the usual -m for first person
singular possessors and -d for second person singular possessors. (If you want to
see the entire scary list of possessive suffixes, please see the appendix.)
2. This lesson also introduces the Inessive case, expressing in. Its forms are -ban
and -ben. Well use it more in the next lesson.

Amerikban lakom. Amerikai vagyok.

Nmetorszgban lakik. nmet.

Magyarorszgon lakom. Magyar vagyok.

Franciaorszgban lakik. francia.

Olaszorszgban lakom. Olasz vagyok.

Oroszorszgban lakik. orosz.

Nagy-Britanniban lakom. Brit vagyok.

Knban lakik. knai.

Amerikai vagyok. Beszlek angolul.

nmet. Beszl nmetl.

Magyar vagyok. Beszlek magyarul.

francia. Beszl franciul.

Olasz vagyok. Milyen nyelven beszlek?

Olaszul beszlek.

orosz. Milyen nyelven beszl?

Oroszul beszl.

Brit vagyok. Milyen nyelven beszlek?

Angolul beszlek.

knai. Milyen nyelven beszl?

Knaiul beszl.

Egy iskolban dolgozom. Tanr vagyok.

Tanrknt dolgozom.

Egy tteremben dolgozik. pincr.

Pincrknt dolgozik.

Egy krhzban dolgozom. Orvos vagyok.

Orvosknt dolgozom.

Egy knyvtrban dolgozik.

knyvtros. Knyvtrosknt dolgozik.

Egy brsgon dolgozik. gyvd.

gyvdknt dolgozik.

Mi a munkd? Knyvel vagyok. Egy

bankban dolgozom.

Egy zletben dolgozik. elad.

Eladknt dolgozik.

Mi a munkd? Pnztros vagyok. Egy

kvhzban dolgozom.

Translation
Amerikban lakom. = I live in America.
Amerikai vagyok. = I am American.
Magyarorszgon lakom. = I live in Hungary.
Magyar vagyok. = I am Hungarian.
Nmetorszgban lakik. = She lives in Germany.
nmet. = She is German.
Franciaorszgban lakik. = He lives in France.
francia. = He is French.
Olaszorszgban lakom. = I live in Italy.
Olasz vagyok. = I am Italian.
Nagy-Britanniban lakom. = I live in Great Britain.
Brit vagyok. = I am British.
Oroszorszgban lakik. = She lives in Russia.
orosz. = She is Russian.
Knban lakik. = He lives in China.
knai. = He is Chinese.
Beszlek angolul. = I speak English.
Beszlek magyarul. = I speak Hungarian.
Beszl nmetl. = She speaks German.
Beszl franciul. = He speaks French.
Milyen nyelven beszlek? = In which language do I speak?
Olaszul beszlek. = I speak Italian.
Angolul beszlek. = I speak English.
Milyen nyelven beszl? = In which language does he speak?
Oroszul beszl. = She speaks Russian.
Knaiul beszl. = He speaks Chinese.
Egy iskolban dolgozom. = I work in a school.
Tanr vagyok. = I am a teacher.
Tanrknt dolgozom. = I work as a teacher.
Egy krhzban dolgozom. = I work in a hospital.
Orvos vagyok. = I am a doctor.

Orvosknt dolgozom. = I work as a doctor.

Egy tteremben dolgozik. = He works in a restaurant.
pincr. = He is a waiter.
Pincrknt dolgozik. = He works as a waiter.
Egy knyvtrban dolgozik. = She works in a library.
knyvtros. = She is a librarian.
Knyvtrosknt dolgozik. = She works as a librarian.
Egy brsgon dolgozik. = He works in a courtroom.
gyvd. = He is a lawyer.
gyvdknt dolgozik. = He works as a lawyer.
Egy zletben dolgozik. = He works in a store.
elad. = He is a salesman.
Eladknt dolgozik. = He works as a salesman.
Mi a munkd? = What is your job?
Knyvel vagyok. = I am an accountant.
Egy bankban dolgozom. = I work in a bank.
Pnztros vagyok. = I am a cashier.
Egy kvhzban dolgozom. = I work in a caf.
Grammar
1. You may have noticed that the verbs in the sentences Amerikban lakom and
Angolul beszlek have different verb endings, but they are both for first person
singular subjects. Thats because there are two conjugation patterns for verbs in
Hungarian based on the definiteness of the object. You can read more about
definiteness in the appendix.
2. When answering the question Milyen nyelven beszl?, you literally answer
He speaks in [language]. The ending is -ul/l. This is not a case ending, but a
suffix for forming adverbs. With language names, you can simply add this suffix
(based on the rules for vowel harmony), but when using this suffix to form
adverbs of other words, there are other rules you must also know.
3. This lesson uses a new case: the Formalis case (-knt). This ending expresses
as, like. It is most frequently used when talking about professions, to say that
someone works as something.

0
Nulla

2
Kt, kett

1
Egy

3
Hrom

4
Ngy

6
Hat

5
t

7
Ht

8
Nyolc

10
Tiz

9
Kilenc

11
Tizenegy

20
Hsz

30
Harminc

21
Hsonegy

31
Harmincegy

40
Negyven

50
tven

42
Negyvenkett

53
tvenhrom

60
Hatvan

70
Hetven

64
Hatvanngy

75
Hetvent

80
Nyolcvan

90
Kilencven

86
Nyolcvanhat

97
Kilencvenht

100

1 000

(Egy)szz

(Egy)ezer

1 000 000
Egymilli

1 000 000 000

Egymillird

257
Kettszztvenht

1 843
(Egy)ezernyolcszznegyvenhrom

Ktszztvenht

3 698 519
Hrommillihatszzkilencvennyolcezertszztizenkilenc

6 482 370 195

Hatmillirdngyszznyolcvankettmillihromszzhetvenezer-szzkilencvent

Grammar
1. When numerals are used to qualify nouns, they precede the nouns they
qualify. The noun following an ordinal number is always singular. When numbers
are used as nouns, they take the usual case endings just like other nouns.
2. The ordinal two has two forms. Kt is used before nouns, adjectives, and
adverbs (e.g., kt kutya), and kett is used elsewhere (e.g., Kettt lttam). Kett
may also be used before a noun, adjective, or adverb if the speaker wishes to
emphasize the number.
3. Up to the number 2 000, the words are written together without spaces or
dashes. After that, the words are written separated by a dash. The words are
separated where the numbers are separated by a space.
4. Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the harmonizing suffix -odik, -edik,
-dik, or -adik to a cardinal number.
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
20th
21st
30th

nulladik
els
msodik
harmadik
negyedik
tdik
hatodik
hetedik
nyolcadik
kilencedik
tizedik
huszadik
huszonegyedik
harmincadik

40th
50th
60th
70th
80th
90th
100th
1 000th
1 000 000th

negyvenedik
tvenedik
hatvanadik
hetvenedik
nyolcvanadik
kilencvenedik
szzadik
ezredik
milliomodik

5. Ordinals lose their -ik ending before the harmonizing suffix -szor, -szer, -szr
(for the Xth time). For example, tdszr (for the 5th time), negyedszer (for the
4th time), harmadszor (for the 3rd time). Note these irregular forms: elszr (for
the 1st time) and msodszor (for the 2nd time).
6. Fractions are formed by suffixing the harmonizing ending -od, -ed, -d, or -ad
to a cardninal number.
1/2
1/3
1/4
1/5
1/6
1/7

egyketted
egyharmad
egynegyed
egytd
egyhatod
egyheted

5/7
4/5

theted
ngytd

1/8
1/9
1/10
1/20
1/100
1/1000

egynyolcad
egykilenced
egytized
egyhuszad
egyszzad
egyezred

Ketted never appears without an initial ordinal. Egyketted is mainly used in

mathematics. Its everyday equivalent is fl (half).

Hny ra van? Pontosan nyolc ra van.

8:00
Mennyi az id? Negyed kilenc van.

8:15

Hny ra van? Tz perccel mlt nyolc.

8:10
Mennyi az id? Nyolc ra hsz van.

8:20

Hny ra van? Fl kilenc van.

8:30
Mennyi az id? Hromnegyed kilenc van.

8:45

Hny ra van? Kilenc ra harminc van.

8:30
Mennyi az id? Kilenc ra negyvent van.

8:45

Hny ra van? Tz perc mlva kilenc.

8:50
Mennyi az id? Dl van.

12:00

Hny ra van? Nemsokra kilenc lesz.

8:57
Mennyi az id? jfl van.

12:00

Hny ra van? Reggel nyolc ra van.

8:00
Mennyi az id? jszaka tizenegy ra van.

11:00

Hny ra van? Este nyolc ra van.

8:00
Mennyi az id? Helyi id szerint ht ra van.

7:00

Elnzst, mikor indul a vonat?

Hatkor indul a vonat.

6:00

Mikor kezddik a mozi?

Nyolckor kezddik a mozi.

8:00

Mikor rkezik a vonat?

Htkor.

7:00

Mikor megy az utols busz?

Az utols busz dlutn egykor megy.

1:00

Hny ves vagy?

Hny ves a fi?

A fi ht ves.

Huszonkilenc
ves vagyok.

Hny ves vagy?

Hny ves a lny?

A lny t ves.

Tizennyolc ves
vagyok.

Translation
Hny ra van? = What time is it? (lit. How many hours is it?)
Pontosan nyolc ra van. = Exactly 8 oclock.
Tz perccel mlt nyolc. = 10 minutes after 8.
Mennyi az id? = What time is it? (lit. Which is the time?)
Negyed kilenc van. = A quarter past 8.
Nyolc ra hsz van. = 20 minutes past 8.
Fl kilenc van. = Half past 8.
Kilenc ra harminc van. = 30 minutes past 8.
Hromnegyed kilenc van. = A quarter till 9.
Kilenc ra negyvent van. = 45 minutes past 8.
Tz perc mlva kilenc. = 10 minutes till 9.
Nemsokra kilenc lesz. = Nearly 9 oclock.
Dl van. = Its midday/noon.
jfl van. = Its midnight.
Reggel nyolc ra van. = Its 8 in the morning.
Este nyolc ra van. = Its 8 in the evening.
jszaka tizenegy ra van. = Its 11 at night.
Helyi id szerint ht ra van. = Its 7 oclock local time.
Elnzst, mikor indul a vonat? = Excuse me, when does the train leave?
Hatkor indul a vonat. = The train leaves at 6 oclock.
Mikor rkezik a vonat? = When does the train arrive?
Htkor. = At 7 oclock.
Mikor kezddik a mozi? When does the movie start?
Nyolckor kezddik a mozi. = The movie starts at 8 oclock.
Mikor megy az utols busz? = When does the last bus leave?
Az utols busz dlutn egykor megy. = The last bus leaves at 1 p.m.

Hny ves vagy? = How old are you? (lit. How many years you are?)
Huszonkilenc ves vagyok. = Im 29 years old.
Tizennyolc ves vagyok. = Im 18 years old.
Hny ves a fi? = How old is the boy?
A fi ht ves. = The boy is 7 years old.
Hny ves a lny? = How old is the girl?
A lny t ves. = The girl is 5 years old.
Grammar
1. The noun ra has two meanings: hour and watch, clock. If you're talking to
a friend or person close to you, you may omit ra.
2. Telling time in Hungarian can be a little complicated, so you may find yourself
an hour off. :) The biggest difference is when using expressions like quarter/half
past, etc.. In these instances, the hour is the upcoming hour, never the one that
just passed. For example, 5:15 - a quarter past 5 - is expressed like a quarter
into the sixth hour or a quarter past in the sixth hour, so a quarter past 5 is
negyed hat ra. Of course, you can always just say the hours and minutes - t
ra tizent perc.
3. When you want to say that something happens at a certain time, you must use
the Temporal (-kor) case. This suffix may be attached to the cardinal number or to
the word ra. For example, to say we met at 4 o'clock, you can express it
tallkoztunk ngykor or tallkoztunk ngy rkor. In some cases, -kor
expresses the idea of an era or epoch; for example, gyerekkor (childhood). Of
course, case endings also apply to pronouns, and the most common ones you will
likely encounter are akkor and ekkor. These are from the demonstrative
pronouns az meaning that and ez meaning this. The z transforms into a k
when this suffix is applied. Thus akkor means at that time; then, and ekkor
means at this time; now.

Ez egy naptr.

Ez egy nap.

Ez egy hnap.

A napok: vasrnap, htf, kedd, szerda,

cstrtk, pntek, szombat

A hnapok: janur, februr, mrcius,

prilis, mjus, jnius, jlius, augusztus,
szeptember, oktber, november,
december

Ez egy ht.

a mlt ht
a jv ht

Ez egy htvge.

tegnap ma holnap

Hnyadika van ma?

Ma janur 22-e van.
2013. janur 22.
2013. jan. 22.
2013. 01. 22.
2013. I. 22.

Milyen nap van ma?

Ma kedd van.

tavasz

nyr

tavasszal

nyron

sz

tl

sszel

tlen

Translation
Ez egy naptr. = This is a calendar.
Ez egy hnap. = This is a month.
A hnapok = The months are
janur, februr, mrcius, prilis, mjus, jnius,
jlius, augusztus, szeptember, oktber, november, december
Ez egy nap. = This is a day.
A napok = The days are
vasrnap, htf, kedd, szerda, cstrtk, pntek, szombat
Ez egy ht. = This is a week.
a mlt ht = last week (the previous week)
a jv ht = next week
Ez egy htvge. = This is a weekend.
tegnap = yesterday
ma = today
holnap = tomorrow
Hnyadika van ma? = What is todays date?
Ma janur 22-e van. = Today is January 22nd.
Milyen nap van ma? = What day is it? (lit. Which day is today?)
Ma kedd van. = Today is Tuesday.
tavasz = spring
tavasszal = in (the) spring
nyr = summer
nyron = in (the) summer
sz = autumn
sszel = in (the) autumn
tl = winter
tlen = in (the) winter

Grammar
1. In Hungary, the week begins with Monday and ends on Sunday. (My pictures
use the American order from Sunday to Saturday.)
2. The names of days and months are not capitalized in Hungarian.
3. Hungarian has a few different ways to write the date. You can write out the
name of the month, use its abbreviation, or use Arabic or Roman numerals. Note
that the use of Roman numerals is quite rare these days. The order is always from
the largest unit to the smallest, so the order is Year + Month + Day.
2013. janur 22.
2013. jan. 22.
2013. 01. 22.
2013. I. 22.
4. To say in [year], just add -ban/-ben as appropriate (with a hyphen); for
example, in 2013 = 2013-ban. To say on [certain date], use -an/-en as
appropriate (with a hyphen); for example, on 2013. 01. 22 = 2013. janur 22-en.
5. Dates are said like this:
1995.
01.
06.
=
ezerkilenc-szzkilencvent
janur
1995. 01. 06-n = ezerkilenc-szzkilencvent janur hatodikn

hatodika

The American way nineteen-ninety-five isnt used!

6. If you want to say (on) the first of [month], you must use elseje and elsejn.
7. To express a century, use szzad or vszzad. For example, a 16. szzad
(tizenhatodik) the 16th century.
8. The word for season is vszak, the plural is vszakok.

Hol van a frfi?

A frfi az plet eltt ll.

Hov megy a frfi?

A frfi az plet ell jn ide.

Hov megy a frfi?

A frfi az plet el megy.

A telefon az pleten kvl van.

A repl a vros fltt repl.

A repl a vros fll repl ide.

A repl a vros fl repl.

Az autbusz egy ran bell rkezik.

Hol van az elad?

Az elad az asztal mgtt l.

Hov jn a elad?
Az elad az asztal mgl ide jn.

Hov megy az elad?

Az elad az asztal mg megy.

A vonat a vros fel megy.

A n az ra alatt ll.

A n az ra all jn ide.

A n az ra al megy.

A vonat a vros fell megy valahova.

A frfi az autk kztt ll.

A frfi az autk kzl megy oda.

A frfi az autk kz megy.

A frfi a szobn keresztl megy a

konyhba.

A lny a magas fa mellett ll.

A lny a magas fa melll megy oda.

A lny a magas fa mell megy.

A lny a szobn t megy a folyosra.

Translation
Hol van a frfi? = Where is the man?
A frfi az plet eltt ll. = The man is standing in front of the building.
Hov megy a frfi? = Where is the man going?
A frfi az plet el megy. = The man is going toward the building.
A frfi az plet ell jn ide. = The man is going from the building.
A telefon az pleten kvl van. = The telephone is outside of the building.
A repl a vros fltt repl. = The plane is flying above the city.
A repl a vros fl repl. = The plane is flying toward the city.
A repl a vros fll repl ide. = The plane is flying away from the city.
Az autbusz egy ran bell rkezik. = The bus will arrive within the hour.
Hol van az elad? = Where is the store clerk?
Az elad az asztal mgtt l. = The store clerk is standing behind the table.
Hov megy az elad? = Where is the store clerk going?
Az elad az asztal mg megy. = The store clerk is going behind the table.
Hov jn a elad? = Where is the store clerk coming from?
Az elad az asztal mgl ide jn. = The store clerk is coming from behind the
table.
A vonat a vros fel megy. = The train is going toward the city.
A n az ra alatt ll. = The woman is standing under the clock.
A n az ra al megy. = The woman is going toward the clock.
A n az ra all jn ide. = The woman is going away from the clock.
A vonat a vros fell megy valahova. = The train is going somewhere away from
the city.
A frfi az autk kztt ll. = The man is standing between the cars.
A frfi az autk kz megy. = The man is going between the cars.
A frfi az autk kzl megy oda. = The man is coming from between the cars.
A frfi a szobn keresztl megy a konyhba. = The man goes across the room to
the kitchen.

A lny a magas fa mellett ll. = The girl is standing next to the big tree.
A lny a magas fa mell megy. = The girl is going next to the big tree.
A lny a magas fa melll megy oda. = The girl is coming from the big tree.
A lny a szobn t megy a folyosra. = The girl goes across the room into the
hallway.
Grammar
1. Prepositions in English correspond to Post-positions in Hungarian. Hungarian
uses sets of 3: one indicates the state of the subject, one indicates direction
toward the object, and one indicates direction away from the object. For
example:
alatt: the state of being under, below
al: direction toward + under, below
all: direction away from + under, below
And so on. However, several postpositions are used singly instead of in a set of 3.
They often have abstract meanings, or are used in expressions talking about time.
For example, keresztl gives the meaning through, across, for (+time).

Unit 1 Review: Lessons 1-9

Youve learned approximately 200 words of Hungarian, and youve learned them
with context, using pictures and sentences. Please see the Unit 1 Vocabulary
Review for English-Hungarian and Hungarian-English lists of those words.
Some important grammar points youve learned include the following:
1. Where to place word stress.
2. When to omit the verb forms van/vannak, and when to include them.
3. Where to place emphasis in a sentence.
4. How to alter word order to convey different meanings.
5. The Superessive case, expressing on (some surface) using the endings -on,
-en, -n, -n.
6. How to express there is no.
7. Rules for spelling changes when adding suffixes.
8. Hungarian definite and indefinite articles.
9. Possessive suffixes.
10. The Inessive case, expressing in using the endings -ban, -ben.
11. Introduction to the concept of definiteness.
12. Present tense of definite and indefinite verb forms.
13. How to use the ending -ul/l to express speaking in a language.
14. The Formalis case, expressing as, like, especially to work as something,
using the ending -knt.
15. Hungarian cardinal and ordinal numbers and fractions.
16. How to tell time.
17. The Temporal case, expressing that something happens at a certain time
using the ending -kor.
18. Days of the week, months and seasons of the year.
19. Expressing the date.
20. Some important Postpositions.

UNIT 1: Vocabulary Review

EN
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1000
1000000
100000000
above, over (direction away from)
above, over (direction toward)
above, over (state)
according to
accountant
after
am
America, American
April
are (1pp)
are (3pp)

HU
nulla
egy
kett, kt
hrom
ngy
t
hat
ht
nyolc
kilenc
tiz
hsz
harminc
negyven
tven
hatvan
hetven
nyolcvan
kilencven
(egy)szz
(egy)ezer
egymilli
egymillird
fll
fl
fltt
szerint
knyvel
mlva
vagyok
amerik, amerikai
prilis
vagyunk
vannak

LESSON
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
9
9
9
7
5
7
1
5
8
1
2

are (3ps)
arrive (3ps)
August
auto, car
autumn, in (the) autumn
bad
bank
bed
behind (direction away from)
behind (direction toward)
behind (state)
between, among (direction away from)
between, among (direction toward)
between, among (state)
big
bird
book
bottle
box
boy, boys
bus
business, shop
cafe
calendar
cashier
cat
China, Chinese
clerk
comes (3ps)
corridor, hallway
courtroom
day
December
doctor
dog
door

van
rkezik
augusztus
aut
sz, sszel
rossz
bank
gy
mgl
mg
mgtt
kzl
kz
kztt
nagy
madr, madarak
knyv, knyvek
veg.
doboz
fi, fik
busz
zlet
kvhz
naptr
pnztros
macska, macskk
knban, knai
elad
jn
folyosra
brsg
nap, napok
december
orvos
kutya, kutyk
ajt

2
7
8
4
8
3
5
3
9
9
9
9
9
9
2
3
2
2
4
1
7
5
5
8
5
3
5
5
9
9
5
8
8
5
3
3

evening
exactly
excuse me
February
France, French
Friday
from the direction of
garden
Germany, German
girl, girls
go (3ps)
goes (3ps)
good
Great Britain, British
half
hat
he/she/it
here
here
hospital
hour, clock
how many, how much
how many, how much
Hungary, Hungarian
I
in English
in French
in front of (direction away from)
in front of (direction toward)
in front of (state)
in German
in Hungarian
inside, within (state)
Italy, Italian
jacket
January

este
pontosan
elnzst
februr
franciaorszg, francia
pntek
fell
kert
nmetorszg, nmet
lny, lnyok
megy
megy
j
nagy-britanni, brit
fl
kalap, kalapok

itt
ide
krhz
ra
hny
mennyi
magyarorszg, magyar
n
angolul
franciul
ell
el
eltt
nmetl
magyarul
bell
olaszorszg, olasz
kabt
janur

7
7
7
8
5
8
9
4
5
1
7
9
3
5
7
4
1
2
9
5
7
7
7
5
1
5
5
9
9
9
5
5
9
5
4
8

July
June
kitchen
language
last, final
lawyer
leave (3ps)
librarian
library
live (1ps)
live (3ps)
local
man, men
March
May
midnight
minute, minutes
Monday
month
morning
movie
next to (direction away from)
next to (direction toward)
next to (state)
next, future
night
noon, midday
November
October
one, a
or, are (2ps)
outside, except (state)
past
restaurant
room
Russia, Russian

jlius
jnius
a konyha
nyelv
utols
gyvd
indul
knyvtros
knyvtr
lakom
lakik
helyi
frfi, frfiak
mrcius
mjus
jfl
perc, perccel
htf
hnap, hnapok
reggel
mozi
melll
mell
mellett
jv
jszaka
dl
november
oktber
egy
vagy
kvl
mlt
tterem
a szoba
oroszorszg, orosz

8
8
9
5
7
5
7
5
5
5
5
7
1
8
8
7
7
8
8
7
7
9
9
9
8
7
7
8
8
2
3
9
7
5
9
5

Saturday
szombat
8
season
vszak
8
school
iskol
5
September
szeptember
8
sits (3ps)
l
9
small
kicsi
2
sofa, couch
kanap.
3
somewhere
valahova
9
soon, before long
nemsokra
7
speak (1ps)
beszlek
5
speaks (3ps)
beszl
5
spring, in (the) spring
tavasz, tavasszal
8
stands (3ps)
ll
9
start (3ps)
kezddik
7
summer, in (the) summer
nyr, nyron
8
Sunday
vasrnap
8
table
asztal
2
tall
magas
9
teacher
tanr
5
the, that
az
2
there
ott
2
there
oda
9
there is no
nincs
2
this, these
ez, ezek
2
through, across, for (+time)
keresztl
9
Thursday
cstrtk
8
time, weather
id
7
today
ma
8
tomorrow
holnap
8
toward
fel
9
train
vonat
7
tree
fa
9
Tuesday
kedd
8
turtle
teknsbka, teknsbkak 3
under, below, during (direction away from) all
9
under, below, during (direction toward
al
9

under, below, during (state)

waiter, server
we
Wednesday
week
weekend
what
when
where
where (direction toward)
which
which
will be (3ps)
winter, in (the) autumn
woman, women
work
work (1ps)
works (3ps)
works (3ps)
years
yesterday

alatt
pincr
mi
szerda
ht
htvge
mi
mikor
hol
hov
milyen
milyen
lesz
tl, tlen
n, nk
munka
dolgozom
dolgozik
dolgozik.
ves
tegnap

9
5
1
8
8
8
2
7
2
9
3
5
7
8
1
5
5
5
5
7
8

UNIT 1: Vocabulary Review

HU
EN
LESSON
(egy)ezer
1000
6
(egy)szz
100
6
a konyha
kitchen
9
a szoba
room
9
gy
bed
3
ajt
door
3
al
under, below, during (direction toward
9
alatt
under, below, during (state)
9
ll
stands (3ps)
9
all
under, below, during (direction away from) 9
amerik, amerikai
America, American
5
angolul
in English
5
prilis
April
8
asztal
table
2
augusztus
August
8
aut
auto, car
4
az
the, that
2
bank
bank
5
bell
inside, within (state)
9
beszl
speaks (3ps)
5
beszlek
speak (1ps)
5
brsg
courtroom
5
busz
bus
7
cstrtk
Thursday
8
december
December
8
dl
noon, midday
7
doboz
box
4
dolgozik
works (3ps)
5
dolgozik.
works (3ps)
5
dolgozom
work (1ps)
5
egy
1
6

egy
egymillird
egymilli
jfl
jszaka
elad
el
elnzst
ell
eltt
n
rkezik
este
tterem
ves
vszak
ez, ezek
fa
februr
fl
fel
fell
frfi, frfiak
fi, fik
fl
fltt
fll
folyosra
franciaorszg, francia
franciul
hny
harminc
hrom

one, a
100000000
1000000
midnight
night
clerk
in front of (direction toward)
excuse me
in front of (direction away from)
in front of (state)
I
arrive (3ps)
evening
restaurant
years
season
this, these
tree
February
half
toward
from the direction of
man, men
boy, boys
above, over (direction toward)
above, over (state)
above, over (direction away from)
corridor, hallway
France, French
in French
how many, how much
30
3

2
6
6
7
7
5
9
7
9
9
1
7
7
5
7
8
2
9
8
7
9
9
1
1
9
9
9
9
5
5
7
6
6

hat
hatvan
helyi
ht
ht
htf
htvge
hetven
hol
holnap
hnap, hnapok
hov
hsz
ide
id
indul
iskol
itt
janur
j
jn
jv
jlius
jnius
kabt
kalap, kalapok
kanap.
kvhz
kedd
keresztl
kert
kett, kt
kezddik

6
60
local
7
week
Monday
weekend
70
where
tomorrow
month
where (direction toward)
20
here
time, weather
leave (3ps)
school
here
January
good
comes (3ps)
next, future
July
June
jacket
hat
sofa, couch
cafe
Tuesday
through, across, for (+time)
garden
2
start (3ps)

6
6
7
6
8
8
8
6
2
8
8
9
6
9
7
7
5
2
8
3
9
8
8
8
4
4
3
5
8
9
4
6
7

kicsi
kilenc
kilencven
knban, knai
kvl
knyv, knyvek
knyvel
knyvtr
knyvtros
krhz
kz
kztt
kzl
kutya, kutyk
lakik
lakom
lny, lnyok
lesz
ma
macska, macskk
madr, madarak
magas
magyarorszg, magyar
magyarul
mjus
mrcius
megy
megy
mell
mellett
melll
mennyi
mi

small
9
90
China, Chinese
outside, except (state)
book
accountant
library
librarian
hospital
between, among (direction toward)
between, among (state)
between, among (direction away from)
dog
live (3ps)
live (1ps)
girl, girls
will be (3ps)
today
cat
bird
tall
Hungary, Hungarian
in Hungarian
May
March
goes (3ps)
go (3ps)
next to (direction toward)
next to (state)
next to (direction away from)
how many, how much
we

2
6
6
5
9
2
5
5
5
5
9
9
9
3
5
5
1
7
8
3
3
9
5
5
8
8
9
7
9
9
9
7
1

mi
mikor
milyen
milyen
mg
mgtt
mgl
mozi
mlt
mlva
munka
nagy
nagy-britanni, brit
nap, napok
naptr
ngy
negyven
nmetorszg, nmet
nmetl
nemsokra
nincs
n, nk
november
nulla
nyr, nyron
nyelv
nyolc
nyolcvan

oda
oktber
olaszorszg, olasz
ra

what
when
which
which
behind (direction toward)
behind (state)
behind (direction away from)
movie
past
after
work
big
Great Britain, British
day
calendar
4
40
Germany, German
in German
soon, before long
there is no
woman, women
November
0
summer, in (the) summer
language
8
80
he/she/it
there
October
Italy, Italian
hour, clock

2
7
3
5
9
9
9
7
7
7
5
2
5
8
8
6
6
5
5
7
2
1
8
6
8
5
6
6
1
9
8
5
7

oroszorszg, orosz
Russia, Russian
orvos
doctor
sz, sszel
autumn, in (the) autumn
t
5
ott
there
tven
50
pntek
Friday
pnztros
cashier
perc, perccel
minute, minutes
pincr
waiter, server
pontosan
exactly
reggel
morning
rossz
bad
szeptember
September
szerda
Wednesday
szerint
according to
szombat
Saturday
tanr
teacher
tavasz, tavasszal
spring, in (the) spring
tegnap
yesterday
teknsbka, teknsbkak turtle
tl, tlen
winter, in (the) autumn
tiz
10
gyvd
lawyer
l
sits (3ps)
utols
last, final
veg.
bottle
zlet
business, shop
vagy
or, are (2ps)
vagyok
am
vagyunk
are (1pp)
valahova
somewhere
van
are (3ps)

5
5
8
6
2
6
8
5
7
5
7
7
3
8
8
7
8
5
8
8
3
8
6
5
9
7
2
5
3
1
1
9
2

vannak
vasrnap
vonat

are (3pp)
Sunday
train

2
8
7

Unit 1 Test: Lessons 1-9

None of these exercises are exactly the same as the ones used in the lesson. If
they were, it wouldnt be a test. :) However, you should have enough information
to correctly answer each question, if you have thoroughly studied each lesson.
Good luck!
Exercise 1. Translate into Hungarian. (The underlined word is the stressed part of
the sentence - your clue to word order.)
We are here.
They are there.
The big bottle is here.
The small bottle is not there.
Where are the bottles?
The bottles are on the table.
The book is on the table.
What kind of book is on the table?
My bird is on the door.
Your dog is on my couch.
The first bus leaves at 11 in the morning.
When does the last train arrive?
Today is Wednesday.
Today's date is February 13, 2013.
Exercise 2. Answer the questions in Hungarian.
Amerikai vagy?
Hol laksz?
Milyen nyelven beszlsz?
Mi a munkd?
Hol dolgozol?
Hny ves vagy?

Appendix 1: Singular and Plural Possessive Suffixes

The first step for determining which suffix you should add to the noun is to find
out how many of the item there are. If there is one object, or if there is a large
number of them and that number is known, then youll need to add a singular
possessive suffix. If there is a large number of objects and that number is not
known, youll need to add a plural possessive suffix.
Singular Possessive Suffixes
n
te

mi
ti

-m/om/em/m
-d/od/ed/d
-a/e
-nk/unk/nk
-atok/otok/
-etek/tk
-juk/jk

almm
almd
almja
almnk
almtok

dobozom
dobozod
doboza
dobozunk
dobozotok

kezem
kezed
keze
keznk
kezitek

srm
srd
sre
srnk
srtk

almjuk

dobozuk

kezk

srk

dobozaim
dobozaid
dobozai
dobozaink
dobozaitok
dobozaik

kezeim
kezeid
kezei
kezeink
kezeitek
kezeik

hzaim
hzaid
hzai
hzaink
hzaitok
hzaik

Plural Possessive Suffixes

n
te

mi
ti

-im/aim/eim
-id/aid/eid
-ai/ei
-ink/aink/eink
-aitok/eitek
-aik/eik

almim
almid
almi
almink
almitok
almik

However, there are certain nouns that take an additional -j- before the regular
endings. These words, despite ending in a consonant, do not take the vowelinitial ending directly but instead take this -j- version.
There are two categories. You just have to learn which category a word falls into.
Category one. The word takes the extra -j- in the third person with singular
possession and in all plural possessive forms. An example is kar.
karom, karod, karja, karunk, karotok, karjuk
karjaim, karjaid, karjai, karjaink, karjaitok, karjaik

Category two. The word takes the extra -j- in the third person with singular
possession. An example is bart.
bartom, bartod, bartja, bartunk, bartotok, bartjuk
bartaim, bartaid, bartai, bartaink, bartaitok, bartaik
In a way these nouns are irregular and you must simply learn them. Often a
dictionary or glossary will indicate to you this fact.
The second type is very rare. Some other examples are szomszd, gyvd.

Appendix 2: Definiteness
Hungarian uses two verbal conjugation schemes, based on the definiteness of the
object.
Indefinite conjugation is used when:
1. the verb is intransitive (incapable of taking an object).
2. the object is indefinite (something general, possibly preceded by the indefinite
article egy), or there is no object (e.g., Now I'm reading).
3. the object of the verb is a 1st or 2nd person (it is not necessary to state the 1st
or 2nd person object; the use of the indefinite is enough).
Definite conjugation is used when:
1. the object of the verb is definite (preceded by the article a/az; a personal or
place name).
2. the object of the verb is 3rd person (it is not necessary to state the 3rd person
object; use of the definite form is enough).
Direct objects which are Indefinite:
1. a noun prhase with an indefinite article.
2. a noun phrase with no article (and it is not a proper noun).
3. a noun phrase premodified by a numeral (without the definite article).
4. a 1st or 2nd person pronoun (but not a reflexive pronoun).
5. an interrogative pronoun (but not the ones that contain -ik and have unique
identification).
6. one of the following pronouns: minden, ennyi, annyi, semmi, semmilyen,

senki, valaki, valamennyi, valami, valamilyen.

7. a noun phrase whose noun is premodified by any of the interrogative
pronouns or the pronouns listed above.
8. expressed with a construction whose verb is an infinitive.
Direct objects which are Definite:
1. a proper noun with or without a definite article.
2. a noun phrase with a definite article.
3. a possessive noun phrase.
4. a 3rd person pronoun.
5. the demonstrative pronoun ez/az, the universal pronouns mind and
valamennyi, a reflexive pronoun, a reciprocal pronoun, or a possessive pronoun.
6. a pronoun of the -ik group.
7. a noun phrase whose noun is premodified by a pronoun listed under the
previous 2 points.
8. expressed by a clause (e.g. Ltom, hogy ott ll).
A unique verb conjugation form (-lak, -lek) exists for verbs when the subject is n
and the direct object is a second person pronoun (tged, tikeket, benneteket).
With any other subject, second person objects occur with indefinite
conjugations.

Answers to Unit 1 Test

Exercise 1.
Itt vagyunk.
k ott vannak.
Itt van a nagy veg.
A kicsi veg nincs ott.
Hol van az vegek?
Az vegek az asztalon vannak.
Az asztalon van a knyv.
Milyen a knyv van az asztalon?
A madaram az ajtn van.
A kutyd a kanapmon van.
Az els busz reggel tizenegykor megy.
Mikor rkezik az utols vonat?
Ma szerda van.
Ma februr 13-e van.
Exercise 2. (These are sample answers. Your answers may be different, but they
should follow this general pattern.)
Igen, Amerikai vagyok.
Amerikban lakom.
Beszlek angolul s oroszul.
Tanr vagyok.
Egy iskolban dolgozom.
Huszonngy ves vagyok.