Hungarian noun phrases

This page is about noun phrases in Hungarian grammar.

yntax

The order of elements in the noun phrase is always determiner, adjective, noun.

Grammatical marking

Hungarian does not have grammatical gender or a grammatical distinction between animate and inanimate.

Plurality

Hungarian nouns are marked for number: singular or plural.

However, Hungarian uses the plural form sparsely for nouns, i.e. only if quantity is not otherwise marked. Therefore the plural is not used with numerals or quantity expressions. Examples: "öt fiú" ("five boys"); "sok fiú" ("many boys"); "fiúk" ("boys").

In phrases that refer to existence/availability of entities, rather than their quantity, the singular is used in Hungarian (unlike in English): "Van szék a szobában" "There are chairs in the room", "Nincs szék a szobában" "There aren't chairs in the room". (The singular may be considered as partitive here.) Also, product names are usually written out in the singular, e.g. "Lámpa" "Lamps".

Hungarian also uses a singular noun when the possessor is plural but the thing possessed is singular, e.g. "a fejünk" ("our heads", where each person has one head).

The plural noun marker is the suffix "-ok/(-ak)/-ek/-ök/-k".

Before possessive suffixes, the plural "k" appears as "i", e.g.:

* ("lakás" vs) "lakások" ("flats /apartments")
* ("lakása" vs) "lakásai" ("his/her flats /apartments")

When used predicatively, adjectives are also marked for number (see adjective marking). The suffix is "-ak/-ek/-k".

Pairs of body parts

Hungarian uses paired body parts in the singular, even if the pair is meant together, and even if several people's pairs of body parts are meant. To speak about one piece of a pair, the word "fél" ("half") is used. As can be seen, pairs of body parts are considered as one in Hungarian.

Person

Forms for "you"

Beside "te" (plural "ti"), which are used informally, there are polite forms for the second person pronouns: "ön" (plural "önök") and "maga" (plural "maguk"). "Ön" is official and distancing, "maga" is personal and even intimate and some people think it has rude connotations. (There are some older forms for "you", like "kend", which is still used in rural areas.) "See in more detail:" T-V distinction for Hungarian.

The polite 2nd person forms "ön" and "maga" take the grammatical forms of the 3rd person, e.g. for verbs and possessive suffixes. For example "te kérsz" (second person, informal), but "ön kér" or "maga kér" (second person, formal), just like "ő kér" (third person).

Impersonal usage

Hungarian does not have a distinct impersonal or generic pronoun (cf. English "one"), but there are two ways of expressing this:
* The 3rd person plural (cf. English "they"), for example "Azt mondják, hogy a lány bolond." ("They say the girl is crazy.")
* The phrase "az ember" (lit. "the human"), for example "Az ember nem is gondolna rá." ("You'd never think of it.")

Determiners

Articles

Hungarian has definite and indefinite articles. The definite article, "a", changes to "az" before a vowel. The indefinite article is "egy", an unstressed version of the word for the number "one". Articles are invariable (i.e. not marked for number, case, etc.)

Demonstrative determiners

The demonstrative determiners (often inaccurately called demonstrative adjectives in English) are "ez a" ("this") and "az a" ("that").

Numerals

Hungarian numbers follow an extremely regular, decimal format. There are distinct words for 1 to 9, 10, 20, 30, 100, 1000 and 1000000. The tens from 40 to 90 are formed by adding "-van/-ven" to the digit. When the numbers 10 and 20 are followed by a digit, they are suffixed with "-on/-en/-ön/-n" (on the oblique stem). Compound numbers are formed simply by joining the elements together. Examples:
*"öt" ("five")
*"tíz" ("ten")
*"tizenöt" ("fifteen")
*"ötvenöt" ("fifty-five")
*"százötvenöt" ("one hundred and fifty-five")

As in English, a number can function as a determiner or as a stand-alone noun. As a noun it can take all the usual suffixes.

Suffixes used only on numerals and "hány" ("how many?"):
*"-odik/(-adik)/-edik/-ödik" for ordinal numbers, e.g. "ötödik" ("the fifth")
*"-od/(-ad)/-ed/-öd" for fractional numbers, e.g. "ötöd" ("a fifth")
*"-os/(-as)/-es/-ös" for adjectival numbers (numeric adjectives), e.g. "ötös"

The numeric adjectives do not have an exact equivalent in English. They are used when English uses a construction such as "bus number 11": "a tizenegyes busz", "room 303": "a háromszázhármas szoba".

Quantity expressions

Suffixes used specifically with numerals, "hány" ("how many?") and other quantity expressions:
*"-szor/-szer/-ször" for how many times, e.g. "ötször" ("five times"), "sokszor" ("many times")
*"-féle" and "-fajta" for "kind(s) of", e.g. "ötfajta" ("five kinds of")
*"-an/-en/-n" for numeric adverbs

The use of the adverbs suffixed with "-an/-en/-n" is best illustrated by examples: "Sokan voltunk." ("There were a lot of us.") "Öten vannak." ("There are 5 of them.") "Ketten mentünk." ("Two of us went.")

Possession

Possessive suffixes

In Hungarian, pronominal possession is expressed by suffixes applied to the noun. The following suffixes are used for singular nouns:

There is much variance, but in general, the "-j" variant is usually safer than the variant without "-j", except with the specific endings listed above. (Usually the variant without "-j" is more traditional and the one with "-j" is more recent.)

Where a form applies the "j", the other forms will apply it too. An exception is the uncommon type of "barát" ("friend") where the "-j" type is incorrect with a plural noun: "barátja" ("his/her friend"), "barátjuk" ("their friend") but "barátaik" ("their friends"), without "j".

Word endings and suffix types

Several endings ("c, cs, dzs, sz, z, s, zs, j, ny, ty, gy, h", i.e., affricates, spirants, palatal/ized sounds and "h") only allow the variant without "-j" in both singular and plural, as shown in the charts above. – On the other hand, the words that always take the "-j" variant form a rather small group: only those ending in "f" or "ch".

For the other endings, there are no clear-cut rules (so these forms are to be learnt one by one), only regularities exist. Words with a long vowel or another consonant preceding the ending consonant often take the "-j" variant, as well as international words do (e.g. "programja, oxigénje, fesztiválja" "his/her program, oxygen, festival"). Vowel-dropping and vowel-shortening stems always use the variant without "-j", just like most words using "-a" as linking vowel (e.g. "házat, házak" "house": "háza" "his/her house").

:*The endings "v, l, r, m, g, k" usually take the variant without "-j" (e.g. "gyereke, asztala" "his/her child, table"), but a minority among them take it (e.g. "hangja, diákja" "his/her voice, student" but again "könyve, száma" "his/her book, number").:*For words ending in "n, p, t", the regularities are basically similar, but there is wide variance. Words ending in "-at/-et" (a suffix), however, usually take the variant without "-j".:*The majority of words ending in "b, d" use the "-j" suffix (e.g. "darabja, családja" "his/her/its piece, family" but "lába, térde" "his/her leg, knee").

Apparent possessive suffixes and homonymy

Certain words (with or without suffixes) have endings which are identical with a possessive suffix. Examples:

:"Note: Where two variants are given, the one with a long vowel is more literary."

The following pronouns are used to replace plural nouns:

The below cases may exemplify the above tendencies but in actual usage they are not always followed so strictly as described:
*"Tajvanon" means "on (the island of) Taiwan" but "Tajvanban" is "in (the country of) Taiwan" (here the usage is parallel to English) – Note: "Tajvanon" may also refer to the country
*"Tolnán" means "in (the town of) Tolna" but "Tolnában" is "in the county of Tolna" – Note: "Tolnában" may also refer to the town
*"Velencén" means "in the Hungarian town of Velence" but "Velencében" is "in the Italian city of Venice (in Hungarian: "Velence")" – Note: "Velencében" may also refer to the Hungarian town

Insider and outsider usage

There may also be difference between "insider" and "outsider" usage: one may prefer the suffixes expressing the "interior" relation and the others those expressing the "surface" relation (the difference extends to the suffixes of static position and those of the two kinds of movement).

In some cases, the local usage is encouraged based on traditional usage in literature and linguistic history, e.g. "Csíkszeredában" [http://adatbank.transindex.ro/vendeg/htmlk/pdf3367.pdf] (instead of "Csíkszeredán") as well as "Nagyszombatban" (instead of "Nagyszombaton", which latter even coincides with the form "on Holy Saturday"). In other cases, the "outsider" usage is considered more received or even normative, for example:

The accusative suffix after other suffixes

As shown in the above chart, "-ot/(-at)/-et/-öt/-t" is the accusative suffix for nouns with no other suffix. However, if the accusative suffix is added to a relative stem, that is, to a noun which already has another suffix (i.e. a plural or possessive suffix), "-at/-et" is used. Examples:

Homonymy may also arise between accusative nouns and verbs, e.g. "választ" may mean "answer" (n, acc.) or "s/he chooses/elects" and "nevet" may mean "name" (n, acc., from "név") or "s/he laughs".

The accusative of "terem" ("room"/"hall") is "termet" (see vowel-dropping) instead of the regular "teremet" (which could come from "tér" with vowel-shortening, meaning "my square", acc.). On the other hand, "teremt" means "s/he creates". "Termet" is another homonymy as it may be another word in the nominative ("stature"). – This latter bunch of examples shows eloquently that knowing stem types and recognizing them are essential for interpreting a Hungarian word correctly.

Other noun endings

The asterisk means that "almák/körték" (the plural) and "almám/körtém" (the possessive forms) can be suffixed further, e.g. "almákat, almáknak" etc., "almámat, almádat, almáját" etc., "almáimat, almáidat, almáit" etc., "almámnak, almádnak, almájának" etc.

Those cases with small letters can be formed, but they are not meaningful, unless figuratively (e. g. "Oslók" lit. means "Oslos", but naturally Oslo doesn't have plural, although the case technically can be formed; "Oslóul" means "as an Oslo", which is also dubious).

The suffix "-ként" is an exception as it doesn't lengthen the "a/e", e.g. "almaként, körteként". Compounds don't lengthen the vowel, either, e.g. "almalé, körtelé" ("apple/pear juice").

Otherwise, this rule extends to all nouns and adjectives, e.g. "Coca-Cola" → "Coca-Colát, Coca-Colának" etc.

Short "o" and "ö" endings only occur with foreign words (like "Oslo" and "Malmö" above) since Hungarian or Hungarianized words lengthen these vowels at the end of the word, e.g. "euró, metró, videó, sztereó, fotó, diszkó" etc.

"a" link vowel

Certain back-vowel nouns, e.g. "ház" ("house"), always use the vowel "a" as a link vowel where the link vowel is usually "-o/-e/-ö", except with the superessive case "-on/-en/-ön/-n".

The link vowel "-o/(-a)/-e/-ö" occurs with the following suffixes:
*"-ok/(-ak)/-ek/-ök/-k" for noun plurals, e.g. "házak" ("houses")
*"-om/(-am)/-em/-öm/-m" for 1st singular possessive, e.g. "házam" ("my house")
*"-od/(-ad)/-ed/-öd/-d" for 2nd singular possessive, e.g. "házad" ("your (singular) house")
*"-otok/(-atok)/-etek/-ötök/-tok/-tek/-tök" for 2nd plural possessive, e.g. "házatok" ("your (plural) house")
*"-ot/(-at)/-et/-öt/-t" for accusative case, e.g. "házat" ("house")
*"-onként/(-anként)/-enként/-önként/-nként", e.g. "házanként" ("per house")
*"-ostul/(-astul)/-estül/-östül/-stul/-stül", e.g. "házastul" ("together with the house")
*"-odik/(-adik)/-edik/-ödik" for ordinal numbers, e.g. "nyolcadik" ("the eighth")
*"-od/(-ad)/-ed/-öd" for fractional numbers, e.g. "nyolcad" ("an eighth")
*"-os/(-as)/-es/-ös" for adjectival numbers, e.g. "nyolcas" ("number eight")
*"-onta/(-ante)/-ente/-önte" for distributive occasions, e.g. "nyaranta" ("every summer", from "nyár" "summer")

Theoretical:
*"-ott/(-att)/-ett/-ött/-t" for position

This irregularity sometimes help differentiate between otherwise homonymous verbs and nouns:

Hence, the English pronoun "you" can have no fewer than thirteen translations in Hungarian.

Cases with personal suffixes

For the other forms which are listed above as cases, the equivalent of a pronoun is formed using a stem derived from the suffix, followed by the personal suffix. For example, "benned" ("in you") or for emphasis "tebenned" ("in you") has the stem "benn-" which is derived from the front variant of the position suffix "-ban/-ben" ("in").

Note: When the stem ends in a long vowel, the 3rd person singular has a ∅ suffix.

"maga" and "ön" do not use these forms. They are conjugated like nouns with the case suffixes, e.g. "magában", "önben".

Suffixes that use a back vowel stem:

See also the section .

Note:
*In the same way as for the cases with personal suffixes, when the postposition (stem) ends in a long vowel, the 3rd person singular has a ∅ suffix (see the bolded forms in the last row).
*Postpositions in bare (unsuffixed) forms are capitalized.

Postpositions with three-way distinction

"Részére" and "számára" are often interchangeable. To express sending or giving something ("to" someone), usually "részére" is preferred. On the other hand, to express the affected party of some perception or judgement (good, bad, new, shocking, unacceptable etc. "for" someone), only "számára" can be used, as well as when expressing goal, objective, intention, or other figurative purposes.

Placeholders in Hungarian

:"See Placeholder name"

Duplication with demonstrative determiners

When the noun has a plural suffix, a "case" suffix or a postposition, this is duplicated on the demonstrative. As with the demonstrative pronouns, for most suffixes, preservative consonant assimilation also occurs. Examples:

As peripheral phenomena, there also exist non-duplicating forms, like "e, ezen, eme, azon" and "ama" (the latter two referring to distant objects), but they are poetic or obsolete (cf. ";yonder"). For example: "e házban" = "eme házban" = "ebben a házban" ("in this house"). "Ezen" and "azon" are used before vowel-initial words, e.g. "ezen emberek" = "ezek az emberek" ("these people"). The duplicating forms (as in the chart above) are far more widespread than these.

External links

* [http://www.hungarianreference.com/Nouns/ HungarianReference.com's section on noun cases] Guide to Hungarian noun cases (currently inaccessible)
*hu icon [http://futyi.transindex.ro/?cikk=54 Galla után szabadon – új magyar automatikus nyelvtan] : jokes on stem words appearing as those having certain suffixes (used as a source in this article)