Hungarian Verb Basics: How to Use the Present Tense

Understanding the Hungarian Present Tense

The present tense in Hungarian is used to describe actions that are currently happening or general truths, similar to English. However, Hungarian verbs conjugate differently depending on the subject and the verb type. This article will guide English speakers through the basics of forming and using the present tense in Hungarian.

Verb Conjugation Basics

Hungarian verbs are conjugated according to the person and number of the subject. There are six forms to learn: first, second, and third person, each in singular and plural. Unlike English, Hungarian verbs also change depending on whether the verb is definite or indefinite, which depends on the object of the sentence.

Definite vs. Indefinite Conjugation

In Hungarian, verbs have two conjugation patterns in the present tense: definite and indefinite. Use the definite conjugation when the object of the verb is specific or known (definite). Use the indefinite conjugation when the object is indefinite or there is no object.

For example, the verb lát (to see) conjugates differently depending on the object:

• Indefinite: Látok egy kutyát. (I see a dog.)
• Definite: Látom a kutyát. (I see the dog.)

Present Tense Conjugation of Regular Verbs

Let's look at the present tense conjugation of the regular verb tanul (to learn) in the indefinite form:

1. Én tanulok – I learn
2. Te tanulsz – You learn (singular)
3. Ő tanul – He/She learns
4. Mi tanulunk – We learn
5. Ti tanultok – You learn (plural)
6. Ők tanulnak – They learn

Notice that the verb endings change according to the subject pronoun.

Common Present Tense Verb Endings

Here are the typical endings for indefinite conjugation in the present tense:

• -ok / -ek / -ök (1st person singular)
• -sz (2nd person singular)
• - (no ending for 3rd person singular)
• -unk / -ünk (1st person plural)
• -tok / -tek / -tök (2nd person plural)
• -nak / -nek (3rd person plural)

The exact ending depends on vowel harmony rules, which affect suffix vowels based on the vowels in the verb stem.

Vowel Harmony in Present Tense Endings

Hungarian vowels are divided into front and back vowels, and suffixes change accordingly. For example, the verb ír (to write) uses front vowel endings: írok, írsz, ír, while olvas (to read) uses back vowel endings: olvasok, olvasol, olvas.

Using Subject Pronouns

In Hungarian, subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, etc.) are often omitted because the verb ending already indicates the subject. However, they can be used for emphasis or clarity.