How to Use the Imperative Mood for Commands and Requests in Hungarian

Understanding the Imperative Mood in Hungarian

The imperative mood in Hungarian is used to give commands, make requests, or offer invitations. It is an essential part of everyday communication, allowing speakers to express direct instructions or polite requests.

Basic Formation of the Imperative

In Hungarian, the imperative is formed by modifying the verb stem and adding specific endings depending on the person (second person singular, second person plural, or first person plural) and the verb type. Unlike English, Hungarian imperative forms are more varied and depend on the verb conjugation class.

Second Person Singular Imperative

For most verbs, the second person singular imperative is formed by using the verb stem without any ending. For example, the verb menni (to go) becomes menj (go!). However, some verbs require specific endings or stem changes.

Examples:

• Menj! (Go!)
• Egyél! (Eat!)
• Írj! (Write!)

Second Person Plural Imperative

To address multiple people, the second person plural imperative is formed by adding -atok/-etek/-ötök endings to the verb stem, depending on vowel harmony and verb type.

Examples:

• Menjetek! (Go! - plural)
• Egyetek! (Eat! - plural)
• Írjatok! (Write! - plural)

First Person Plural Imperative (Let's...)

To express suggestions or invitations including the speaker and others ("Let's..."), Hungarian uses the first person plural imperative formed by adding -junk/-jünk to the verb stem.

Examples:

• Menjünk! (Let's go!)
• Együnk! (Let's eat!)
• Írjunk! (Let's write!)

Polite Requests Using the Imperative

Hungarian speakers often soften commands into polite requests by adding words like kérem (please) or using the conditional mood. However, the imperative itself can be polite depending on tone and context.

Example:

• Kérem, írj egy levelet. (Please, write a letter.)

Negative Imperative Forms

To form negative commands, Hungarian uses the particle ne before the verb in the imperative mood.

Examples:

• Ne menj! (Don't go!)
• Ne egyél! (Don't eat!)
• Ne írj! (Don't write!)

Common Irregular Imperative Forms

Some verbs have irregular imperative forms that must be memorized. For example, the verb lenni (to be) has the imperative form légy for second person singular.

Examples:

• Légy türelmes! (Be patient!)
• Legyetek csendben! (Be quiet! - plural)