How to Use Personal Pronouns in Hungarian for English Speakers

Understanding Personal Pronouns in Hungarian

Personal pronouns are words that replace nouns referring to people or things. In Hungarian, personal pronouns are essential for everyday communication and differ from English in several ways, including their forms and usage.

The Basic Hungarian Personal Pronouns

Hungarian personal pronouns vary depending on the grammatical person and number. Here is a list of the most common personal pronouns in Hungarian along with their English equivalents:

Pronunciation Tips for Hungarian Personal Pronouns

Hungarian pronouns are generally pronounced as they are written. For example, én sounds like 'ayn', and te sounds like 'teh'. The pronoun ő is pronounced like the German 'ö' or the French 'eu' in 'bleu'.

Formal and Informal 'You' in Hungarian

Unlike English, Hungarian distinguishes between informal and formal 'you'. The informal singular 'you' is te, used with friends, family, or children. The formal singular and plural 'you' is ön or maga, but in everyday speech, the plural informal ti is often used for addressing multiple people informally.

Using Personal Pronouns in Sentences

In Hungarian, the verb conjugation changes according to the subject, so personal pronouns are often omitted unless needed for emphasis. For example:

• Én megyek a boltba. (I am going to the store.)
• Te beszélsz magyarul? (Do you speak Hungarian?)
• Ő olvas egy könyvet. (He/She is reading a book.)

Summary of Hungarian Personal Pronouns

• én – I
• te – you (singular informal)
• ő – he/she/it
• mi – we
• ti – you (plural informal)
• ők – they