Understanding the Accusative Case in Hungarian for English Speakers

What is the Accusative Case in Hungarian?

In Hungarian, the accusative case is used to indicate the direct object of a verb - the person or thing that is directly affected by the action. It is similar to the English concept of the direct object but is marked explicitly with suffixes in Hungarian.

How to Form the Accusative Case

The accusative case in Hungarian is typically formed by adding the suffix -t to the noun. However, the exact form of the suffix can change depending on vowel harmony rules and the ending of the noun.

For example:

• ház (house) → házat
• könyv (book) → könyvet
• autó (car) → autót

Vowel Harmony and the Accusative Suffix

Hungarian vowels are divided into front and back vowels, and the accusative suffix changes accordingly to maintain vowel harmony:

• Back vowel nouns take -ot or -at (e.g., ház → házat)
• Front vowel nouns take -et or -et (e.g., könyv → könyvet)

The choice between -ot and -at, or -et and -et, depends on the final consonant or vowel of the noun and other phonological rules.

Using the Accusative Case with Personal Pronouns

When using personal pronouns as direct objects, Hungarian uses special accusative forms. For example:

• én (I) → engem (me)
• te (you singular) → téged (you)
• ő (he/she) → őt (him/her)

Examples of the Accusative Case in Sentences

Here are some example sentences showing the accusative case in use:

• Látom a házat. (I see the house.)
• Olvasom a könyvet. (I am reading the book.)
• Megveszem az autót. (I am buying the car.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

English speakers often forget to add the accusative suffix or confuse it with other cases. Remember that the accusative suffix is essential to mark the direct object clearly in Hungarian.