Putting It Together
Hungarian Grammar 1
Chapter 10 · Putting It Together
🏁 Putting It Together — Összefoglalás
You now have the pieces. Here they are joined into one procedure, followed by a clinic on the usual mistakes and two short texts to read and correct. It ends with the Course Complete recap and a pointer to what comes next.
The procedure for a suffix
| Step | Question | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the last vowel of the stem? Back, front or front rounded? | Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 2 |
| 2 | Is it one of the neutral vowels (i í e é) or a mixed or foreign word? Is it an antiharmonic stem (híd, cél)? | Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 3 |
| 3 | Does the stem end in a consonant and need a linking vowel? Does it shorten, drop a vowel or lengthen? | Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 4 |
| 4 | Does the suffix start with v or j, or does the stem end in a digraph? Assimilate and double. | Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 5 |
The procedure for a verb
| Step | Question | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the stem back, front or front rounded? Does it end in s, sz or z? | Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 6 |
| 2 | Is there an object? Is it definite (a/az, a name, my/your, ez/az, őt/őket, melyik, a hogy-clause)? | Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 8 |
| 3 | Choose the indefinite or the definite endings. | Hungarian Grammar 1, chapters 6 and 7 |
| 4 | Is the verb an -ik verb, an irregular verb, or is it 'I … you'? | Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 9 |
The error clinic
Each of these mistakes is common, and each one is a rule from this course in disguise.
| Mistake | Correct | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| kézval | kézzel | v copies the last consonant (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 5) |
| papírben | papírban | back vowel + í stays back (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 3) |
| hotelban | hotelben | back vowel + e goes front (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 3) |
| házok | házak | ház is in the 'a' group (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 4) |
| kézek | kezek | the long vowel of kéz shortens (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 4) |
| olvasja | olvassa | the j copies s (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 5) |
| Kérem egy kávét. | Kérek egy kávét. | egy makes the object indefinite (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 8) |
| Szeretek a zenét. | Szeretem a zenét. | a makes the object definite (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 8) |
| Te olvasasz. | Te olvasol. | -s stems take -ol in the 2nd person (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 6) |
| Látlak téged. | Látlak. | -lak already contains 'you', so téged is normally dropped (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 9) |
| Én megek. | Én megyek. | megy is irregular (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 9) |
Read and fix: a short text
This text is written correctly. Read it aloud and, for every word in bold, say which rule made it take that shape.
Reggel hétkor kelek. Készítek egy kávét, és a kávét az ablaknál iszom. Olvasom a híreket, aztán busszal megyek a munkahelyre. Egész nap dolgozom, este pedig a barátommal vacsorázom, és beszélgetünk.
| Word | Rule |
|---|---|
| ablaknál | back stem ablak + -nál (harmony, Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 2) |
| Olvasom | definite, because the object is a híreket (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 8) |
| busszal | busz + -val: v copies sz and the digraph doubles (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 5) |
| barátommal | barátom + -val: v copies m (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 5) |
| beszélgetünk | front verb, indefinite 1st person plural (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 6) |
Read and fix: a text with mistakes
This text has five mistakes. Find them first, then check the answers below.
Anna hotelban lakik Budapesten. Minden reggel olvasja az újságot. Egy kávét kérem, és kézval eszik egy szendvicset. Este szeretek a zenét.
Show the answers
1. hotelban → hotelben (back vowel + e goes front).
2. olvasja → olvassa (the j copies s).
3. kérem → kérek (egy kávét is indefinite).
4. kézval → kézzel (v copies z).
5. szeretek → szeretem (a zenét is definite).
Course Complete — Gratulálok!
You have worked through the sound map, the whole harmony system, the stem changes, the consonant changes and both verb conjugations. Here is what you can now do:
| Chapter | You can now… |
|---|---|
| 1 · The Sound Map | sort the vowels and consonants into the groups that grammar uses |
| 2 · Vowel Harmony: The Rule | choose between -ban and -ben, -hoz, -hez and -höz for clear cases |
| 3 · Neutral Vowels and Exceptions | handle papír, hotel, kávé and the antiharmonic stems |
| 4 · Linking Vowels and Stem Changes | form plurals and accusatives, including kezek, vizet, tükrök and almák |
| 5 · Consonant Changes at the Joins | write kézzel, busszal, lánnyal and olvassa |
| 6 · Two Conjugations | decide between the indefinite and the definite and form the indefinite |
| 7 · The Definite Conjugation | form the definite for back, front and rounded verbs |
| 8 · When Is the Object Definite? | apply the list of triggers and read a one-word sentence like Értem |
| 9 · -lak/-lek, -ik Verbs and Irregulars | use látlak, eszem, iszom, vagyok, megyek and jövök |
| 10 · Putting It Together | run one procedure for any suffix and any verb |
🗣️ In Use — Használatban
The rule in real sentences. Read each exchange aloud and spot the pattern.
① Dinner plans
② A new flat
📋 Quick Reference — Gyorstábla
| Topic | Remember | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony | last vowel decides; check neutral vowels and antiharmonic stems | házban · kertben · hídban |
| Linking vowels and stems | a/o and e/ö; shortening; vowel drop; lengthening | házak · kezek · tükrök · almák |
| Consonants | v copies the last consonant; digraphs double; j copies s, sz, z | kézzel · busszal · olvassa |
| Conjugation | no object or indefinite object: indefinite; definite object: definite | Kérek egy kávét. · Kérem a kávét. |
| Special verbs | -lak/-lek, -ik verbs, van/megy/jön/tesz/vesz/visz/hisz/lesz | látlak · eszem · vagyok |
✏️ Try It Yourself — Gyakorlás
Say the answer first, then click to check.
1. kert + -val / -vel
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kerttel. v copies t.
2. papír + -ban / -ben
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papírban. Back vowel + í.
3. Plural of kéz
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kezek. The vowel shortens.
4. Accusative of ember
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embert. No linking vowel after r.
5. Kér: én, a számla (the bill)
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Kérem a számlát. Definite object.
6. Olvas: te, egy újság (a newspaper)
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Olvasol egy újságot. -s stem, 2nd person indefinite.
7. Néz: mi, a film (the film)
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Nézzük a filmet. j copies z.
8. Eszik: ő, egy alma (an apple)
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Eszik egy almát. -ik verb, 3rd person singular.
9. Lát: én, te
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Látlak. Back verb + -lak.
10. Menni: ti
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Mentek. Irregular.