Learn Hungarian Grammar Fast: Crash Course for Beginners

1. The Word 'Van'

The word "van" is a form of the verb "lenni" (to be) and is used primarily to indicate the existence or presence of something. It functions similarly to the verb "is" in English.

Examples:

• Van egy könyv az asztalon. (There is a book on the table.)
• Nekem van egy kutyám. (I have a dog.)

Note: In negative sentences or questions, "van" is often replaced with other forms or auxiliary verbs.

2. The Word 'Hogy'

The word "hogy" is used in various contexts in Hungarian. It can function as a subordinating conjunction, meaning "that" in English, especially in indirect speech or reporting.

Examples:

• Azt mondta, hogy megjön. (He/she said that he/she will come.)
• Tudom, hogy itt vagy. (I know that you are here.)

"Hogy" can also be used in interrogative clauses when forming questions, especially in the sense of asking about someone's state or condition:

• Hogy vagy? (How are you?)

3. Plurals

In Hungarian, the plural is formed by adding the suffix "-k" to the end of a noun.

Examples:

• Könyv (book) → Könyvek (books)
• Autó (car) → Autók (cars)

However, there are some irregularities based on vowel harmony:

• Fiú (boy) → Fiúk (boys)
• Lány (girl) → Lányok (girls)

4. Postpositions

Hungarian is known for its use of postpositions (instead of prepositions like in English). A postposition is placed after the noun it refers to, often indicating location, direction, or other relational concepts.

Common Postpositions:

• Rajta (on it)
• Mellett (beside)
• Benne (in it)

Note that postpositions follow specific noun cases such as the inessive (-ban/ben), elative (-ból/ből), superessive (-n), etc.

5. Syntax & Word Order

Hungarian has a flexible word order, but the basic structure follows subject-object-verb (SOV) in a neutral sentence. The word order can be adjusted for emphasis, as Hungarian is a highly inflected language with suffixes indicating grammatical relations.

Common word orders:

• Subject - Verb - Object:
  Olvasom a könyvet. (I read the book.)
• Verb - Subject - Object (for emphasis):
  Olvasom én a könyvet. (I (IT IS REALLY ME!) that reads the book.)

Hungarian emphasizes the topic of the sentence (the focus), so elements can be rearranged accordingly for emphasis or to indicate new vs. given information.

6. Negatives

To form negative sentences in Hungarian, the word "nem" (not) is placed before the verb.

Examples:

• Nem olvasok. (I do not read.)
• Nem tudom. (I don’t know.)
• Nem vagyok fáradt. (I am not tired.)

If the verb is a form of "van" (to be), the negative form is "nincs".

Examples:

• Nincs könyvem. (I don't have a book.)
• Nincs pénzem. (I don’t have money.)

These are fundamental concepts in Hungarian that will allow you to construct meaningful sentences and understand the nuances of sentence structure and negation in the language.