Language/Hungarian/Grammar/Questions

Hungarian Grammar - Questions

Hi Hungarian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on questions in Hungarian. As an experienced Hungarian language teacher, I can assure you that mastering the art of asking questions is crucial in order to communicate effectively with native speakers. Moreover, questions are fundamental in learning through conversations with native speakers. Therefore, it is important to understand the different types of questions and the grammar rules that come along with them.

To improve your Hungarian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Types of Questions

Before we dive into grammar, let's review the different types of questions in Hungarian:

• Yes/No Questions: These questions have a simple expected answer of "yes" or "no". For example, "Are you hungry?"

• WH-Questions: These questions start with a question word such as "who", "what", "where", "when", "why", or "how". For example, "What is your favorite color?"

• Alternative Questions: These questions offer a choice between two options. For example, "Do you prefer tea or coffee?"

• Tag Questions: These questions are often used to confirm something that has been said. For example, "You like pizza, don't you?"

Now that we've reviewed the different types of questions, let's focus on the grammar rules that come along with each type of question.

Yes/No Questions

In Hungarian, yes/no questions are formed simply by placing the verb before the subject. For example:

• "Egyél tejet?" ("Are you eating milk?")

• "Szereted a zenét?" ("Do you like music?")

Notice how in these examples, the verb "eat" and "like" comes before the subject, "you" and "music". Here are some more examples:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Találkozom veled este?	Ta-lál-ko-zom ve-led e-ste?	Will I meet you in the evening?
Menjünk moziba?	Men-yünk mo-zi-ba?	Shall we go to the cinema?
Van kedved elmenni a koncertre?	Van kéd-ved el-men-ni a kon-cer-tre?	Do you feel like going to the concert?

WH-Questions

In Hungarian, WH-questions are formed the same way as yes/no questions, except they start with a question word. For example:

• "Miért sírsz?" ("Why are you crying?")

• "Hány éves vagy?" ("How old are you?")

Notice how in these examples, the question words "why" and "how many" come before the verb and subject, respectively. Here are some more examples:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Hová mész?	Hó-vá més?	Where are you going?
Mikor jöttél haza?	Mi-kor jöt-tél ha-za?	When did you come home?
Kivel találkoztál?	Ki-vel ta-lál-ko-ztál?	Who did you meet?

Alternative Questions

In Hungarian, alternative questions are formed simply by adding "vagy" (or) between the two options. For example:

• "Te vagy nála, vagy nálam?" ("Are you with him, or with me?")

• "Leüljek, vagy menjek?" ("Should I sit down, or leave?")

Notice how "vagy" separates the two options. Here are some more examples:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Ezt szeretnéd tej nélkül, vagy cukor nélkül?	Ez-t sze-ret-néd téj nél-kül, vagy cu-kor nél-kül?	Do you want this without milk or sugar?
Gyümölcsös vagy csokoládés desszertet kérsz?	Gyümölc-sös va-gy cso-ko-ládés desz-ser-tet kérsz?	Do you want a fruit or chocolate dessert?
Kimegyünk az udvarra, vagy maradunk bent?	Ki-mégyünk az ud-var-ra, va-gy ma-ra-du-nuk bent?	Shall we go outdoors, or stay inside?

Tag Questions

In Hungarian, tag questions are formed by adding "ugye" at the end of the sentence. For example:

• "Állsz, ugye?" ("You are standing, aren't you?")

• "Szereted a zenét, ugye?" ("You like music, don't you?")

Notice how "ugye" is added at the end, making it a tag question. Here are some more examples:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Jól érzed magad, ugye?	Jól ér-zed ma-gad, ugye?	You're feeling good, right?
Végeztél a feladattal, ugye?	Vé-gez-tél a fe-la-dat-tal, ugye?	You finished the task, didn't you?
Kapsz segítséget, ugye?	Kap-sz se-gít-séget, ugye?	You'll get help, right?

By mastering these grammar rules, you'll be able to ask different types of questions confidently in Hungarian! Now, let's practice with a dialogue:

• Person 1: "Hol találom a boltot?" ("Where can I find the store?")
• Person 2: "Az utcán túl kell elhaladnia, majd balra fordulnia." ("You need to go past the street and then turn left.")

• Person 1: "Mennyi időbe telik eljutni az állomásra?" ("How long does it take to get to the station?")
• Person 2: "Körülbelül 15 perc." ("Around 15 minutes.")

• Person 1: "Mikor kezdődik a koncert?" ("When does the concert start?")
• Person 2: "Este nyolckor." ("At 8 pm.")

Great job! Now that you're familiar with these grammar rules, don't be afraid to use them in real-life situations. Practice often and improve your skills.

Sources

• Hungarian grammar - Wikipedia
• Interrogative pronouns in Hungarian [HungarianReference.com ...
• Common Questions in Hungarian & How to Answer Them

Other Lessons

• How to Use Be
• How to form the feminine
• Possessed object
• Cardinal Numbers
• Future Tense
• Negation
• Plurals
• How to Use Have
• Nouns