Hungarian grammar | Project Gutenberg

esik, it rains.
villámlik, it lightens.
dörög, it thunders.
havazik, it snows.

Some impersonal verbs require to be constructed with either a dative or an accusative.

illik nekem, it is becoming for me.
engem illet, it concerns me.

Among impersonal verbs may be reckoned the verb

kelleni, to be necessary.

This verb need not be used impersonally. Thus, a person may say kellek, I am needed, but its most frequent use is an impersonal one.

kell, it is necessary; (or, kellett, it was necessary, fog kelleni, kellene, &c.) is constructed either with the simple infinitive, or with the infinitive with personal endings. Thus, one may say—

nekem kell irni or kell irnom, I must write.
neked kell irni or kell irnod, thou must write, &c.

If the speaker is merely thinking of the necessity of some action, without referring it to any particular person, the infinitive with kell is alone used.

Vigyázni kell, one must be careful.
Levelet kell irni, a letter must be written.

If the action is referred to some person, it is better to use the infinitive with personal endings, than such a construction as nekem kell irni.

Examples.

Tanulnia fog kelleni, he will have to learn.
Dolgozniok kellene, they would have to work.
Olvasnotok kellett, you had to read.

Szabad (it is permitted), and lehet (it is possible), take a similar construction.

Szabad dohányozni, smoking is allowed.
Szabad dohányoznom, I may smoke.
Nem lehet két urnak szolgálni, one cannot serve two masters.
Nem lehet irnom, I cannot write.

DEFECTIVE VERBS

(1) Nincs or nincsen, is not.

Plural: nincsenek, are not.

Atyám nincs itt, my father is not here.
Nincsenek itt a fiuk, the boys are not here.

Nincs must be translated by “have” or “has” when used with a noun or pronoun in the genitive case.

Az atyám-nak nincs lova, my father has not a horse.
Nekem nincs, I have not.
Neked nincs, thou hast not, &c.

Nincs is a contraction of nem (not), and van (is).

(2) Sincs, sincsen; plural: sincsenek, are contractions of sem (neither), and nincs, nincsen, or nincsenek.

A bátyám nincs itthon, my elder brother is not at home.
Az atyám sincs, neither is my father.

(3) Jer (come thou along), jerünk (let us go), jertek (come you along), are the only forms of this verb.

Exercise IX.

Mindennap két órát sétálok. Másold le a költeményt a könyvből. Ha tudnám, hogy találkozom vele, várnék. A két művész zongorázni és hegedülni fog. Kérlek, ülj le. Álljatok fel, gyermekeim. Köszönjünk a vendégeknek. Anyám virágot hozat és koszorút köttet belőle. Tavaly két lovunk volt, a nyáron négy lesz.

I have written a long letter to my father. I told him what (amit) you said to me. He will be very angry, but I hope soon to conciliate him. Come into the garden. Sit here and drink a cup of tea. I would read to you if you would like it. Do not go out of the house. I am going for a walk until four o’clock.

mindennap,	every day
óra,	hour
sétálni,	to walk
lemásolni,	to copy
költemény,	poem
tudni,	to know
hogy,	that
találkozni,	to meet
várni,	to wait for
művész,	artist
zongorázni,	to play the piano
hegedülni,	to play the violin
kérni,	to ask
leülni,	to sit down
állni,	to stand
gyermek,	child
köszönni,	to thank, to greet
vendég,	guest
hozni,	to bring
koszoru,	wreath
kötni,	to bind
tavaly,	last year
nyár,	summer
hosszu,	long
remélni,	to hope
megbékíteni,	to conciliate
csésze,	cup (a cup of tea, acc. csésze teát)
szeretni,	to love, to like

FOOTNOTES:

[7] The regular ending is -t; e.g. várni (to wait for), which makes vár-t; but a connecting vowel often has to be used, and the -t is then doubled; e.g. ad-ni (to give) makes ad-ott.

[8] Note that the third person, present indicative, singular and plural, of sharp-sounding verbs takes -i, -ik, instead of -ja, -ják. In other tenses, however, sharp verbs resemble flat verbs.