Граматична тема
The Infinitive (-ni) and Personal Infinitive Forms
The infinitive, the basic “to do something” form of the verb, is formed in Hungarian by adding -ni to the stem, sometimes with a linking vowel -ani / -eni. For example: áll (to stand) -> állni, olvas (to read) -> olvasni, tanít (to teach) -> tanítani.
The infinitive is often used with words such as:
- kell (must, need to), szabad (may, be allowed), tilos (forbidden), lehet (can, possible), jó (good), nehéz (difficult).
- A vonaton tilos dohányozni. [Smoking is forbidden on the train.]
Personal infinitive: “I need to go”
To say “I need to go” or “it is hard for you to read,” Hungarian uses a special construction: personal possessive-style endings are added to the infinitive. In the 1st and 2nd person, the -i of -ni drops.
Infinitive forms with tanulni (to study) and menni (to go):
| Who? (For whom is it necessary?) | Ending | tanulni (to study) | menni (to go) | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nekem (for me) | -nom/-nem/-nöm | tanulnom kell | mennem kell | I need to study / go |
| Neked (for you) | -nod/-ned/-nöd | tanulnod kell | menned kell | you need to study / go |
| Neki (for him/her) | -nia/-nie | tanulnia kell | mennie kell | he/she needs to study / go |
| Nekünk (for us) | -nunk/-nünk | tanulnunk kell | mennünk kell | we need to study / go |
| Nektek (for you plural) | -notok/-netek/-nötök | tanulnotok kell | mennetek kell | you need to study / go |
| Nekik (for them) | -niuk/-niük | tanulniuk kell | menniuk kell | they need to study / go |
The pronouns Nekem, Neked, and so on are often omitted because the infinitive ending already shows the person.
Reading Practice
- Sietnem kell, mert vár a barátnőm. [I need to hurry because my girlfriend/female friend is waiting.]
- Mit kell elolvasnom? [What do I need to read?]
- Neked is el kell olvasnod ezt a könyvet. [You also need to read this book.]
- A diákoknak nem szabad szótárt használniuk. [The students are not allowed to use a dictionary.]
- Érdemes megnézned ezt a filmet. [It is worth watching this movie.]
- Sajnos ma dolgoznom kell. [Unfortunately, I have to work today.]
- Kinek kell pihennie? [Who needs to rest?]
- Nekem pihennem kell. [I need to rest.]
- Itt nem lehet parkolni. [You cannot park here.]
- Késő van, haza kell mennünk. [It is late; we need to go home.]