Languages Around the World

More on Word Pairs

When word pairs are plural the first word is required to be in the plural but not the second word. The first word may have a shortened pronunciation. Also plural nouns ending in im/ים change to ey/י and adjectives will agree with the first word.

book - books - children's book - children' books
ספר – ספרים – ספר ילדים ספרי ילדים
sefer - sfarim - sefer yeladim - sifrey yeladim


More Group 1 Verbs

This final group consists of roots ending in kh/ח or ah/ע

Example: to forget - li'shko-akh - שכוח
root: ש–כ–ח

shokhe-akh - שוכח
shokhakhat - שוכחת
shokhekhim - שוכחים
shokhekhot - שוכחות

Impersonal Ones

To be impersonal use the plural form

What do you find in that store?
מה מוצאים בחנות ההיא
Mah mots-im ba'khanut ha'hi?

Have

There is no verb for have in Hungarian rather you use a rather formulaic expression of subject-dative + object-possessive + van/vannak (vannak is plural object ONLY. (never use a with the possessed object like in normal possessives)

The doctor has a big family.
Az Orvosnak nagy családja van.

They have an American car.
Nekik amerikai koscijuk van.

When you negate this sentiment change van/vannak for nincs-nincsen/nincsenek but the word order changes to subject-dative + nincs-nincsen/nincsenek + object-possesive

I don't have a girlfriend.
Nekem nincs barátnőm.

When asking this in a question the word order changes again and the verb comes first followed by the subject then object. It should be noted when using dative pronouns or when the person is clear it can be dropped.

Do you have a momm? I just have a dad.
Van anyád? Csak apám van.

Double Negatives

When using sehol (nowhere), senki (nobody), or semmi (nothing) you need to use a second negative word with it either nem or sem (sem can only be used as the second negative).

I'm not writing to anyone.
Nem írok senkinek. / Senkinek sem (or nem) írok.

The second negative may also be nins(en)/sincs(en) when appropriate.

Nothing is here.
Semmi nincs itt.

She's nowhere!
Sehol sincs ő.

Sem/Sincs are also used in neither/nor phrases.

I don't like water or lemonade.
Nem szeretek sem vízt, sem limonádét.

Neither do you.
Neked sincs.

Plural Possesives

my - im
your - id
his/her/its - i

our - ink
your - itok/itek
their - ik

If adding to a or e lengthen to á and é, for other vowels just add the endings. For consoannts you need a buffer (j)a/(j)e (j-use almost always the same as the singular possesive).

Noun Stems

There are three classes of nouns that add possesives, plurals, and accusative differently. You must learn this individually.

Low-Vowel Nouns

-linking vowel is a/e
-always require linking vowel in accusative
-never use j-possesives
-may show vowel loss in last syllable

(ház - house)
nominative: ház / házak
accusative: házat / házakat
my: házam / házaim
his: háza / házai
our: házunk / házaink

Fleeting Vowel Nouns

-omit last vowel of the noun
-linking vowel always required for accusative
-never use the j-possesive

(álom - dream)
nominative: álom / álmok
accusative: álmot / álmokat
my: álmom / álmaim
his: álma / álmai
our: álmunk / álmaink

-Alom and -Elem Nouns

-linking vowel always a/e
-last vowel omitted

(szerelem - love)
nominative: szerelem / szerelmek
accusative: szerelmet / szerelmeket
my: szerelmem / szerelmeim
his: szerelme / szerelmei
our: szerelmünk / szerelmeink

Possesion

There are two ways:

1 - someone's something or possesive pronouns

shel - של means of (must use ha - ה with the possessed.

I like the restaurant's trout.
אני אוהבה את הפורל של המסעדח
Ani ohevet et ha'forel shel ha'mis-adah.

But shel can with pronoun endings too

my - sheli - שלי
your (m) - shelkha - שלך
your (f) - shelakh - שלך
his - shelo - שלו
her - shelah - שלה
our - shelanu - שלנו
your (m) - shelakhem - שלכם
your (f) - shelaken - שלכן
their (m) - shelahem - שלהם
their (f) - shelahen - שלהן

My family lives in America.
המשפחה שלי גרח באמריקה
Ha'mispakhah sheli garah b'amerikah.

there is no verb that means to have instead you say to (person) there is (not)

to me - li - לי
to you - lekha / lakh - לך
to him - lo - לו
to her - lah - לה
to us - lanu - לנו
to you - lakhem / lakhen - לכם / לכן
to them - lahem / lahen - להם / להן

We have the tickets.
יש לנו הכרטיסים
Yesh lanu ha'kartisim.

Sarah doesn't have house.
לשׂרה אין בית
L'Sarah eyn bayit.

Can also switch position of eyn/yesh and person/pronoun.

More Group 1 Verbs

those with a middle letter of ו or י drop that letter

to live/dwell
infinitive: la'gur - לגור
root: gur – גור
conjugation:

gar - גר
garah - גרה
garim - גרים
garot - גרות

Yakhol is a verb that means can/able to and like in English it has no infinitive and verbs that follow it take the infinitive.

Can you come to my office?
אתח יכול לפגוש להמשׂרד שלי
Atah yakhol l'fgosh la'ha'misrad sheli/

Questions

Preposition+which+noun+subject+verb..

What university are you studying at?
באיזו אוניורסיטה את לומדת
B'eyzo universitah at lomedet?

*Hebrew colloquially uses איזה for the plural which instead of אילו

Word Pairs

Word pairs are word that when put together make a new word that in english often needs a preposition. If the first word ends in ah - ה it changes to ת. Also when it is definite only the second word is preceded by the. Some nouns also change vowels, such as house "bayit" changing to beyt.

glass of water
כוס מימ

the school
בית הספר

the weekend
סופ השבוע

Dative Case

Dative is an ending that takes the places of for or to (IOP).

If noun ends in a or e lengthen to á and é and add nak or nek

anya: anyának
cseresznye: cseresznyének

Otherwise no other change but adding nak or nak

ember: embernek
kolbász: kolbásznak
bőrönd: bőröndnek
szomszédok: szomszédoknak

Pronouns do not attach to word endings and have seperate forms:

nekem
neked
neki

nekünk
nektek
nekik

Az and ex have irregular singular dative forms which are ennek and annok though their plurals are regular and are ezeknek and azoknak.

Dative Examples:

Indirect Object:

She is writing to the historian.
ők írsz történésznek.

Hungarian Verb Requisite:

telefonál

I am calling them.
Telefonálok nekik.

örül

I am happy about the trip.
Örülök az utazásnak.

Tetsik (gustar verb)

Do you like that woman?
Tetszik neked az nő?

Irregular Verbs

jön and megy never have a direct object, are irregular and do not have definite forms:

megyek
mész
megy

megyünk
mentek
mennek

--

jövök
jössz
jön

jövünk
jöttök
jönnek

Mikor jön Tamás?
Mikor jöttök?
Merre jössz?
Mikor jönnek a szülők?
Mikor jön Lilla a repülőtérre?
Megyünk?

Possesive

Attach endings instead of seperate words and precede by definite article

If it ends in a or e lengthen to á and é, other vowels add:

m
d
ja-je

nk
tok-tek-tök
juk-jük

If it ends in a consonant add:

om-em-öm
od-ed-öd
(j)a-(j)e

unk-ünk
otok-etek-ötök
(j)uk-(j)ük

3rd person j endings are unpredictable but words ending in c, cs, gy, j, ly, ny, s, sz, ty, z, and zs never allow j-endings.

A strong tendancy is for back words ending in b, d, g, p, t, and k to take the back ending.

When comparing contrasting or putting emphasis use pronouns in between articles and the noun but ők does not exist, just ő

When adding endings add possesives before cases. To add the accusative you need a linking vowel (except for 3rd person singular) a or e. For 3rd person lengthen a and e to á and é and add t. Most other cases don not need a linking vowel though e and a still have to be lengthened.

Family

To have a more respecful and formal name add édes so mother would be édesanya

Definite Conjugation

In hungarian there are two types of conjugation. The indefinite we already learned but the definite is used for a definite direct object.

Definite if:

-preceded by definite article
-modified by or just demonstrative
-proper noun
-possessive ending
-3rd person pronoun (even unstated)
-uses each other
-has melyik
-when used to introduce a subordinate "that" clause which may or may not use hogy

Examples:

Does she know when the plane will land?
Tudja mikor érkezik a gép?

Conjugation:

én: om-em-öm
te: od-ed-öd
ő: ja-i

mi: juk-jük
ti: játok-itek
ők: ják-ik

When adding j endings the following change occurs:


sj: ss
szj: ssz
zj; zz
dzj: ddz

Want

To say you would like something in hebrew usually you can just say אני רוצה however you can say הייתי רוצה in more formal settings.

Throaty Five

When one of the throaty five sounds - ר, ע, ח, ה, א appear in a verb they change the pronunciation. In the verb ohev an a is added in the plural versions - ohavim, ohavot

Et

את is a particle that must be used before definite direct objects.

I'm writing the letter.
אני כותבת את המכתב

I see a waitress.
אני רואה מלצרית

When using this/that as adjectives you need et as well.

Plural Nouns

Masculine nouns pluralize with ים and feminine nouns with ות.

Adjectives

Adjectives follow their nouns. They must agree in gender and number. Most singular feminine adjectives end in ה/ית. The plurals are the same for nouns, ים and ות. If a noun has a definite article the adjective must take one too. Many adjectives have the f/mpl/fpl with a shortened vowel to ease pronunciation.

the soft pear
האגס הרך

the pear is soft
האגס רך

There Is(n't)

These words are יש and אין and unlike most things in hebrew are indeclinable

Accusative

The ending for the accusative is -t, which is for direct objects.

I would like an egg.
Kérek tojást.

-noun ends in a or e lengthen to á or é and add a t

anya, anyát
csésze, csészét

-for nouns ending in other vowels add -t

hajó, hajót
fiú, fiút

-nouns ending in r, l, ny, n, j, ly, s, sz, z, zs add -t

papír, papírt
lany, lanyt

-nouns eending in other consonants add o-e-ö

nap, napot
bőrönd, bőröndöt
zöldség, zöldséget

Quantity

Use the singular after all expressions of quantity. Fruits and vegetable normally take the singular too.

Future

Thee future version of van is lesz and the infinitive is lenni.

Two and Small

Two and small have two forms. If they precede thee noun use két or kis, if not use kettő or kicsi.

This car is small.
Ez a kocsi kicsi.

This is a small car.
Ez kis kocsi.