Hungarian verbs often have a little word stuck to the front, called a verbal prefix (in Hungarian, igekötő). It works much like the "up", "out" and "away" in English phrasal verbs: "go" and "go out", "give" and "give up". Some prefixes add a direction, some change the meaning completely, and some just show that an action is finished. The big difference from English is that the prefix can split off from the verb and move around the sentence. Prefixes are taught in Lesson 14, and their place in the sentence in Lesson 22.
The common prefixes
| Prefix | Basic meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| be- | in, into | bemegy | to go in |
| ki- | out | kimegy | to go out |
| fel- (also föl-) | up | felmegy | to go up |
| le- | down | lemegy | to go down |
| el- | away, off | elmegy | to go away, leave |
| át- | across, over | átmegy | to go across |
| vissza- | back | visszamegy | to go back |
| haza- | home | hazamegy | to go home |
| össze- | together | összejön | to come together, get together |
| oda- | to there | odamegy | to go over there |
| ide- | to here | idejön | to come over here |
| rá- | onto | rálép | to step on |
| szét- | apart | szétszed | to take apart |
| meg- | completion (no direction) | megĂr | to write (and finish) |
meg-: finishing the job
meg is the most common prefix of all, and it usually has no direction. It shows that the action is done completely, or done once, with a result. English often expresses the same idea with "up" or simply with the context.
| Without prefix | With meg- |
|---|---|
| Levelet Ărok. I'm writing a letter. (in progress) | MegĂrom a levelet. I'll write the letter. (and finish it) |
| Eszem. I'm eating. | Megeszem a levest. I'll eat up the soup. |
| Magyarul tanulok. I'm learning Hungarian. | Megtanulom a szavakat. I'll learn the words (by heart). |
| Mit csinálsz? What are you doing? | Megcsinálom. I'll get it done. |
Some verbs with meg- have a meaning of their own: megáll (to stop), megért (to understand), meghal (to die), megkérdez (to ask someone), meglátogat (to visit), megérkezik (to arrive).
One verb, many prefixes
Prefixes can change a verb's meaning a lot, so learn each combination as a word of its own.
ad (to give)
elad (to sell)
kiad (to publish; to rent out)
bead (to hand in)
átad (to hand over, pass)
visszaad (to give back)
megad (to give (what is owed); to provide)
felad (to post (a letter); to give up)
néz (to look)
megnéz (to have a look at, to watch (a film))
kinéz (to look out; to look (like))
benéz (to look in; to drop in)
átnéz (to look through, check)
visszanéz (to look back)
lenéz (to look down; to look down on)
vesz (to take)
megvesz (to buy)
felvesz (to put on (clothes); to pick up; to hire)
levesz (to take off; to take down)
elvesz (to take away)
kivesz (to take out)
részt vesz (to take part (written as two words))
More everyday pairs
| Verb | With a prefix | English |
|---|---|---|
| hĂv (calls) | felhĂv | to phone someone |
| nyit (opens) | kinyit | to open (a door, a window) |
| csuk (shuts) | becsuk | to close |
| kapcsol (switches) | bekapcsol, kikapcsol | to switch on, to switch off |
| száll (flies, boards) | felszáll, leszáll, átszáll | to get on, to get off, to change (buses) |
| felejt (forgets) | elfelejt | to forget (completely) |
| kezd (begins) | elkezd | to start (something) |
| fordĂt (turns, translates) | lefordĂt | to translate (a whole text) |
| takarĂt (cleans) | kitakarĂt | to clean (a whole room) |
| talál (finds) | megtalál | to find (what you were looking for) |
When the prefix splits off
In a neutral sentence the prefix stays in front of the verb and is written together with it. But as soon as something else needs the place directly before the verb, the prefix moves after the verb and becomes a separate word.
| Situation | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral statement: prefix + verb | PĂ©ter megĂrta a levelet. | PĂ©ter wrote the letter. |
| Negation: nem takes the place | PĂ©ter nem Ărta meg a levelet. | PĂ©ter didn't write the letter. |
| A question word takes the place | Mikor Ărod meg a levelet? | When will you write the letter? |
| Focus: a stressed word takes the place | PĂ©ter Ărta meg a levelet. (stress on PĂ©ter) | It was PĂ©ter who wrote the letter. |
| Command: prefix after the verb | ĂŤrd meg a levelet! | Write the letter! |
| A helping verb: prefix before it, verb at the end | Meg fogom Ărni., Meg kell Ărnom., Meg akarom Ărni. | I will write it. I must write it. I want to write it. |
| Yes/no question: no change | MegĂrtad a levelet? | Did you write the letter? |
Notice the helping verbs. With fog, kell, akar, tud, szeretne and lehet, the prefix jumps in front of the helping verb, and the infinitive comes after it without the prefix: Haza tudsz jönni? (Can you come home?). But when the sentence is negative, the prefix goes back to the infinitive: Nem tudok hazajönni. (I can't come home.)
Commands
In commands, the prefix usually comes after the verb: Gyere be! (Come in!), Ăślj le! (Sit down!), NĂ©zd meg! (Look at it!), HĂvj fel! (Call me!). A very firm order can also use the present tense with the prefix in front: Most azonnal megĂrod a leckĂ©t! (You're doing your homework right now!)
Prefixes and the future
A verb with meg- or another completing prefix, in the present tense, often means the future: Holnap megcsinálom. (I'll do it tomorrow.) Megvárlak. (I'll wait for you.) Without the prefix the same verb usually means "now, in progress": Várlak. (I'm waiting for you.)
Answering with the prefix
The prefix on its own can be a short answer to a yes/no question, like "I did" or "I will" in English. To say no, use nem with the verb.
MegĂrtad a levelet? Meg. (Did you write the letter? Yes, I did.)
Bejössz? Be. (Are you coming in? Yes.)
Elmentek már? Nem mentek el. (Have they left yet? No, they haven't.)