Forming Questions in Hungarian

In this guide, we will learn how to form questions in Hungarian. Asking questions is an important part of any language, and understanding how to ask questions will greatly enhance your communication skills. Let's dive in!

Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions are questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" response. In Hungarian, you can form yes/no questions by following these steps:

1. Start with the subject.
2. Add the verb in its present tense form.
3. Place the question particle vajon before the verb.

Let's take a look at some examples:

• English: Are you happy?
  • Hungarian: Boldog vagy?
• English: Does she speak Hungarian?
  • Hungarian: Beszél magyarul?
• English: Can they come with us?
  • Hungarian: Jöhetnek velünk?

Remember, when forming yes/no questions in Hungarian, you need to use the question particle vajon before the verb to indicate that it is a question.

Information Questions

Information questions are questions that seek specific information and cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" response. In Hungarian, information questions typically start with question words. Here are some common question words and their usage:

• Ki? - Who?

  • English: Who is that?
    • Hungarian: Ki az?
  • English: Who is coming to the party?
    • Hungarian: Ki jön a buliba?

• Mi? - What?

  • English: What are you doing?
    • Hungarian: Mit csinálsz?
  • English: What time is it?
    • Hungarian: Hány óra van?

• Hol? - Where?

  • English: Where is the nearest bank?
    • Hungarian: Hol van a legközelebbi bank?
  • English: Where did you go last summer?
    • Hungarian: Hova mentél tavaly nyáron?

• Mikor? - When?

  • English: When is your birthday?
    • Hungarian: Mikor van a születésnapod?
  • English: When are they arriving?
    • Hungarian: Mikor érkeznek?

• Miért? - Why?

  • English: Why are you late?
    • Hungarian: Miért késel?
  • English: Why did they cancel the meeting?
    • Hungarian: Miért mondatták le az értekezletet?

• Hogy? - How?

  • English: How do you say "hello" in Hungarian?
    • Hungarian: Hogy mondod "szia" magyarul?
  • English: How did you solve the problem?
    • Hungarian: Hogyan oldottad meg a problémát?

Remember to pay attention to the word order in information questions. The question word usually comes at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb and then the subject.

Practice Makes Perfect

Now that you understand how to form questions in Hungarian, practice is key! Try creating questions using different question words and practice asking and answering them. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become with forming questions in Hungarian.

Congratulations! You now have the knowledge to confidently form questions in Hungarian. Keep practicing and soon you'll be able to ask questions with ease.