The Possessive Form

In Hungarian, the possessive form is used to indicate ownership or association. It expresses the idea of "belonging to" or "being associated with" someone or something. Creating the possessive form of nouns is relatively straightforward, but there are a few rules to keep in mind.

Adding the Possessive Suffix

To form the possessive form of a noun, you need to add a possessive suffix to the end of the noun. The possessive suffix indicates the possessor and agrees in person and number with the noun it modifies. Here are the possessive suffixes for the different persons and numbers:

• My: -m
• Your (singular): -d
• His/Her/Its: -ja/-je
• Our: -nk
• Your (plural): -tök
• Their: -jük/-jük

Rules for Adding the Possessive Suffix

1. If the noun ends in a vowel, simply append the appropriate possessive suffix to the end.

   • Example: kutya (dog) becomes kutyám (my dog).

2. If the noun ends in a consonant or a cluster of consonants, you may need to make some slight modifications before adding the possessive suffix:

   • If the noun ends with a single consonant, simply append the appropriate possessive suffix to the end.
     • Example: asztal (table) becomes asztalom (my table).
   • If the noun ends with a consonant cluster, such as -sz, -tz, or -dz, insert a linking vowel -o- before adding the possessive suffix.
     • Example: függöny (curtain) becomes függönyöm (my curtain).
   • If the noun ends with a vowel followed by a consonant cluster, such as -nt, -st, or -lt, insert a linking vowel -a- before adding the possessive suffix.
     • Example: hajó (ship) becomes hajóm (my ship).

Irregular Possessive Forms

Some nouns have irregular possessive forms that do not follow the general rules above. Here are a few common irregularities to be aware of:

• év (year) becomes évem (my year).
• fog (tooth) becomes fogam (my tooth).
• test (body) becomes testem (my body).

Examples

Here are some examples to illustrate the use of the possessive form:

• autó (car) becomes autóm (my car).
• könyv (book) becomes könyvem (my book).
• szék (chair) becomes székem (my chair).
• számítógép (computer) becomes számítógépem (my computer).

Remember, when using the possessive form, the noun being modified should agree with the possessor in person and number. Use the appropriate possessive suffix to convey ownership or association accurately.

By mastering the rules for creating the possessive form, you can confidently demonstrate ownership or association in Hungarian.