Imperative Mood: Forming Commands and Requests in Hungarian

In Hungarian, the imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests. It is a direct and concise way of expressing your intentions. In this guide, we will learn how to form commands and requests using the imperative mood in Hungarian.

Basic Form of the Imperative Mood

To form the imperative mood in Hungarian, we generally use the second-person singular form of the verb. Let's take a look at some examples:

• Gyere ide! - Come here!
• Tanulj! - Study!
• Várj rám! - Wait for me!

Note that the subject pronoun is usually omitted in the imperative form since it is clear from the context who the command or request is addressed to.

Formation of the Imperative Mood

The formation of the imperative mood in Hungarian depends on the type of verb stem. We have two main categories: verbs with vowel-final stems and verbs with consonant-final stems.

Verbs with Vowel-Final Stems

For verbs with vowel-final stems, we add the appropriate ending to the verb stem. Here are the endings for the imperative mood:

• For verbs ending in a vowel: simply add -j to the verb stem.
• For verbs ending in -i, replace -i with -j.
• For verbs ending in -e, replace -e with -j.
• For verbs ending in -ö, replace -ö with -j.
• For verbs ending in a consonant cluster, remove the cluster and add -j.

Examples:

• beszél (to speak) - beszélj (speak!)
• olvas (to read) - olvasj (read!)
• néz (to watch) - nézz (watch!)
• ül (to sit) - ülj (sit!)

Verbs with Consonant-Final Stems

For verbs with consonant-final stems, we add the appropriate ending to the verb stem. Here are the endings for the imperative mood:

• For verbs ending in -ik, replace -ik with -j.
• For verbs ending in -el, replace -el with -j.
• For verbs ending in -al, replace -al with -j.
• For verbs ending in -ol, replace -ol with -j.
• For verbs ending in other consonant combinations, remove the final consonants and add -j.

Examples:

• kellik (to like) - kedvelj (like!)
• menjek (to go) - menj (go!)
• nézzek (to see) - nézd (see!)
• fogjak (to catch) - fogd (catch!)

Negative Imperative

To create a negative imperative in Hungarian, we use the word ne followed by the verb stem. This form is used to give commands or make requests, but with a negative connotation.

Examples:

• Ne csináld! - Don't do it!
• Ne fuss! - Don't run!
• Ne feledd el! - Don't forget it!

Polite Forms in the Imperative Mood

In Hungarian, we can also use polite forms in the imperative mood by adding the word legyen szíves before the verb. This is a more formal way of giving commands or making requests.

Examples:

• Legyen szíves, jöjjön be. - Please come in.
• Legyen szíves, üljön le. - Please sit down.
• Legyen szíves, írjon nekem. - Please write to me.

Keep in mind that the polite forms are more commonly used in formal situations, such as in professional settings or when addressing strangers.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have learned how to form commands and requests using the imperative mood in Hungarian. Remember to pay attention to the verb stem and the appropriate endings based on whether the verb has a vowel-final or consonant-final stem. Practice using both the basic and negative imperative forms to become more confident in using this mood. Happy learning!