Relative Clauses: Adding Extra Information in Hungarian

Relative clauses are a useful tool in Hungarian for adding extra information to a sentence without starting a new one. They allow you to provide additional details about a noun or pronoun. In English, relative clauses are often introduced by words like "who," "which," or "that." In Hungarian, however, we use a different approach.

Relative Pronouns in Hungarian

In Hungarian, relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns. These pronouns serve as the subject or object of the relative clause and refer back to a noun or pronoun in the main clause. Let's take a look at the different relative pronouns in Hungarian:

• Aki/akik: Used to refer to people, equivalent to "who" or "whom" in English.
• Ami/amik: Used to refer to things, equivalent to "which" or "that" in English.
• Amelyik/amelyek: Used to refer to both people and things, equivalent to "who/which/that" in English.

Forming a Relative Clause

To form a relative clause in Hungarian, follow these steps:

1. Identify the noun or pronoun that you want to provide additional information about.
2. Replace the noun or pronoun with the appropriate relative pronoun.
3. Place the relative pronoun at the beginning of the relative clause.
4. Adjust the verb form in the relative clause based on the noun's or pronoun's role in the main clause (e.g., subject vs. object).

Let's see some examples to illustrate this process:

1. Main clause: Az a férfi segített nekem. (That man helped me.) Relative clause: A férfi, aki segített nekem, nagyon kedves volt. (The man who helped me was very kind.)

2. Main clause: Az a könyv érdekes. (That book is interesting.) Relative clause: A könyv, amelyik érdekes, a kedvencem. (The book which is interesting is my favorite.)

3. Main clause: Azok az emberek dolgoztak. (Those people worked.) Relative clause: Azok az emberek, akik dolgoztak, most pihennek. (Those people who worked are now resting.)

Positioning of the Relative Clause

In Hungarian, relative clauses usually come immediately after the noun or pronoun they refer to. The word order in the relative clause follows the standard Hungarian word order:

• Subject + Verb + Other elements (e.g., object, adverbs)

Let's see some examples:

• Az újság, ami az asztalon van, érdekes. (The newspaper that is on the table is interesting.)
• A ház, amelyikben lakom, nagyon szép. (The house in which I live is very beautiful.)

Relative Clauses with Prepositions

When a preposition is used with a relative clause, it is placed immediately before the relative pronoun. Here's an example:

• Az ember, akiről beszéltem, híres író. (The man about whom I spoke is a famous writer.)

Summary

Relative clauses are a practical tool for adding extra information to a sentence without starting a new one. In Hungarian, relative pronouns like aki/akik for people or ami/amik for things are used to introduce these clauses. Remember to adjust the verb form in the relative clause based on the noun's or pronoun's role in the main clause. With these guidelines, you'll be able to use relative clauses effectively to enhance your Hungarian sentences.