Definite vs indefinite conjugation in Hungarian

Grammar guide · A2–B1 · 9 min read

In Hungarian, “I see” is either látok or látom, and choosing wrong is one of the most common learner mistakes. The difference has nothing to do with tense or politeness. It depends on the object of the verb: is it something specific and known (definite), or something general, new or absent (indefinite)? This guide shows both sets of endings, the rules for deciding, and the special -lak/-lek form for “I … you”.

Two sets of endings

Same verb, same tense, same person. “A house” is indefinite, so the verb takes the indefinite ending; “the house” is definite, so it takes the definite ending. Every transitive verb has both sets.

Back-vowel verb: lát (to see)

Front-vowel verb: kér (to ask for)

The endings change with vowel harmony (-ja after back vowels, -i after front ones). After s, sz and z, the j of the definite endings turns into a copy of that consonant: olvassa, olvassuk, nézzük.

When is the object definite?

“Definite” means the speaker and listener both know exactly which thing is meant. In practice these trigger the definite form:

• The article a/az: Kérem a számlát! The bill, please!
• Names: Ismered Pétert? Do you know Péter?
• Possessed nouns (my key, her husband): Nem találom a kulcsomat. I can’t find my key.
• This and that, ez and az: Ezt nem értem. I don’t understand this.
• Melyik which: Melyik filmet nézed? Which film are you watching?
• Him, her, them (őt, őket) and formal you (Önt): Látom őt minden nap. I see him every day.
• A “that” clause as the object: Tudom, hogy ő is jön. I know that he’s coming too.

When is it indefinite?

• No object at all: Egy kicsit beszélek magyarul. I speak a little Hungarian.
• The article egy a, an: Kérek egy kávét. I’d like a coffee.
• Numbers and quantities with a noun: Két jegyet kérek. I’d like two tickets. Sarah már sok magyar szót ismer. Sarah already knows a lot of Hungarian words.
• Mit, kit what, whom: Mit csinálsz? What are you doing? Kit keresel? Who are you looking for?
• Semmit, valamit nothing, something: Nem látok semmit. I can’t see anything.
• Me and you as the object (engem, téged, and plural minket, titeket): Péter vár engem. Péter is waiting for me.

That last rule surprises everyone: “me” and “you” are as specific as it gets, yet they take the indefinite form. Treat it as a fact of the language. The one twist is when I do something to you, which gets its own ending.

-lak/-lek: “I … you”

When the subject is “I” and the object is “you” (informal singular téged or plural titeket), the verb ends in -lak after back vowels and -lek after front vowels.

The form carries into other tenses (láttalak I saw you) and onto helper verbs: Soha nem foglak elfelejteni téged. I will never forget you.

Two traps

• Formal you is not “you” grammatically. Ön behaves like “he/she”, so it takes the ordinary definite form: Uram, holnap várom Önt az irodában. Sir, I’ll expect you at the office tomorrow.
• Only real objects count. Segít to help takes -nak/-nek, not an object, so there is no -lek: Szívesen segítek neked. I’m happy to help you.

A quick test you can run in your head

1. Is there an object? If not, indefinite.
2. Is it “I → you”? Use -lak/-lek.
3. Could you put “the” in front of it in English, or is it a name, “my …”, “this”, “which”, him/her/them or formal you? Definite.
4. Otherwise (egy, numbers, mit, semmit, me/you): indefinite.

The object usually carries the accusative -t, so this topic goes hand in hand with the Hungarian case endings. Learners typically meet it at A2, and it shows up constantly in exam writing and speaking tasks such as the ECL Hungarian exam.

Frequently asked questions

Pick the right form without thinking

Magyar Up drills látok vs látom in real sentences, and the A2 folk tale Az igazmondó juhász is built around the definite conjugation.

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