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Hungarian grammar A1: beginner

With and by

Contents · A1
  1. The verb van
  2. Place
  3. Nouns
  4. The present
  5. Questions and negation
  6. The object
  7. The definite conjugation
  8. Possession
  9. With and by
    1. With and by: -val, -vel
    2. With whom, with what: kivel?, mivel?, velem, veled, vele
  10. Time
  11. The infinitive
  12. The past and the future of van
  13. Verbal prefixes

Hungarian has no separate word for with or by: the ending -val, -vel, added to the noun, names a companion, a means of travel or a tool. Its v is kept after a vowel and becomes the last consonant of the word after a consonant.

With and by: -val, -vel#

Formation

After a vowel the ending is -val in a back-vowel word and -vel in a front-vowel word, a final -a or -e lengthening: autó → autóval, ceruza → ceruzával, Bence → Bencével. After a consonant, the v becomes that consonant, which is written twice: busz → busszal, vonat → vonattal, Péter → Péterrel. A two-letter consonant is doubled by writing its first letter twice: sz → ssz (busszal), gy → ggy (jeggyel), ny → nny (lánnyal).

Word ends inEndingExamples
a vowel, back word-valautóval, hajóval, Annával
a vowel, front word-velrepülővel, Bencével
a consonant, back wordthe consonant doubled + -albusszal, vonattal, Tommal
a consonant, front wordthe consonant doubled + -elPéterrel, tejjel, késsel

Use

The ending names a companion (Annával, “with Anna”), a means of travel (busszal, “by bus”) and a tool (tollal, “with a pen”). It is also found in two names of seasons, tavasszal and ősszel, as Months and seasons: januárban, nyáron sets out.

  • Vonattal megyünk Pécsre.We’re going to Pécs by train.
  • Emma Tommal jön.Emma is coming with Tom.
  • Ceruzával rajzolok.I draw with a pencil.
  • Teát iszom cukorral.I drink tea with sugar.

Difference from English

English with and by are separate words before the noun; Hungarian has one ending after it: busszal, “by bus”. The consonant before it is written twice, which English spelling never does at the joint of an ending.

Common mistakes

  • buszval → busszalAfter a consonant, the v becomes that consonant.
  • Péterval → PéterrelPéter has front vowels, and its r is doubled.
  • autóvel → autóvalAutó has back vowels, so the ending is -val.

Practise

“With and by: -val, -vel (autóval, busszal, velem)”, Saying with and by after a vowel: autóval, Annával “With and by: -val, -vel (autóval, busszal, velem)”, Saying with and by after a consonant: busszal, Péterrel

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With whom, with what: kivel?, mivel?, velem, veled, vele#

Formation

The question words take the same ending: kivel? (with whom?) for a person, mivel? (with what?, by what?) for a thing or a means of travel. The personal pronouns have forms of their own: velem (with me), veled (with you, one person), vele (with him, with her).

PronounWith
énvelem
teveled
ővele
  • Kivel beszélsz? – Judittal.Who are you talking to? – Judit.
  • Mivel mész az egyetemre? – Busszal.How do you get to the university? – By bus.
  • Jössz velem?Are you coming with me?
  • Gábor itt van, ma vele dolgozom.Gábor is here; I’m working with him today.

Difference from English

English leaves with at the end of the question, “Who are you coming with?”; Hungarian has one word at the front, Kivel jössz?. Vele means “with him” and “with her”.

Common mistake

Kivel mész az egyetemre? (asking about the bus) → Mivel mész az egyetemre? A means of travel is asked with mivel.

In short

PointFormExample
after a vowel-val, -velautóval, Bencével
after a consonantthe consonant doubled + -al, -elbusszal, Péterrel
with whom, with whatkivel?, mivel?Kivel jössz?
with me, you, him, hervelem, veled, veleJössz velem?

Practise

“With and by: -val, -vel (autóval, busszal, velem)”, Asking and saying with whom: kivel? mivel? velem, veled, vele

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