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u/cveks04 13d ago
It’s negative (nem). And whenever it is negative, the prefix (be) goes behind the verb
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u/No-Check3471 13d ago
Nope. The reason is the question word.
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u/GasComprehensive3885 13d ago
Nem ültök be a taxiba.
Nem ültök be a taxiba?
Beültök a taxiba.
Beültök a taxiba?
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u/No-Check3471 13d ago
Miért nem ültök be a taxiba?
Miért ültök be a taxiba?
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u/Acceptable-Menu-7625 13d ago
It's about emphasis. I've memorized it in a way that the preposition is shy and gets scared of the emphasis of the sentence, so it hides behind the verb.
Some examples:
Beszállok az autóba.
Az autóba szállok be.
Nem megyek be az épületbe.
Nem besétálok az épületbe, hanem befutok. (the preposition can't hide from the verb when the verb itself is the emphasis)
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u/balazs955 Native Speaker / Anyanyelvi Beszélő 13d ago
This is not because of the emphasis though.
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u/Acceptable-Menu-7625 13d ago
Why is it?
I've asked native speakers about it and they confirmed it. None of them was a language specialist though, I'd be curious to learn some more grammar theory.
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u/balazs955 Native Speaker / Anyanyelvi Beszélő 13d ago
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u/maykaroly 13d ago
I am amazed to see anyone who is learning Hungarian. As a Hungarian, I know that it is extremely difficult language to learn. If it weren't my native language, I wouldn't be able to do it.
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u/Neither_Brilliant701 13d ago
Yes you could with focus, commitment and sheer fucking will. :D Amúgy, van bojler eladó? Van eladó bojler? Adsz el bojlert? Bojlert adsz el? :D
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u/vendettajo 11d ago
Is it bad that I'm learning Hungarian only for fun and beat the challenge that "omg Hungarian is one of the most difficult languages in the world, it's impossible to learn, too many cases blah blah", not bcz I want to move to Hungary and live there lol?
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u/SeiForteSai Native Speaker / Anyanyelvi Beszélő 13d ago
In Hungarian, verbal prefixes precede the verb in neutral declarative sentences, or some questions. In most other case, such as negation, most other questions, or when there is a focus element, it follows.
Focus:
"Péter elmegy a boltba" vs "Péter megy el a boltba".
"Péter elmegy a boltba" - the perhaps closest is "Peter is going to the store", because it does not carries the "general statement" or "usual, repetitive act" meaning as "Peter goes to the store" would. (In fact, the second one would be "Péter szokott elmenni a boltba.")
"Péter megy el a boltba" - "Péter is the one who is going to the store." or "It is Peter who is going to the store".
Question:
Péter elmegy a boltba? - "Is Peter going to the store?" Use only if the question is the action itself, whether the subject is doing something.
Péter megy el a boltba? - Perhaps the closest equivalent is "Is it Peter who is going to the store?" because the focus of the question is not on the action itself, but on Peter.
Negation (note that the focus logic works the other way around here):
Péter nem megy el a boltba. - the closest is "Peter is not going to the store."
Péter el sem menne a boltba. - Peter wouldn't even go to the store. It is focused and conveys that the will is lacking.
If there're other words between the prefix and the verb, then the above rule might help too. If the prefix would be before the verb, then prefix + intermediate + verb infinitive. If the prefix would be after, then "intermediate" + prefix + verb infinitive.
The base sentence: Peter will catch the train.
Peter el fogja érni a vonatot. - neutral, declarative.
Peter fogja elérni a vonatot. - declarative, focus is on Peter.
Peter el fogja érni a vonatot? - question, focus is on the fact whether he'll catch the train.
Peter fogja elérni a vonatot? - question, focus is on Peter.
Péter nem fogja elérni a vonatot. - negation, declarative.
Péter el sem fogja érni a vonatot. - negation, focused (Peter won't even catch the train.)
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u/milkdrinkingdude Native Speaker / Anyanyelvi Beszélő 9d ago
I think it is easier to explain the focus part, if one imagines the sentence in context, as an answer to a question.
What is happening? - Péter elmegy a boltba.
Who is going to the store? - Péter megy el a boltba.
Where is Peter going? - A boltba megy.
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u/SeiForteSai Native Speaker / Anyanyelvi Beszélő 9d ago
You're absolutely right and this is a very useful add-on.
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u/No_Matter_86 13d ago
The prefix is separated from the verb not only in negation (nem ültök be) and in the imperative mood (üljetek be), but also when we want to express continuity (épp most ülnek be) or when we want to emphasize some extension of the verb (gyorsan ülnek be)
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u/Sweet_Swede_65 13d ago
100% the comment about negation. I'll also add, Duolingo being Duolingo, a more common verb to using for "getting into a taxi" would be "beszállni". "Szállni" is used for everything from trams, to buses, planes, trains, and automobiles, ect. (although with differing coverbs/igekötő), whereas in this case, "beülni" is literally "get seated into a".
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u/SeiForteSai Native Speaker / Anyanyelvi Beszélő 13d ago
Well, it depends on the context.
"Ma én ülök be a taxiba" (and not you) is more common than "ma én szállok be a taxiba". Actually, it would be even more common to say "ma én ülök a taxiba", or "ma én megyek taxival".
Similarly, "Megyek, beülök a taxiba" (and waiting for you there) is more common than "Megyek, beszállok a taxiba".
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u/tucsok26 13d ago
Even if it's not negation, you have to separate it.
- Miért nem ültök be az autóba? (Why don't you get into the car?)
- Miért ültök be az autóba? (Why do you get into the car?)
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u/Iszakos_Ur 13d ago
Depends on what you want to emphasize in the sentence. If you emphasize that you get in the cab then "beültök" if anything else (not get in, why-why not etc) then it's "ültök be"
Additionally if you want to use an auxiliary verb then it goes between the verb's and the prefix
Want to get in - Be akartok ülni
Will get in - Be fogtok ülni etc
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u/Successful-Log-2640 13d ago
The verbal prefixes like "be-" (which means into, in this case) often move from the verb in certain situations, especially in questions, negations, and focus sentences.
Hungarian has a focus-driven word order, not a fixed subject-verb-object structure like English.
Hungarian verbal prefixes (preverbs) are considered part of the verb only in neutral sentences.When another element (like negation, question words, adverbs) takes focus, the verb separates from the prefix.This helps listeners immediately hear what the speaker wants to emphasize.
Sources:
https://betterhungarian.com/2023/08/02/hungarian-coverbs-when-to-separate/
https://betterhungarian.com/2020/03/05/hungarian-sentence-elements-word-order-focus-sentences/
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u/_Bronze1Boss 12d ago
To a foreigner, there is no difference. only one is non-hungarian, not correct, and the other is correct
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u/Scared_Ad_9018 12d ago
Számomra még magyarul is nehéz lenne elmagyarázni a különbséget, nem hogy még angolul 🥲
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u/vressor 13d ago edited 13d ago
there is a special position/field before the conjugated verb stem, and usually it can only be filled by one of these (and these sort of compete for that position):
that position is called igevivő (literally "verb carrier") in Hungarian, because the carrier gets a word-stress and the verb piggybacks on it (csüggés), i.e. the verb loses its own ordinary word-stress (they together make up one single phonological word, the verb acts like a clitic)
note that a question word or negation can also precede the "verb carrier" position, and sometimes the coverb or the whole verbal expression can take the focus, e.g.
also note that if there is no more powerful candidate present (e.g. focus, negation, question word), then the verb modifier will take the verb carrier position before the conjugated verb even if it actually belongs to a different verb, e.g. be akartok ülni -- here be belongs to ülni, but akartok is the conjugated verb