Definite and indefinite conjugation

Every transitive Hungarian verb has two sets of personal endings: the indefinite conjugation (látok, "I see") and the definite conjugation (látom, "I see it / him / her / the ..."). Which one you use depends not on the subject but on the direct object. This page gives you the complete rule set, a step-by-step decision procedure, full tables and the mistakes learners make most often.

The core idea: the verb agrees with its object

In English a verb agrees only with its subject (I see, she sees). A Hungarian verb agrees with its subject in person and number, and also signals whether its direct object is definite, meaning specific and identifiable, or not. The object itself is marked with the accusative -t (see the accusative case), and the verb adds a second layer of information on top of that.

• Látok egy házat. I see a house. (indefinite object, indefinite verb)
• Látom a házat. I see the house. (definite object, definite verb)
• Látok. I can see. / I see. (no object, indefinite verb)
• Látom. I see it. / I see him. / I see her.

The last example shows a useful consequence: a definite verb with no visible object means "it", "him" or "her". Hungarian does not need to say őt or "it" at all, because the ending already tells you a specific third-person object exists. That is why Látom. is a complete answer to "Do you see the bus?"

Why Hungarian does this

Historical linguists generally trace the definite endings back to third-person pronominal elements attached to the verb, which fits its logic today: it tracks objects that are third person and already established in the discourse. Pronouns for "me" and "you" are always identifiable, yet they never needed the marker because they refer to the speech participants, not to a third party. Related Uralic languages show object agreement too, though its extent varies from language to language. For learners the practical point is that the definite ending often does the job of an English pronoun: Megvetted? "Did you buy it?" needs no separate word for "it".

What makes an object definite

Use the definite conjugation when the direct object is any of the following.

1. A noun with the definite article a / az

• Olvasom az újságot. I am reading the newspaper.
• Szeretem a zenét. I love music. (generic "a zene" is still grammatically definite)

The second example matters: Hungarian uses the article for generic nouns (see articles a, az, egy), so szeretem a kávét ("I like coffee") is definite even though English has no article.

2. A proper name

• Ismered Pétert? Do you know Péter?
• Nagyon szeretjük Budapestet. We really love Budapest.

3. A possessed noun

A noun with a possessive suffix counts as definite, with or without an article in front of it, unless egy or a quantifier precedes it (meghívott egy barátomat is indefinite; see possessive suffixes).

• Keresem a kulcsomat. I'm looking for my key.
• Péter autóját vezetem. I'm driving Péter's car.

4. Demonstratives: ezt, azt, ezeket, azokat

• Ezt kérem. I'd like this one.
• Azt a filmet már láttuk. We have already seen that film.

5. Third-person pronouns, reflexives, formal "you" and egymást

The pronouns őt (him/her), őket (them), every reflexive (magamat, magadat, magát and so on), formal Önt / Önöket and magát used as polite "you", and the reciprocal egymást all trigger the definite conjugation. Grammatically, formal "you" is a third person, which is why it behaves like őt (see formal and informal you).

• Nem ismerem őt. I don't know him / her.
• Megkérdezhetem Önt? May I ask you? (formal)
• Látod magadat a tükörben? Can you see yourself in the mirror?
• Szeretik egymást. They love each other.

6. Which one: melyiket and mindegyiket

Questions with melyik ("which") ask about a choice from a known set, so they are definite. So are mindegyiket ("each of them"), az összeset ("all of them") and mindet ("all of them").

• Melyik buszt várod? Which bus are you waiting for?
• Mindegyiket ismerem. I know each of them.

7. A whole clause as the object

When the object is a hogy clause or an embedded question, the verb is definite. Very often a pronoun azt announces the clause, but the verb is definite even without it.

• Tudom, hogy igazad van. I know that you're right.
• Azt mondja, hogy késik a vonat. He says the train is late.
• Nem értem, miért nem jön. I don't understand why he isn't coming.

8. An infinitive with a definite object

If the verb governs an infinitive, the main verb takes the definiteness of the infinitive's object. This is one of the most elegant and most frequently missed rules (see the infinitive).

• Szeretném látni a filmet. I'd like to see the film.
• Szeretnék látni egy filmet. I'd like to see a film.

What stays indefinite

Use the indefinite conjugation in all of these cases.

• No direct object at all, including intransitive verbs: Sokat olvasok. ("I read a lot."), Hol laksz?
• First and second person pronouns engem, téged, minket (bennünket), titeket (benneteket): Péter vár minket. ("Péter is waiting for us."). The only exception is the -lak/-lek form below.
• Bare nouns and plurals without an article: Levelet írok. ("I'm writing a letter / letters."), Almát veszek.
• Nouns with egy: Keresek egy szállodát.
• Numbers and quantifiers without an article: sok, kevés, néhány, pár, két, minden: Két jegyet kérek., Minden szót értek.
• The question words mit, kit, milyen, hány: Mit csinálsz?, Milyen filmet nézel?
• Indefinite pronouns: valamit, valakit, semmit, senkit, mindent, mindenkit: Nem látok semmit.
• The relative pronouns amit, akit, amelyet when they are the object: a könyv, amit olvasok ("the book I'm reading").

The -lak / -lek special case

When the subject is "I" and the object is "you" (singular or plural, informal), Hungarian uses a dedicated ending, -lak after back vowels and -lek after front vowels. Verbs that need a linking vowel get -alak/-elek.

• Szeretlek. I love you.
• Holnap hívlak. I'll call you tomorrow.
• Várlak titeket a kapuban. I'll wait for you (all) at the gate.
• Tanítalak. I teach you.

Three limits to remember: the subject must be exactly én (with "we" you say Látunk téged, indefinite); the object must be informal (Látom Önt, definite); and the ending works in every tense and mood (láttalak, látnálak). The full story is on the -lak/-lek page.

Side-by-side tables: lát, kér, olvas

These three verbs cover the main patterns in the present tense: a back-vowel verb (lát, "see"), a front-vowel verb (kér, "ask for"), and a back-vowel verb ending in a sibilant (olvas, "read"), where the j of the definite endings assimilates to ss.

Patterns worth noticing

• The definite set is built on -j- in back-vowel verbs (látja, látjuk, látjátok, látják) and on -i- in front-vowel verbs for the 3sg, 2pl and 3pl (kéri, kéritek, kérik). Front verbs keep -j- only in the 1pl (kérjük).
• The 1sg definite always ends in -m (-om, -em, -öm) and the 2sg definite always ends in -d. If you hear -m or -d on a normal verb, expect a definite object.
• Sibilant verbs assimilate: after s, sz, z the j becomes a copy of the consonant (olvassa, olvassuk; nézzük). Front-vowel forms with -i are not affected (nézi). Details are on the present tense page.
• Watch the -ik verbs: eszem is indefinite ("I eat") because eszik is an -ik verb, while the definite is also eszem (eszem a levest). For ordinary verbs, -m is a reliable definite signal; for -ik verbs it is not.

The split continues in the other tenses. In the past, the 1sg happens to be identical (láttam covers both), but the other persons differ (látott / látta). See past tense and conditional, or generate any regular verb with the conjugator.

Decision flowchart: which conjugation?

Run through these questions in order and stop at the first "yes".

1. Is there a direct object (a noun or pronoun in -t, a clause, or an object of a dependent infinitive)? If no: indefinite (Olvasok.).
2. Is the subject "I" and the object informal "you" (téged, titeket, benneteket)? If yes: -lak/-lek (Látlak.).
3. Is the object engem, téged, minket or titeket? If yes: indefinite (Péter lát engem.).
4. Is the object a third-person, reflexive or reciprocal pronoun (őt, őket, Önt, magát, magamat, egymást), or ezt/azt? If yes: definite.
5. Is the object a noun with a/az, a demonstrative, a possessive suffix, or a proper name? If yes: definite.
6. Is the object a clause (hogy..., hol..., mit...)? If yes: definite (Nem tudom, mit akar.).
7. Is it a question word? melyiket (and melyik + noun): definite. mit, kit, milyet, hányat and milyen/hány + noun: indefinite.
8. Anything else (bare noun, egy + noun, number or quantifier without article, valamit, semmit, mindent): indefinite.

25 contrast pairs

Each pair keeps the verb constant and changes only what the object is. Reading them aloud is one of the fastest ways to build the instinct.

Common learner errors

These are the mistakes that come up again and again with English-speaking learners, with the reason behind each one.

1. *Kérem egy kávét. Correct: Kérek egy kávét. English "please" leaks in: learners know kérem as a polite word and reuse it. With egy, the verb must be indefinite.
2. *Péter látja engem. Correct: Péter lát engem. "Me" feels definite, but first and second person pronouns always take the indefinite.
3. *Látom téged. Correct: Látlak. With "I" as subject and "you" as object, only -lak/-lek is possible.
4. *Szeretlek Önt. Correct: Szeretem Önt. Formal "you" is grammatically third person.
5. *Ismerek Pétert. Correct: Ismerem Pétert. Names have no article in English, but they are definite.
6. *Tudok, hogy... Correct: Tudom, hogy... A clause object is definite.
7. *Szeretek a kávét. Correct: Szeretem a kávét. Generic statements use a, and the article makes the object definite.
8. *Melyik könyvet olvasol? Correct: Melyik könyvet olvasod?
9. *Olvasom meaning "I'm reading". Without an object, say Olvasok. Olvasom means "I'm reading it".
10. *Akarok megnézni a filmet. Correct: Meg akarom nézni a filmet. The object of the infinitive decides, and the verbal prefix moves in front of akar (see verbal prefixes).

Sources and further reading

• Carol H. Rounds, Hungarian: An Essential Grammar (2nd ed., Routledge, 2009), chapter on definite and indefinite conjugation
• István Kenesei, Robert M. Vago and Anna Fenyvesi, Hungarian (Descriptive Grammars series, Routledge, 1998), section on verbal agreement
• Miklós Törkenczy, Hungarian Verbs and Essentials of Grammar (2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, 2008)
• Katalin É. Kiss, The Syntax of Hungarian (Cambridge University Press, 2002)

Frequently asked questions