[Breogan]

Originally Posted by prometheus

Basics of Hungarian grammar


We don't have genders in our grammar. So there is no "he" and "she", and no gender for words either. This is why Hungarian people occasionally say "he" for a girl or vice versa.

This fact is very weird indeed.

The order of words is not fixed, in contrast to English. Usually the sequence of the words reflects decreasing importance. For example:
holnap = tomorrow
moziba = to the cinema
megyek = I (will) go
Holnap moziba megyek. = [default]
Holnap moziba megyek. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow.
Moziba megyek holnap. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow.
Megyek holnap moziba. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow.
Elmegyek moziba holnap. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow. (It's sure.)
Én megyek holnap moziba. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow.
There is also the same order for questions:
Holnap moziba megyünk. = We will go to the cinema tomorrow.
Holnap megyünk moziba? = Will we go to the cinema tomorrow?
Holnap moziba megyünk? = Will we go to the cinema tomorrow?
Megyünk holnap moziba? = Will we go to the cinema tomorrow?
etc.
Generally personal pronouns are used only for emphasis, since the subject is known from the inflection:
I read = olvasok = én olvasok
you read = olvasol = te olvasol
he/she reads = olvas = õ olvas

The same thing occurs in Latin for example.

The Hungarian language is "additive" which means that we meld some letters to the end of the word. Some examples for inflection:
table = asztal
on table = asztalON
to table = asztalHOZ
onto table = asztalRA,
etc.

The opposite of flexible Indoeuropean languages that use separated words for these purpouses.

Plural is indicated by adding a "k" at the end of the word. To make pronunciation easier, sometimes a vowel is inserted:
tables = asztaloK.

Well, this reminds me of something.

We don't use plural for units and multiple things with their quantity given:
100 forint, 10 kg, 2 asztal, etc.

And this too.

Please note that Hungarian is a very rich language. We have lots of synonyms for a word. For example, there are appr. 200 different words describing the breed and the colouring of a horse.

Attila's horse perhaps.

Yep, and innuits have a lot ones for describing "snow" and so on.
It's an old history.