Frequentative verbs with -gat/-get

A1 — Igék

The suffix -gat/-get, which turns a verb into a relaxed, repeated or now-and-then action: olvasgat, nézeget, sétálgat.

Examples

Sétálgatok a parkban. — I'm strolling around in the park.
Olvasgat egy könyvet. — He/she reads a book (casually/from time to time).
Nézegetem a képeket. — I'm looking through the pictures.

VerbsA1

Frequentative verbs with -gat/-get

The suffix -gat/-get, which turns a verb into a relaxed, repeated or now-and-then action: olvasgat, nézeget, sétálgat.

Exam Skills:ListeningReadingWritingSpeaking

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Sétálgatok a parkban.

I'm strolling around in the park.

Olvasgat egy könyvet.

He/she reads a book (casually/from time to time).

Nézegetem a képeket.

I'm looking through the pictures.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Frequentative verbs: -gat / -get

Hungarian can add a suffix to a verb to say that the action is done again and again, a bit at a time, or in a relaxed, unhurried way. English needs extra words for this: "read a bit here and there", "keep glancing", "stroll around". The suffix is -gat after back vowels and -get after front vowels, usually with a linking vowel after a consonant.

Basic verb	Frequentative	Feel
olvas (read)	olvasgat	read here and there, leaf through
néz (look)	nézeget	keep looking, look around
sétál (walk)	sétálgat	stroll about
iszik (drink)	iszogat	sip, drink now and then
kérdez (ask)	kérdezget	keep asking
ír (write)	írogat	write a little now and then

How it sounds in use

Vasárnap délután a Margitszigeten sétálgatunk. - On Sunday afternoons we stroll about on Margaret Island.
Esténként verseket olvasgatok. - In the evenings I read a bit of poetry.
A teraszon ültünk és bort iszogattunk. - We sat on the terrace sipping wine.
Miért nézegeted a telefonodat? - Why do you keep looking at your phone?

The frequentative is a full verb: it conjugates like any other and takes prefixes (megnézeget, look over carefully). It often carries a tone, cosy or slightly ironic, that a plain translation loses.

Use with care

Not every verb takes -gat/-get, and the shade of meaning varies from verb to verb, so treat each one as a word to learn rather than a rule to apply. At A1 it is enough to recognise the suffix: when you hear -gat or -get before the personal ending, think "now and then, at leisure". The common English-speaker error is overusing it for any repeated action: for habits, the plain verb with a time word is usual (Minden nap olvasok - I read every day).

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Common Error Patterns

Applying incorrect vowel harmony variant: -gat for front-vowel stems, -get for back-vowel stems.

Using -gat/-get for urgent or single-occurrence actions where simple verb is correct.

Sétálgatok a parkban.

I'm strolling around in the park.

'Sétálgatok' = sétál (walk) + -gat + 1st sg. ending. Implies leisurely, repeated walking.

Olvasgat egy könyvet.

He/she reads a book (casually/from time to time).

'Olvasgat' = olvas (read) + -gat. Suggests reading without urgency, casually or intermittently.

Nézegetem a képeket.

I'm looking through the pictures.

'Nézegetem' uses the definite conjugation (-em) because 'a képeket' is a definite object.

The check for this topic is still being prepared

Ask Sofi

Ready-made hints are free

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

← Back to topics

Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Frequentative verbs with -gat/-get?: Hungarian can add a suffix to a verb to say that the action is done again and again, a bit at a time, or in a relaxed, unhurried way. English needs extra words for this: "read a bit here and there", "keep glancing", "stroll around". The suffix is -gat after back vowels and -get after front vowels, usually with a linking vowel after a consonant.
How do you form Frequentative verbs with -gat/-get?: The frequentative is a full verb: it conjugates like any other and takes prefixes ( megnézeget , look over carefully). It often carries a tone, cosy or slightly ironic, that a plain translation loses. Not every verb takes -gat/-get , and the shade of meaning varies from verb to verb, so treat each one as a word to learn rather than a rule to apply. At A1 it is enough to recognise the suffix: when you hear -gat or -get before the personal ending, think "now and then, at leisure". The common English-speaker error is overusing it for any repeated action: for habits, the plain verb with a time word is usual ( Minden nap olvasok - I read every day).

Frequentative verbs: -gat / -get

Basic verb

Frequentative

Feel

olvas (read)

olvasgat

read here and there, leaf through

néz (look)

nézeget

keep looking, look around

sétál (walk)

sétálgat

stroll about

iszik (drink)

iszogat

sip, drink now and then

kérdez (ask)

kérdezget

keep asking

ír (write)

írogat

write a little now and then

How it sounds in use

Vasárnap délután a Margitszigeten sétálgatunk. - On Sunday afternoons we stroll about on Margaret Island.

Esténként verseket olvasgatok. - In the evenings I read a bit of poetry.

A teraszon ültünk és bort iszogattunk. - We sat on the terrace sipping wine.

Miért nézegeted a telefonodat? - Why do you keep looking at your phone?

Use with care

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Frequentative verbs with -gat/-get?

Hungarian can add a suffix to a verb to say that the action is done again and again, a bit at a time, or in a relaxed, unhurried way. English needs extra words for this: "read a bit here and there", "keep glancing", "stroll around". The suffix is -gat after back vowels and -get after front vowels, usually with a linking vowel after a consonant.

How do you form Frequentative verbs with -gat/-get?

The frequentative is a full verb: it conjugates like any other and takes prefixes ( megnézeget , look over carefully). It often carries a tone, cosy or slightly ironic, that a plain translation loses. Not every verb takes -gat/-get , and the shade of meaning varies from verb to verb, so treat each one as a word to learn rather than a rule to apply. At A1 it is enough to recognise the suffix: when you hear -gat or -get before the personal ending, think "now and then, at leisure". The common English-speaker error is overusing it for any repeated action: for habits, the plain verb with a time word is usual ( Minden nap olvasok - I read every day).