The vala- (some-), se- (no-) and minden- (every-) pronoun families, quantity words like néhány and sok, and the double negation that se- words require.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Senkit nem látok.
I don't see anyone.
Valaki kopog az ajtón.
Someone is knocking on the door.
Néhány barátom Budapesten él.
Some of my friends live in Budapest.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Hungarian builds its "some-", "no-" and "every-" words from the question words, with three prefixes. Once you see the system, you can make most of them yourself:
| Question word | vala- (some-) | se- (no-) | minden- (every-) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ki? (who) | valaki (someone) | senki (nobody) | mindenki (everyone) |
| mi? (what) | valami (something) | semmi (nothing) | minden (everything) |
| hol? (where) | valahol (somewhere) | sehol (nowhere) | mindenhol (everywhere) |
| mikor? (when) | valamikor (sometime) | soha (never) | mindig (always) |
They take case endings like nouns: valakit (someone, as object), senkinek (to nobody), valamiről (about something).
A se- word needs a second negative in the sentence, usually nem or sem. Where standard English allows one negative ("I don't see anyone" or "I see no one"), Hungarian uses both:
English speakers tend to drop the nem (*Senkit látok), which sounds unfinished to a Hungarian.
| Hungarian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| néhány | a few, some | néhány barát - a few friends |
| sok | many, a lot of | sok turista - many tourists |
| kevés | few, little | kevés idő - little time |
| minden + noun | every | minden nap - every day |
The noun after all of these stays singular: sok turista, not *sok turisták. Hungarian counts things in the singular after any quantity word or number, and English speakers add the plural -k out of habit.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesMissing nem with senki/semmi
Valaki vs senki confusion
Senkit nem látok.
I don't see anyone.
Double negation required: senki + nem both needed.
Valaki kopog az ajtón.
Someone is knocking on the door.
Valaki = someone (positive context).
Néhány barátom Budapesten él.
Some of my friends live in Budapest.
Néhány = a few, some. The noun after it stays singular: néhány barát(om), 'a few (of my) friends'.
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Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises