The verb 'to be': vagyok/vagy/(van dropped!)/vagyunk/vagytok/(vannak dropped) in predicate sentences
Can conjugate 'lenni' and correctly omit van/vannak in noun/adjective predicates
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Péter orvos, és nagyon okos.
Péter is a doctor and very clever.
Fáradt vagyok, de boldog vagy te is?
I am tired, but are you happy too?
A kulcsok az asztalon vannak.
The keys are on the table.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Conjugation: vagyok, vagy, (van→dropped!), vagyunk, vagytok, (vannak→dropped!). Rule: 3rd person van/vannak is omitted in noun/adjective predicate sentences. Kept for location.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesAdding 'van' in 'She is a teacher' type sentences. Remember: noun/adjective predicate in 3rd person → NO van.
Inserting 'van/vannak' in a 3rd person noun or adjective predicate sentence
Drop 'van/vannak' when the predicate is a noun or adjective: 'Anna tanár' not 'Anna tanár van'. Keep 'van' only for location or existence.
Omitting 'van/vannak' in a location sentence
'Van/vannak' must appear in location sentences: 'A könyv az asztalon van.' Dropping it here is ungrammatical.
Péter orvos, és nagyon okos.
Péter is a doctor and very clever.
No 'van' after the noun 'orvos' or adjective 'okos' — dropped in 3rd person predicate.
Fáradt vagyok, de boldog vagy te is?
I am tired, but are you happy too?
'Vagyok' (1st sg) and 'vagy' (2nd sg) are NOT dropped — only 3rd person drops van.
A kulcsok az asztalon vannak.
The keys are on the table.
'Vannak' is KEPT here because it expresses location, not a noun/adjective predicate.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises