Expressing possession with dative + van/nincs + possessive suffix
Can express what someone has or doesn't have using dative + van/nincs structure
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Nekem van egy autóm.
I have a car.
Nincs pénzem.
I have no money.
Neki van egy nagy háza.
He/she has a big house.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
No 'have' verb in Hungarian. Structure: nekem/neked/neki + van + noun+possessive. Negative: nincs + noun+possessive (dative omitted). Russian speakers: identical to у меня есть!
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesUses 'have' verb directly (e.g. *Én havok kutyát) instead of van/nincs structure
Hungarian has no verb 'to have'. Use: [person-dative] + van + [possessed noun + possessive suffix]. E.g. Nekem van egy kutyám.
Omits possessive suffix with nincs (e.g. *Nincs kutya instead of Nincs kutyám)
With nincs, the noun still needs its possessive suffix: nincs kutyám (I have no dog), nincs pénze (he has no money).
Nekem van egy autóm.
I have a car.
Lit. 'To-me exists a my-car'. Nekem = dative; van = exists; autóm = car+my.
Nincs pénzem.
I have no money.
Nincs pénzem: nincs (doesn't exist) + pénzem (money+my). Dative nekem is omitted in negative.
Neki van egy nagy háza.
He/she has a big house.
Neki (dative 3rd sg) + van + háza (house+3rd sg possessive -ja).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises