Accusative Pronouns

Level 1

Hungarian uses special words for direct object pronouns like 'me' (engem) or 'you' (téged). Unlike nouns, they don't just add a -t suffix; they have unique forms that also change how the verb is conjugated.

How It Works

In Hungarian, when a personal pronoun is the object of a sentence, it takes a specific accusative form. These forms are irregular and must be learned individually.

The Forms:

  • engem: me
  • téged: you (singular informal)
  • őt: him / her / it
  • Önt / magát: you (singular formal)
  • minket / bennünket: us
  • titeket / benneteket: you all (plural informal)
  • őket: them
  • Önöket / magukat: you all (plural formal)

Verb Agreement Rules:
One of the most important rules in Hungarian is that the object determines the verb's ending:

  • 1st & 2nd Person: Use the indefinite conjugation. Example: Szeretsz engem? (Do you love me?)
  • 3rd Person & Formal: Use the definite conjugation. Example: Szereted őt? (Do you love him/her?)
  • Special Case: When 'I' (1st person) acts upon 'You' (2nd person), use the -lak/-lek suffix. Example: Szeretlek (téged).

Usage Note: Because Hungarian verbs already indicate the subject and often the object through their endings, pronouns are frequently dropped unless you want to add emphasis or clarity.

Examples (5)

  1. Látsz engem?

    Do you see me?

    Word by Word: See-you me?

    The pronoun 'engem' (me) triggers the indefinite verb form 'látsz'.

  2. Ismerem őt.

    I know him/her.

    Word by Word: Know-I-him/her him/her.

    The 3rd person pronoun 'őt' triggers the definite verb form 'ismerem'.

  3. Nem hallunk titeket.

    We don't hear you (plural).

    Word by Word: Not hear-we you-all.

    The 2nd person plural 'titeket' uses the indefinite verb form 'hallunk'.

  4. Szeretlek titeket.

    I love you all.

    Word by Word: I-love-you you-all.

    This uses the special -lak/-lek ending because the subject is 'I' and the object is 'you'.

  5. Keresem Önöket.

    I am looking for you (formal plural).

    Word by Word: Search-I-them You-all-formal.

    Formal pronouns like 'Önöket' always trigger the definite conjugation.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the definite conjugation with 1st or 2nd person objects.

    Szeretem téged.
    Szeretlek (téged).

    Learners often think that because 'you' is a specific person, the verb should be definite. However, 2nd person objects require the special -lak/-lek form or indefinite forms.

  • Adding the standard -t suffix to the subject pronoun.

    Látsz ént?
    Látsz engem?

    Personal pronouns are irregular in the accusative. You cannot simply add -t to 'én' (I) to make 'me'.

  • Overusing pronouns in every sentence.

    Different MeaningÉn látom őt.
    Látom.

    In Hungarian, if the context is clear, the verb ending 'Látom' already implies 'I see him/her/it'. Including the pronouns makes the sentence sound unnaturally emphatic.

How It Connects

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Accusative PronounsLevel 1

Learn This First

To understand accusative pronouns, you first need to know the basic subject pronouns and the general function of the accusative case marker (-t) in Hungarian sentences.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

őtengemettégedetbennünketbenneteket