már / még

Already and Still / Yet

Level 2

Már = Already / No longer (with negation)
Még = Still / Yet (with negation) / More

How It Works

In Hungarian, már and még are essential for expressing time, quantity, and degree. They are independent adverbs and do not change their form.

1. Már (Already / By now / Yet)
Used to show that something happened earlier than expected or has reached a certain state. In negative sentences (már nem), it means 'no longer' or 'not anymore.'
• In Questions: Unlike English, which uses 'yet' in questions, Hungarian uses már (e.g., Kész vagy már? - Are you ready yet?).

2. Még (Still / Yet / More / Again)
In positive sentences, it means 'still' (continuation). The emphatic form még mindig is frequently used to mean 'still' or 'even now.' In negative sentences (még nem), it means 'not yet.'
It has three other vital uses:
• With numbers: means 'more' or 'another' (e.g., még egy - one more).
• Repetition: means 'again' or 'another time' (e.g., még egyszer - once more / again).
• With comparatives: means 'even' (e.g., még jobb - even better).

3. Word Order
These particles usually stand immediately before the word they modify. If the sentence is negated using nem, the particle comes first: már nem or még nem.

4. Common Confusion
Do not confuse még with the verbal prefix meg-. While they look similar, meg- indicates completion of an action, while még refers to time, quantity, or comparison.

Examples (6)

  1. Már megettük a vacsorát.

    We have already eaten dinner.

    Word by Word: Already we-ate the dinner.

    Here 'már' indicates the action is completed.

  2. Ott vagy már?

    Are you there yet?

    Word by Word: There are-you already?

    In questions, 'már' is used where English typically uses 'yet'.

  3. Még mindig esik az eső.

    It is still raining.

    Word by Word: Still always falls the rain.

    'Még mindig' is a common emphatic way to say 'still' or 'even now'.

  4. Még nem vagyok kész.

    I am not yet ready.

    Word by Word: Yet not I-am ready.

    'Még nem' is the standard way to express 'not yet'.

  5. Mondd el még egyszer!

    Say it one more time / again!

    Word by Word: Say-it away more once!

    'Még' can mean 'again' or 'another time', especially in the phrase 'még egyszer'.

  6. Ez a ház még nagyobb.

    This house is even bigger.

    Word by Word: This the house even bigger.

    When used with a comparative adjective, 'még' means 'even'.

Common Mistakes

  • Swapping the order of the particle and the negation 'nem'.

    Nem még vagyok kész.
    Még nem vagyok kész.

    The usual order is 'még nem' (not yet): 'Még nem vagyok kész.' The particle can also follow the verb ('Nem vagyok még kész'), but 'még' cannot sit between 'nem' and the adjective as in 'Nem még vagyok kész'.

  • Confusing 'még' (still) with the prefix 'meg-' (completion).

    Mégcsináltam a házit.
    Megcsináltam a házit.

    'Meg-' is a verbal prefix that indicates completion, while 'még' is a separate word meaning 'still' or 'yet'.

  • Using 'több' instead of 'még' for 'another' item.

    Kérek több egy sört.
    Kérek még egy sört.

    'Több' means 'more' in amount (több sör, more beer) and does not go before 'egy'. To ask for one more of something, use 'még egy'.

How It Connects

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már / mégLevel 2Already and Still / Yet

Learn This First

To understand 'már' (already) and 'még' (still/yet), you need to know how to negate verbs, as their meanings shift in negative contexts. Additionally, understanding basic sentence structure and the verb 'to be' is necessary to form common expressions of time and state.

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mármég