is

Also / Too

Level 2

Hungarian uses the particle is to add information to a sentence. It always follows the word it refers to and translates as 'also', 'too', or 'as well'. While sem is used for 'neither', the phrase nem is can be used to mean 'not even'.

How It Works

The particle is is one of the most frequent functional words in Hungarian. To become confident with it, follow these rules:

1. Placement: It must follow the constituent it modifies. If you want to say 'I also...', you say Én is.... If you want to say 'a coffee too', you say kávét is.

2. Focus Marker: In Hungarian word order, is marks the preceding word as the 'addition'. Changing its position changes the meaning: Péter is látott engem (Peter also saw me) vs. Péter látott is engem (Peter even saw me / did more than just look).

3. The 'Even' Nuance: When used with emphasis or the word még, it translates to 'even'. For example: Még a gyerekek is tudják (Even the children know it).

4. Quantity Emphasis: When following a number or quantity, is emphasizes that the amount is surprisingly large or significant. For example: Két órát is vártam (I waited as many as two hours).

5. Question Words: When used with question words, it adds a 'remind me' or 'again' nuance. For example: Ki is ő? (Who is he again?).

6. Both... And: By repeating the particle after two different items, you create a both... and structure: Kávét is és teát is kérek (I want both coffee and tea).

7. Negation Nuances: To express 'neither' or 'not either', is is replaced by sem (e.g., Én sem megyek). In commands or prohibitions, sem changes to se: Te se menj el! (Don't you go either!). The sequence nem is means 'not even' or 'not really' (e.g., Pétert nem is láttam).

Examples (5)

  1. Én is budapesti vagyok.

    I am also from Budapest.

    Word by Word: I also Budapest-from am.

    Here, 'is' follows the pronoun 'én' (I) to show that the speaker, like someone else mentioned, is from Budapest.

  2. Kérek egy vizet is.

    I would like a water too.

    Word by Word: I-ask a water-ACC also.

    The particle follows 'vizet' (water) because the water is the additional item being requested.

  3. Péter is és Mari is ott volt.

    Both Peter and Mari were there.

    Word by Word: Peter also and Mari also there was.

    Repeating 'is' after two subjects creates the 'both... and' meaning.

  4. Ez a könyv olcsó is és jó is.

    This book is both cheap and good.

    Word by Word: This the book cheap also and good also.

    The particle can follow adjectives to describe multiple qualities of an object.

  5. Még a macska is alszik.

    Even the cat is sleeping.

    Word by Word: Yet the cat also sleeps.

    When combined with 'még', 'is' often takes on the meaning of 'even'.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 'is' before the noun (English influence).

    Is én megyek a boltba.
    Én is megyek a boltba.

    In Hungarian, 'is' is a post-positional particle. It must always follow the word it refers to.

  • Confusing 'sem' (neither) with 'nem is' (not even).

    Én is nem tudom.
    Én sem tudom.

    To say 'I don't know either', use 'sem'. The sequence 'is nem' is incorrect; however, 'nem is' is a valid construction meaning 'not even' (e.g., 'Nem is láttam' - I didn't even see it).

How It Connects

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isLevel 2Also / Too

Learn This First

To use 'is' correctly, you need to understand basic Hungarian sentence structure and how word order changes to emphasize different parts of a sentence (focus), as 'is' always follows the specific word or phrase it adds information to.

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