-nyi

An Amount of

Level 2

The suffix -nyi is used to express quantity or scale. It turns a noun (like a cup, a meter, or a mountain) into an adjective describing how much of something there is (a cupful, a meter's worth, mountain-sized).

How It Works

The -nyi suffix is a powerful tool for describing quantities in a natural way. Here is how it works:

1. Meaning and Usage
It is primarily used with units of measurement (time, distance) and containers. While often translated as 'about a...', it specifically denotes the capacity or extent of the noun.

  • egy pohár víz = a glass of water (the physical object)
  • egy pohárnyi víz = a glassful of water (the quantity)

2. Morphological Rules

  • No Vowel Harmony: It is always -nyi, regardless of the stem vowels (e.g., méter-nyi, kanál-nyi).
  • Stem-final vowel lengthening: If a noun ends in -a or -e, these vowels lengthen to -á and -é before adding the suffix (e.g., kupa → kupányi).
  • Consonant Stems: It attaches directly without a linking vowel (e.g., perc → percnyi).

3. Distinctions
Do not confuse -nyi with the adjective suffix -s. While három méteres describes an object that is 3 meters long, három méternyi describes a quantity of material that measures 3 meters.

Examples (5)

  1. Egy pohárnyi tejet öntött a tésztához.

    He poured a glassful of milk into the batter.

    Word by Word: One glass-amount-of milk-ACC poured the batter-to.

    Here, 'pohárnyi' describes the specific quantity of milk needed for the recipe.

  2. Csak kétpercnyi csendet kérek.

    I only ask for two minutes' worth of silence.

    Word by Word: Only two-minute-amount-of silence-ACC I-ask.

    When used with time, -nyi emphasizes the duration as a measurable amount.

  3. Hegynyi feladat vár még rám az irodában.

    A mountain-sized amount of tasks still awaits me in the office.

    Word by Word: Mountain-amount-of task waits still me-on the office-in.

    This is a common figurative use, indicating a huge quantity comparable to a mountain.

  4. Három méternyi anyagot vettem a függönyhöz.

    I bought three meters' worth of fabric for the curtain.

    Word by Word: Three meter-amount-of material-ACC I-bought the curtain-to.

    Using -nyi here emphasizes the total quantity of fabric purchased.

  5. Két kanálnyi cukrot tegyél a kávéba.

    Put two spoonfuls of sugar in the coffee.

    Word by Word: Two spoon-amount-of sugar-ACC put-IMP the coffee-into.

    Note that the noun 'kanál' (spoon) remains singular even though the number is 'két' (two).

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to lengthen the final -a or -e.

    Egy bögrenyi kávét kérek.
    Egy bögrényi kávét kérek.

    In Hungarian, final 'a' and 'e' must always lengthen to 'á' and 'é' when a suffix like -nyi is added.

  • Adding a linking vowel and forgetting to lengthen the vowel.

    Három kanalanyi cukor.
    Három kanálnyi cukor.

    -nyi attaches directly to the stem with its lengthened vowel: kanál + nyi = kanálnyi, not kanalanyi.

  • Applying vowel harmony to the suffix.

    Öt méternyé.
    Öt méternyi.

    -nyi is an invariant suffix; it never changes to match the vowels of the stem.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-nyiLevel 2An Amount of

Learn This First

To use the approximative -nyi suffix, you need to understand how Hungarian handles quantity expressions (using singular nouns) and how these expressions function as adjectives within a sentence. While -nyi itself does not change based on vowel harmony, knowing how to attach suffixes to various noun stems is essential.

Words in This Pattern

-nyi