-nál/-nél

At / by

Level 1

Use -nál/-nél to describe a static position: being at a location, by an object, or at someone's house. It also functions as 'than' in comparisons.

How It Works

The adessive case (-nál/-nél) is a versatile suffix with several core uses:

1. Static Location (At/By)
It indicates being near or at a specific point.
Example: a háznál (at the house), a megállónál (at the stop).

2. At Someone's Place or Employment
This is used for being at a person's home, a professional's office, or a place of work.
Example: Péternél (at Peter's), az orvosnál (at the doctor's), a banknál dolgozik (he works at the bank).

3. Physical Possession (On One's Person)
It describes having something physically with you right now. This is different from general ownership (which uses the having something construction).
Example: Nálam van a kulcs (I have the key on me).

4. Time, Occasions, and Comparison
It can indicate an activity or event (az ebédnél - at lunch) or act as 'than' in comparative sentences.

Personal Pronoun Forms:
When used with pronouns, the suffix becomes the stem:

  • nálam (at me / on me)
  • nálad (at you)
  • nála (at him/her/it)
  • nálunk (at us)
  • nálatok (at you all)
  • náluk (at them)

Vowel Harmony Rules:

  • -nál: Used with back-vowel words (a, á, o, ó, u, ú). Example: asztalnál.
  • -nél: Used with front-vowel words (e, é, ö, ő, ü, ű). Example: széknél.
  • Neutral Vowels (i, í): These vowels are neutral. If a word contains a back vowel followed by 'i', it still takes -nál (e.g., kocsinál). Some monosyllabic words with only 'i' also take back-vowel suffixes (e.g., hídnál).

Examples (6)

  1. A barátomnál vagyok.

    I am at my friend's place.

    Word by Word: The friend-my-at I-am.

    Using -nál with a person indicates being at their home or location.

  2. Várj meg a megállónál!

    Wait for me at the stop!

    Word by Word: Wait-you me the stop-at!

    Here, -nál indicates a specific static location (the bus stop).

  3. Nincs nálam pénz.

    I don't have money on me.

    Word by Word: There-is-not at-me money.

    When used with personal pronouns, it indicates physical possession on one's person.

  4. A Google-nél dolgozom.

    I work at Google.

    Word by Word: The Google-at I-work.

    The adessive case is used to indicate employment at a company or institution.

  5. Az ebédnél beszélünk.

    We will talk at lunch.

    Word by Word: The lunch-at we-talk.

    It can describe being 'at' an event or a specific time-based activity.

  6. Ez a könyv érdekesebb a másiknál.

    This book is more interesting than the other one.

    Word by Word: This the book interesting-er the other-at.

    In comparisons, the suffix -nál/-nél is attached to the object being compared against.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -nál/-nél for movement toward a place.

    Megyek az orvosnál.
    Megyek az orvoshoz.

    The adessive is static. If you are moving toward a person or place, you must use the allative case (-hoz/-hez/-höz).

  • Using -nál ('at, next to') when you mean inside the cinema.

    Different MeaningA mozinál vagyok.
    A moziban vagyok.

    'A mozinál vagyok' is correct, but it means you are next to the cinema, for example waiting outside. If you are inside watching a movie, use the inessive case (-ban/-ben).

  • Vowel harmony errors.

    széknál
    széknél

    Words with front vowels (like 'szék') must take the front-vowel version of the suffix (-nél).

How It Connects

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-nál/-nélLevel 1At / by

Learn This First

To understand the adessive case (-nál/-nél), learners must first grasp Hungarian vowel harmony, specifically the two-way system used to choose between suffixes with 'á' and 'é'. Familiarity with other locative cases like the inessive (-ban/-ben) provides the necessary conceptual framework for how Hungarian uses suffixes to indicate position.

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Words in This Pattern

-nál-nél