el- / vissza-

Away and Back

Level 2

Hungarian uses verbal prefixes (igekötők) to change a verb's meaning. el- means 'away' or 'finished,' and vissza- means 'back' or 'return.'

How It Works

Hungarian verbal prefixes are essential for defining the direction and aspect of an action.

1. The Prefix 'el-' (Away / Completion / Error)

  • Directional: It shows movement away from a starting point. For example, megy (goes) becomes elmegy (goes away/leaves).
  • Perfective: It often signals that an action is completed. While meg- is the primary perfective marker, el- often implies finishing something 'off' or 'away,' such as elolvas (to read through/finish reading).
  • Error/Mistake: It can indicate that an action was done incorrectly or resulted in a negative outcome. For example, elszámol (to miscalculate) or elront (to ruin/spoil).

2. The Prefix 'vissza-' (Back / Return)

  • Directional: It indicates returning to a previous location. Jön (comes) becomes visszajön (comes back).
  • Restorative/Reciprocal: It shows returning an object or responding to an action. Ad (gives) becomes visszaad (gives back).

3. The Focus Rule and Separation
These prefixes are separable. In a neutral sentence, they sit directly before the verb. However, Hungarian uses a Focus Position—the slot immediately before the verb—to emphasize specific information. If any other word occupies this focus slot, the prefix is pushed after the verb.

Common triggers for separation include:

  • Focus/Emphasis: If you emphasize a specific word (e.g., "Péter goes away," not someone else), the prefix moves: Péter megy el.
  • Negation: The word nem takes the focus, moving the prefix after the verb. Nem megyek el. (I am not going away.)
  • Imperatives (Commands): The verb itself is the focus. Gyere vissza! (Come back!)
  • Question Words: Words like mikor (when) or ki (who) always occupy the focus slot. Mikor jössz vissza?
  • Modal Verbs: With verbs like kell (must), akar (want), or tud (can), the prefix often 'climbs' to the position before the modal verb in neutral sentences. El kell mennem. (I must go away.)

Examples (5)

  1. Elolvastam a könyvet.

    I finished reading the book.

    Word by Word: Away-read-I the book-accusative.

    Here, 'el-' functions as a perfective marker, showing the reading is complete.

  2. Mikor jössz vissza?

    When are you coming back?

    Word by Word: When come-you back?

    In a question with a question word (focus), the prefix 'vissza-' moves after the verb.

  3. El kell mennem.

    I must go away.

    Word by Word: Away must go-my.

    When using a modal verb like 'kell', the prefix 'el-' moves in front of the modal verb.

  4. Visszaadnád a tollamat?

    Would you give me back my pen?

    Word by Word: Back-give-would-you the pen-my-accusative?

    Using 'vissza-' with 'ad' (give) creates the meaning of returning an item.

  5. Nem megyek el ma este.

    I am not going out tonight.

    Word by Word: Not go-I away today evening.

    The negation 'nem' forces the prefix 'el-' to separate and move after the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the prefix attached in a negative sentence.

    Nem elindul a vonat.
    Nem indul el a vonat.

    In Hungarian, the word 'nem' (not) always forces the verbal prefix to move to the position immediately following the verb.

  • Using 'vissza-' to mean 'again' (repetition).

    Different MeaningVisszaolvasom a leckét.
    Újraolvasom a leckét.

    Visszaolvasom a leckét is a correct sentence, but visszaolvas means to read back (for example, to read out what was written). It does not mean to read again. To say again, use the prefix újra- or the adverb újra: Újraolvasom a leckét.

  • Changing the prefix to match vowel harmony.

    Vissze- / Al-
    Vissza- / El-

    Unlike suffixes, verbal prefixes in Hungarian are invariant. They never change their vowels to match the verb stem.

How It Connects

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

el- / vissza-Level 2Away and Back

Learn This First

To understand 'el-' and 'vissza-', you first need to understand the general behavior of Hungarian verbal prefixes (igekötők), including their placement relative to the verb. Additionally, since these prefixes modify verbs, a solid grasp of basic verb conjugation and directional movement concepts is necessary.

Words in This Pattern

el-vissza-