-é

Belongs to

Level 3

The suffix -é is attached to a person or thing to indicate ownership without repeating the noun. It translates to 's or the one belonging to.

How It Works

The -é possessive suffix (birtokjel) allows you to talk about 'the one belonging to someone' without repeating the noun.

1. Invariable Form and Vowel Lengthening
The suffix is always -é. However, if a word ends in a short -a or -e, they lengthen to -á or -é: kutya → a kutyáé.

2. The Use of Articles
Common nouns require the definite article a/az: Ez a kocsi a szomszédé. Proper names (people's names) typically do not use an article in formal Hungarian: Ez a könyv Péteré (though a Péteré is common in colloquial speech).

3. Personal Pronoun Exception
Do not use -é with personal pronouns. Use the specific possessive anaphor forms instead (enyém, tiéd, övé, etc.).

4. Plural Possession
If the possessor owns multiple items, the suffix changes to -éi: a Péteréi (the ones belonging to Peter).

5. Noun Substitution and Case Stacking
The -é suffix creates a new noun-like form. It can function as a predicate, a subject, or even a direct object: Látom a Péterét (I see Peter's [one]). You can also add further case suffixes after it: Nem az én tollammal írok, hanem a barátoméval (I am writing with my friend's).

Examples (5)

  1. Ez a táska a tanáré.

    This bag is the teacher's.

    Word by Word: This the bag the teacher's.

    Here, -é is attached to 'tanár' (teacher) to show ownership. The verb 'is' is omitted due to the zero copula rule.

  2. Az én autóm piros, a szomszédé kék.

    My car is red, the neighbor's is blue.

    Word by Word: The my car-my red, the neighbor's blue.

    The word 'autó' (car) is omitted in the second half of the sentence, so -é is added to 'szomszéd' (neighbor).

  3. Kié ez a szemüveg?

    Whose are these glasses?

    Word by Word: Who's this the glasses?

    The question word 'ki' (who) takes the -é suffix to ask 'Whose?'

  4. Ez a macskáé.

    This is the cat's.

    Word by Word: This the cat's.

    Notice how the final 'a' in 'macska' lengthens to 'á' before the -é suffix.

  5. Ezek a könyvek a gyerekéi.

    These books are the child's (ones).

    Word by Word: These the books the child's-plural.

    Because there are multiple books, the plural possessive marker -éi is used instead of just -é.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -é with personal pronouns.

    Ez az éné.
    Ez az enyém.

    Personal pronouns do not take the -é suffix. Instead, they use special forms called possessive anaphors like enyém (mine), tiéd (yours), or övé (his/hers).

  • Omitting the definite article before a common noun possessor.

    Ez a toll tanáré.
    Ez a toll a tanáré.

    When the possessor is a common noun, it must be preceded by a definite article. However, for proper names like 'Péter', the article is often omitted in formal speech (e.g., 'Ez Péteré').

  • Using -é when the possessed noun is still present.

    Ez a Péteré könyv.
    Ez Péter könyve.

    If you name the object (book), you must use the standard possessive suffix on the object. Use -é only when the object is omitted to avoid repetition.

How It Connects

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

-éLevel 3Belongs to

Learn This First

To understand the -é possessive predicate, you need to be familiar with how Hungarian expresses possession in general. Additionally, since this pattern often functions as a predicate (stating that something 'is' someone's), you must understand the zero copula rule where the verb 'to be' is omitted in the third person present tense.

Words in This Pattern

-é