Declined Relative Pronouns

Level 3

In Hungarian, relative pronouns (who, which, that) aren't just static links; they change their ending based on their role in the second part of the sentence. If you are talking 'to' someone, the pronoun becomes 'akinek'; if you are talking 'about' something, it becomes 'amiről'.

How It Works

Relative pronouns link two thoughts together. In Hungarian, these pronouns are declined using case suffixes attached directly to the pronoun stem to show their grammatical function.

1. Choosing the Stem:

  • Aki: Used for people (e.g., 'the man who...').
  • Ami: Used for objects, abstract concepts, or to refer back to an entire preceding clause (e.g., 'He didn't come, which is sad' → Nem jött el, ami szomorú).
  • Amely: A formal, literary alternative to ami for objects.
  • Amelyik: Used when selecting from a specific group (e.g., 'the one which...').

2. Plural Forms:
Relative pronouns must agree in number with the noun they refer to. To make them plural, add the plural suffix -k before any case endings: akik, amik. Note the distinction for specific choices: the plural of amely is amelyek, while the plural of amelyik is amelyikek.

3. Applying the Case:
The suffix is chosen based on what the verb in the relative clause requires. For example, the verb találkozik (to meet) requires the instrumental case (-val/-vel). Therefore, 'the girl I met with' becomes a lány, akivel találkoztam.

4. Vowel Harmony:
Relative pronouns follow standard vowel harmony. Although aki and ami are technically mixed-vowel words (containing 'a' and 'i'), they function as front-vowel words for suffixation purposes, meaning they take front-vowel suffixes (e.g., -nek, -ben, -vel).

5. Main Clause Pointers:
Hungarian often uses a demonstrative pronoun (like az, azt, abban) in the main clause to point toward the relative clause: Az a könyv tetszik, amit vettél. (I like that book which you bought).

6. No Omission:
Unlike English, where you can say 'The book I bought,' Hungarian must include the relative pronoun: A könyv, amit vettem.

Examples (5)

  1. Az a fiú, akinek a könyvet adtam, a barátom.

    That boy, to whom I gave the book, is my friend.

    Word by Word: That the boy, who-to the book-acc gave-I, the friend-my.

    Here, 'akinek' uses the dative suffix -nek because the verb 'ad' (give) requires a recipient in the dative case.

  2. Ez az a ház, amiben lakunk.

    This is the house in which we live.

    Word by Word: This that the house, which-in live-we.

    The pronoun 'ami' takes the inessive suffix -ben because 'lakik' (to live/dwell) requires a location.

  3. A lány, akivel beszéltél, az orvosom.

    The girl with whom you spoke is my doctor.

    Word by Word: The girl, who-with spoke-you, the doctor-my.

    The instrumental suffix -vel is used because 'beszél' (to speak) uses -val/-vel to indicate the person spoken with.

  4. Nem találom azt a tollat, amelyikkel írni szoktam.

    I can't find the pen with which I usually write.

    Word by Word: Not find-I that-acc the pen-acc, which-one-with to-write used-to-I.

    Amelyikkel is used here to specify a particular pen out of many, using the instrumental case for the tool of writing.

  5. A város, amiről meséltem, nagyon szép.

    The city about which I told (you) is very beautiful.

    Word by Word: The city, which-about told-I, very beautiful.

    The delative suffix -ról is used because 'mesél' (to tell/narrate) takes -ról/-ről for the topic.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'ami' for people.

    A férfi, amit láttam...
    A férfi, akit láttam...

    In Hungarian, 'aki' is strictly for humans. 'Ami' is reserved for objects and abstract ideas.

  • Matching the pronoun's case to the main clause instead of the relative clause.

    Látom a fiút, akit beszéltem.
    Látom a fiút, akivel beszéltem.

    Even if the antecedent (fiút) is in the accusative, the pronoun must use the case required by its own verb (beszél + -val/-vel).

  • Omitting the relative pronoun.

    A könyv olvastam érdekes.
    A könyv, amit olvastam, érdekes.

    Hungarian requires the relative pronoun to be present, even if English allows it to be dropped.

How It Connects

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Declined Relative PronounsLevel 3

Learn This First

To understand declined relative pronouns, you must first be familiar with the basic relative pronouns 'aki' and 'ami'. Additionally, since these pronouns function by attaching case suffixes (like -val/-vel, -ról/-ről, etc.), you should understand how case suffixes are applied to pronouns, particularly the patterns seen in demonstrative agreement.

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Words in This Pattern

akiamiamelyikamely