Impersonal They

Level 3

In Hungarian, if you don't know who did something, or the 'who' isn't important, you simply use the 3rd-person plural verb (they) and drop the pronoun. This is the most common way to say things like 'The car was stolen' or 'They say it will rain.'

How It Works

Hungarian lacks a widely used spoken passive voice. Instead, it uses the Impersonal Third-Person Plural (általános alany többes szám 3. személyben).

Key Rules:

No Pronoun: Do not use the pronoun ők (they). Including it makes the subject specific rather than impersonal.
Conjugation Agreement: Even though the subject is 'impersonal,' the verb must still follow the rules of indefinite or definite conjugation based on the object.
Singular vs. Plural: Even if only one person performed the action (e.g., one thief), the plural verb form is still used to maintain the impersonal 'someone/they' nuance.

This construction is preferred over the adverbial participle (-va/-ve van) when describing an event rather than a resulting state.

Examples (5)

Azt mondják, hogy holnap esni fog.
They say (It is said) that it will rain tomorrow.
Word by Word: That-it they-say, that tomorrow rain will.
A classic impersonal use where 'they' refers to people in general or a rumor.
Ellopták az autómat.
My car was stolen (They stole my car).
Word by Word: Away-they-stole the car-my.
The definite plural ending (-ák) is used because 'the car' is a specific object, even though the thief is unknown.
Mondták, hogy ne menjek be.
I was told (They told me) not to go in.
Word by Word: They-said, that not I-should-go in.
This is the standard way to translate 'I was told' in Hungarian.
Keresnek téged a recepción.
Someone is looking for you at the reception.
Word by Word: They-look-for you the reception-at.
The indefinite plural (-nek) is used here because the object is a second-person pronoun.
Tavaly építették ezt a hidat.
This bridge was built last year.
Word by Word: Last-year they-built this the bridge-acc.
Focuses on the completion of the bridge rather than the specific construction workers.

Common Mistakes

Adding the pronoun 'ők' (they) when the thieves are unknown.
Different MeaningŐk ellopták a biciklimet.
Ellopták a biciklimet.
'Ők ellopták a biciklimet' is correct, but 'ők' points to a group you already know or mentioned. For an unknown thief, drop it: 'Ellopták a biciklimet' (someone stole my bike).
Using the wrong conjugation type (indefinite vs definite).
Elloptak az autót.
Ellopták az autót.
Since 'az autót' is a definite object, you must use the definite plural ending (-ák) even in an impersonal sentence.
Translating the English passive 'I was invited' word for word.
Different MeaningÉn voltam meghívva a buliba.
Meghívtak a buliba.
'Én voltam meghívva a buliba' is possible, but the stress on 'én' makes it mean 'I was the one who was invited'. For a plain 'I was invited', Hungarian prefers the impersonal plural: 'Meghívtak a buliba.'

How It Connects

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

Impersonal TheyLevel 3

Learn This First

To use the impersonal third-person plural (the 'Impersonal They'), you must first understand how to conjugate verbs in the third-person plural for both definite and indefinite objects. Additionally, you need to understand the concept of 'pro-drop' (omitting the subject pronoun), as the presence of the pronoun 'ők' would specify a particular group of people rather than an unspecified 'someone' or 'people in general'.