Indirect Questions

Indirect questions (függő kérdések) allow you to embed a question within a statement.

1. The Conjunction 'hogy' and Preparatory Pronouns
Standard Hungarian uses hogy (meaning 'that') to introduce indirect questions, though it is optional and often omitted before both question words (wh-questions) and yes/no questions in both speech and writing. Crucially, the main clause often contains a 'preparatory' demonstrative pronoun that points to the subordinate clause. This pronoun must match the case required by the main verb (e.g., azt for accusative, or arra in kíváncsi vagyok arra, hogy...).

2. Yes/No Indirect Questions
When reporting a yes/no question, Hungarian attaches the particle -e to the finite verb or predicate. This particle is the syntactic equivalent of 'if' or 'whether'. While it is required in indirect questions, it can also be used in direct yes/no questions for emphasis or a formal tone.

• Invariant: The particle -e does not follow vowel harmony.
• Hyphenation: It is attached with a hyphen (e.g., van-e).
• Focus and Prefixes: The particle -e always attaches to the finite verb or the predicate (e.g., Nem tudom, orvos-e. - I don't know if he is a doctor.). In a neutral sentence, a verbal prefix remains attached to the verb, and -e is added to the end of the combined word (e.g., Nem tudom, megjött-e. - I don't know if he arrived). However, if another word is focused, that word precedes the verb and causes the verbal prefix to split, but -e remains on the verb (e.g., Nem tudom, Péter jött-e meg. - I don't know if PÉTER arrived). Note on colloquial speech: You will frequently hear native speakers attach the -e particle directly to the verbal prefix (e.g., Nem tudom, meg-e jött.) or to the negative particle nem (e.g., Nem tudom, nem-e jött meg.). While heavily used in everyday speech, these are considered dialectal or non-standard mistakes in prescriptive Hungarian grammar and should be avoided in formal writing.
• Alternative Questions: The common -e... vagy... construction is used for alternative questions (e.g., Nem tudom, hogy jön-e vagy sem - I don't know whether he is coming or not).

3. Content Indirect Questions
These use question words (ki, mi, hol, etc.) following hogy (if it is not omitted). Unlike English, which changes the word order for indirect questions (e.g., 'Where is he?' -> 'I don't know where he is'), Hungarian does not invert or change the word order. The question word simply stays in its normal pre-verbal focus position (e.g., Nem tudom, hol van. - I don't know where he is). In these clauses, the question word acts as the focus, meaning it must immediately precede the verb and forces any verbal prefix to split (e.g., Nem tudom, mikor jött meg - I don't know when he arrived). Note: If the question word is hogy (how), while 'hogy hogy' is common in casual speech, traditional grammar guides consider it clumsy or incorrect (an accumulation of conjunctions). In formal writing, it is better to drop the conjunction hogy and simply use the question word hogyan or hogy.

4. Mood Choice: Indicative vs. Subjunctive
While most indirect questions use the indicative, if the question implies a 'should' meaning or a suggestion, the verb must be in the imperative-subjunctive mood (e.g., Nem tudom, mit vegyek - I don't know what I should buy).

5. Using 'Vajon'
To add a sense of 'I wonder', you can include vajon within the subordinate clause.

6. Punctuation
Hungarian strictly requires a comma before the subordinate clause (before hogy or the question word). The punctuation at the end of the sentence is dictated by the main clause, not the embedded question. For example, if the main clause is a statement, the sentence ends with a period, not a question mark.

7. Sequence of Tenses
Unlike English, which shifts tenses backward in reported speech, Hungarian keeps the exact tense of the original direct question (e.g., 'Are you coming?' -> He asked if I am coming: Azt kérdezte, hogy jövök-e.). For more details, see Reported Speech.