szabad + Infinitive

May / Allowed to

Level 2

The word szabad (meaning 'free' or 'allowed') is used with an infinitive to express permission. It is the standard way to say 'may' or 'be allowed to' in Hungarian.

How It Works

In Hungarian, szabad is technically an adjective, but it functions like a modal verb to express permission.

1. General Permission
When talking about general rules or asking a general 'May one...?', use the plain infinitive:

  • Itt nem szabad dohányozni. (Smoking is not allowed here.)
  • Szabad bejönni? (May [one] come in?)

2. Personal Permission
To specify who is allowed to do something, the infinitive takes personal endings. The person receiving permission is often implied by the ending, but can be explicitly stated using the dative case:

  • Szabad bejönnöm? (May I come in?)
  • Neked szabad kávét innod? (Are you allowed to drink coffee?)

3. Tense and Negation
To negate, place nem directly before szabad. For other tenses, use the auxiliary van, but remember the zero copula rule: never use 'van' in the present tense.

  • Nem szabad... (It is not allowed...)
  • Szabad volt... (It was allowed...)
  • Szabad lesz... (It will be allowed...)

4. Politeness and Standalone Use
For extra politeness, use the conditional mood form szabad lenne:

  • Szabad lenne egy kérdést feltennem? (Would it be allowed for me to ask a question?)

Additionally, Szabad! is frequently used as a standalone exclamation. If someone knocks on a door, you answer "Szabad!" to mean "Come in!" or "It's free/allowed!".

Examples (5)

  1. Szabad bejönnöm egy pillanatra?

    May I come in for a moment?

    Word by Word: Allowed in-to-come-my one moment-for?

    The infinitive 'bejönni' takes the first-person ending '-m' to show that 'I' am the one asking for permission.

  2. A múzeumban nem szabad fényképezni.

    It is not allowed to take photos in the museum.

    Word by Word: The museum-in not allowed photo-take-to.

    Here, the plain infinitive is used because it refers to a general rule for everyone.

  3. Neked már szabad kávét innod?

    Are you allowed to drink coffee yet?

    Word by Word: To-you already allowed coffee-acc drink-to-your?

    The dative 'neked' and the inflected infinitive 'innod' specify that the permission applies to 'you'.

  4. Szabad ez a szék?

    Is this chair free?

    Word by Word: Free this the chair?

    This shows 'szabad' used as a simple adjective meaning 'free' or 'vacant' rather than a modal of permission.

  5. Nem szabad elfelejtenünk a kulcsot.

    We must not forget the key (We aren't allowed to forget it).

    Word by Word: Not allowed away-forget-to-our the key-acc.

    The inflected infinitive 'elfelejtenünk' indicates 'we'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a nominative pronoun (én, te) instead of the dative or inflected infinitive.

    Én szabad bejönni?
    Szabad bejönnöm?

    Hungarian does not use nominative subjects with 'szabad'. You must conjugate the infinitive or use the dative case (Nekem szabad...).

  • Thinking lehet cannot ask for permission.

    Different MeaningLehet itt parkolni?
    Szabad itt parkolni?

    Lehet itt parkolni? is natural and is often used to ask if parking is allowed. It can also ask whether it is possible, for example if there is room. Szabad itt parkolni? asks directly about permission and sounds a little more formal.

  • Adding 'van' in the present tense.

    Itt szabad van dohányozni?
    Itt szabad dohányozni?

    Because 'szabad' acts as a predicate, it follows the 'zero copula' rule in the third-person present tense. Never use 'van' with 'szabad' when speaking about the present.

How It Connects

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

szabad + InfinitiveLevel 2May / Allowed to

Learn This First

To use 'szabad' correctly, you need to understand how to form the Hungarian infinitive (-ni). Additionally, because 'szabad' acts as a predicate, you should be familiar with the zero copula rule for third-person statements. Finally, expressing who has permission often involves inflecting the infinitive, similar to how 'kell' is used.

Words in This Pattern

szabadszabad