-ódik/-ődik

Middle and Inchoative Verbs

Level 3

The -ódik/-ődik suffix creates 'middle' verbs. It describes a process happening to something (e.g., 'the door closes') without focusing on who is doing it. It is one common way to express passive-like meanings in modern Hungarian.

How It Works

In Hungarian, the -ódik/-ődik suffix is a productive tool for creating mediopassive (or eventive) verbs.

1. Function:
It shifts the focus from the 'doer' (agent) to the 'undergoer' (patient). While English often uses the passive voice ('The problem was solved'), Hungarian frequently uses this suffix to suggest the action happens 'on its own' or as a natural process. (Note: To express 'becoming' a state, Hungarian typically uses the inchoative -ul/-ül suffix or the short-vowel -odik/-edik/-ödik suffix instead, as detailed in Section 7).

2. Formation:
This is strictly a two-form suffix (there is no -édik variant).

  • -ódik: Used with back-vowel stems (e.g., becsuk → becsukódik, megold → megoldódik).
  • -ődik: Used with front-vowel stems (e.g., megtölt → megtöltődik). Note that vowel-dropping stems lose their final stem vowel before this suffix (e.g., töröl → törlődik).

3. Conjugation:
Verbs ending in this suffix follow the -ik conjugation rules. This means in the 3rd person singular present, they end in -ik (e.g., íródik). Crucially, in the 1st person singular present, standard Hungarian uses -m instead of -k (e.g., becsukódom, not becsukódok).

4. Semantic Limits and Lexical Blocking:
This suffix generally works for actions that can logically be imagined as happening spontaneously. While verbs requiring a conscious agent traditionally avoid this suffix, it is often used colloquially or sarcastically to imply something happened on its own (e.g., a közpénz ellopódik - 'the public funds steal themselves'). Furthermore, if Hungarian already has a dedicated, irregular intransitive pair for a verb (like nyit 'open' → nyílik), the -ódik form is usually avoided. However, these forms are perfectly natural when expressing mechanical resistance or failure (e.g., Nem nyitódik az ajtó - 'The door won\'t open').

5. Nuance vs. Passive:
Unlike the resultant state construction (-va/-ve van), which describes a state resulting from an action, -ódik verbs focus on the process itself. Note that these verbs usually do not allow you to name the person performing the action using 'által' (by). If you know who did it, use the active voice instead.

6. Alternatives:
For general passive statements where the agent is unknown, Hungarian most commonly uses the impersonal third-person plural (e.g., Ellopták az autót - 'They stole the car' / 'The car was stolen') rather than the -ódik/-ődik construction.

7. Warning: Lookalike Suffixes:
Do not confuse the mediopassive -ódik/-ődik (which has long vowels and attaches to verbs) with the similar-looking -odik/-edik/-ödik (which has short vowels and attaches to nouns or adjectives to mean 'behaving like' or 'becoming', e.g., okosodik 'gets smarter').

Examples (4)

  1. Az ajtó halkan becsukódik.

    The door closes quietly.

    Word by Word: The door quietly closes-itself.

    Here, the focus is on the door's movement, not on a person closing it.

  2. A probléma magától megoldódik.

    The problem will solve itself / will get solved by itself.

    Word by Word: The problem from-itself solves-itself.

    The word 'magától' (by itself) is often used with this suffix to emphasize spontaneity.

  3. Már íródik az új regény.

    The new novel is already being written.

    Word by Word: Already writes-itself the new novel.

    This describes a work in progress where the process of writing is the focus.

  4. A fájl véletlenül törlődött.

    The file was accidentally deleted.

    Word by Word: The file accidentally deleted-itself.

    The verb 'törlődik' is the mediopassive form of 'töröl' (to delete/erase). Notice how the second 'ö' in 'töröl' drops out because it is a vowel-dropping stem.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'által' (by) to name an agent with this suffix.

    A levél megíródik a fiú által.
    A fiú megírja a levelet.

    Hungarian prefers the active voice if the person doing the action is known. The -ódik suffix is for when the agent is irrelevant or the process is spontaneous.

  • Forgetting the -ik ending in the 3rd person singular.

    Az ajtó becsukód.
    Az ajtó becsukódik.

    All verbs formed with -ódik/-ődik must follow the -ik conjugation pattern.

How It Connects

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

-ódik/-ődikLevel 3Middle and Inchoative Verbs

Learn This First

To understand the mediopassive -ódik/-ődik pattern, you must first be comfortable with two-way vowel harmony to correctly choose between the two suffix forms. Since these verbs are almost exclusively intransitive and belong to the '-ik' verb class, you need to understand how to conjugate -ik verbs using indefinite endings.

Words in This Pattern

-ódik-ődik