-an/-en (mozzanatos igeképző)

The -an/-en and -int suffixes are semi-productive derivational tools used to create verbs from specific descriptive or onomatopoeic roots. Many of these are "fictive roots" (such as vil- or dör-) that do not exist as independent words.

1. Meaning and Aspect:
These suffixes indicate that an action happens exactly once and very quickly. These verbs often exist in pairs with frequentative verbs (which describe repeated actions, often ending in -og/-eg/-ög or using the -gat/-get suffix):

• villan (to flash once) vs. villog (to flash repeatedly)
• dörren (to bang once) vs. dörög (to rumble continuously)

The -int suffix is similarly used for momentary actions. It forms some intransitive verbs (often involving body parts, e.g., bólint - to nod once, legyint - to wave the hand once), and is also a distinct tool used to create transitive counterparts for -an/-en verbs, often with a smaller or sharper nuance.

2. Vowel Harmony and Stem Changes:
The suffix follows vowel harmony. Typically, if the root ends in a single consonant, that consonant geminates (doubles):

• -an for back-vowel roots: pat- → pattan (to bounce/snap once)
• -en for front-vowel roots: vil- → villan (to flash once)

Additionally, across the entire family of momentary suffixes (including -ant/-ent), in a few rare or irregular cases, if the root contains a long vowel, it shortens when the consonant geminates (e.g., csíp [to pinch] → csippent [to pinch once]). In some of these irregular cases, the consonant itself changes due to an ancient alternative root variant (e.g., szív [to suck/puff] → szippant [to take a puff/sniff]). Roots ending in a consonant cluster (e.g., hars-) do not double again.

3. The -ant/-ent and -int Suffixes:
Verbs formed with the momentary -an/-en suffix are intransitive and do not take a standard direct object (a patient receiving the action). To form their transitive counterparts, Hungarian primarily uses the -ant/-ent suffix (e.g., villan → villant). The -t in -ant/-ent is actually the standard causative/transitive suffix attached directly to the -an/-en form (e.g., villan + -t = villant).

The distinct suffix -int is also used to form transitive counterparts (e.g., pattan → pattint). It often carries a slightly different nuance, implying a smaller or sharper action. This is a vital morphological tool because it avoids collision with the past tense of the intransitive verb (e.g., the past tense of pattan is pattant, whereas the present tense of its transitive counterpart is pattint, so there is no overlap).

However, -ant/-ent is also frequently used to create intransitive momentary verbs (e.g., tüsszent - to sneeze once, vakkant - to bark once). Note that while these intransitive verbs do not take a standard direct object, they frequently take the accusative cognate/dummy object egyet (e.g., tüsszent egyet - sneezes once) to emphasize the single occurrence of the action. Furthermore, instead of direct objects, these intransitive verbs (including many -int verbs and some -ent verbs like tüsszent or pillant) take oblique arguments (arguments with case suffixes or postpositions). For example, rábólint (to nod at something) or rám kacsint (to wink at me).

Important Ambiguity: When -ant/-ent forms a transitive counterpart, it creates a partial ambiguity. The past tense of the intransitive verb looks identical to the present tense of the transitive verb in the third-person singular indefinite (e.g., villant = "it flashed" or "he/she flashes [something]") and the first-person plural indefinite (e.g., villantunk = "we flashed" or "we flash [something]"). Other forms remain distinct (e.g., villantam "I flashed" vs. villantok "I flash [something]"). To express the transitive past ("he/she flashed [something]"), you use villantott. Furthermore, if the object is definite, the verb takes the definite conjugation (e.g., villantja), which removes the ambiguity entirely.

4. Verbal Prefixes:
Momentary verbs often pair with verbal prefixes (like meg- or fel-) to emphasize the sudden completion of the action (e.g., megvillan, felpattan).