-nként

Per / Each

Level 2

Use -nként to say 'per person', 'every ten minutes', or 'house by house'. It is an invariable suffix that distributes an action across individual units.

How It Works

The distributive suffix -nként is used to indicate that something happens for every unit of a noun. It is highly versatile and used in several contexts:

  • People: fejenként (per head/person), csoportonként (by group).
  • Time: óránként (hourly/every hour), naponként (day by day/per day).
  • Space/Units: házanként (house by house), darabonként (per piece).

Morphology and Linking Vowels:
Because -nként starts with a consonant cluster, stems ending in a consonant require a linking vowel. Even though the suffix itself is front-vowel, the linking vowel follows standard vowel harmony rules:

  • Back-vowel stems: Use -a- or -o- (e.g., ház-a-nként, darab-o-nként).
  • Front-vowel stems: Use -e- or -ö- (e.g., fej-e-nként, öt-ö-nként).
  • Vowel stems: Stems ending in -a or -e undergo low-vowel lengthening (e.g., óra → óránként, hétvége → hétvégénként). Other vowels attach directly (e.g., autónként).

Distinction from -onta/-ente:
While naponta (daily) and naponként (per day) both relate to time, -nként is the only option for non-temporal nouns. In time expressions, -nként often emphasizes the specific interval or a 'per unit' rate rather than just a routine habit.

Examples (5)

  1. A belépő fejenként kétezer forint.

    The entry fee is 2,000 forints per person.

    Word by Word: The entry-fee per-head two-thousand forint.

    'Fejenként' is a very common way to say 'per person' or 'per head'.

  2. A buszok tíz percenként indulnak.

    The buses depart every ten minutes.

    Word by Word: The buses ten minute-per depart.

    When used with numbers and time units, it expresses the frequency of an interval.

  3. A postás házanként jár.

    The mailman goes house by house.

    Word by Word: The mailman house-by-house goes.

    Here it shows distribution across space, meaning the mailman visits each house individually.

  4. Darabonként ötven forintba kerül.

    It costs fifty forints per piece.

    Word by Word: Piece-per fifty forint-into costs.

    'Darabonként' is the standard way to express unit pricing.

  5. Csoportonként haladunk előre.

    We are moving forward group by group.

    Word by Word: Group-by-group move-we forward.

    This shows the action is distributed across multiple groups one after another.

Common Mistakes

  • Trying to harmonize the suffix to -nkánt for back-vowel words.

    házankánt
    házanként

    The suffix -nként is invariable. It never changes to -nkánt, regardless of the stem's vowels.

  • Forgetting the linking vowel on consonant-ending stems.

    fejnként
    fejenként

    Stems ending in a consonant need a linking vowel (a, o, e, or ö) to bridge the stem and the suffix.

  • Confusing -nként with the essive-formal -ként.

    Tanáranként dolgozom.
    Tanárként dolgozom.

    The suffix -ként (without a linking vowel) means 'as' or 'in the role of'. The distributive -nként (usually with a linking vowel) means 'per' or 'each'.

How It Connects

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

-nkéntLevel 2Per / Each

Learn This First

To use the distributive -nként suffix, you must understand Hungarian vowel harmony to attach the suffix correctly. Additionally, since this pattern is often used to express 'per unit' or 'every X intervals', familiarity with how numbers interact with singular nouns and the basic essive-formal suffix is essential.

Words in This Pattern

-nként