Polite Conditional

Level 3

The Hungarian Polite Conditional (Present Conditional) is the primary way to sound respectful and less demanding. By adding the -n- marker to a verb, you shift from a direct command to a hypothetical 'would' or 'could' request.

How It Works

The conditional mood is formed by adding the marker -n- followed by specific personal endings to the verb stem. Unlike the imperative, it does not change the stem's consonants (no sibilant gemination).

1. Softening Requests:
Instead of using the imperative, which can sound like a command, the conditional frames the action as a possibility.
Example: Segítesz? (Will you help?) vs. Segítenél? (Would you help?)

2. Vowel Harmony:
The suffixes follow vowel harmony.

  • Back: -na/-ná (e.g., várna)
  • Front: -ne/-né (e.g., kérne)

3. The First Person Singular Rule:
In the indefinite conjugation, the 1st person singular ending is always -nék, regardless of whether the verb is back-vowel or front-vowel (e.g., várnék, kérnék). However, the definite conjugation still follows vowel harmony: várnám (back) vs. kérném (front).

4. Polite Advice:
Using the conditional form of kell (must) creates kellene (should/ought to), which is the standard way to give advice without being bossy.

5. Irregular Stems:
Common verbs like van (to be) become volna or lenne, and eszik/iszik become enne/inna.

Examples (4)

  1. Szeretnék egy kávét kérni.

    I would like to ask for a coffee.

    Word by Word: I-would-like one coffee to-ask.

    Using 'szeretnék' (I would like) is the standard polite way to order food or drinks.

  2. Megtenné, hogy kinyitja az ablakot?

    Would you (formal) do the favor of opening the window?

    Word by Word: Would-you-do, that you-open the window?

    The conditional 'megtenné' turns a request into a very polite formal inquiry.

  3. Szerintem többet kellene aludnod.

    I think you should sleep more.

    Word by Word: According-to-me more it-would-be-necessary to-sleep-you.

    Using 'kellene' (should) instead of 'kell' (must) makes the advice sound like a helpful suggestion rather than an order.

  4. Kölcsönadnád a tolladat egy percre?

    Would you lend me your pen for a minute?

    Word by Word: Would-you-lend the pen-yours one for-minute?

    The suffix -nál/-nél is used here for a polite request among friends (informal).

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong 1st person singular ending for back-vowel verbs.

    Várnák egy kicsit.
    Várnék egy kicsit.

    Even for back-vowel verbs like 'vár', the 1st person singular indefinite ending is always '-nék'. 'Várnák' actually means 'They would wait (for it)'.

  • Confusing the conditional with the imperative in polite settings.

    Different MeaningSegítsen nekem!
    Segítene nekem?

    While 'Segítsen' is a formal imperative, it still sounds like a command. 'Segítene' (Would you help) is much more natural for a polite request.

  • Mixing up definite and indefinite endings.

    Kérnék a könyvet.
    Kérném a könyvet.

    If you are referring to a specific object (the book), you must use the definite conditional ending '-nám/-ném'.

How It Connects

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

Polite ConditionalLevel 3

Learn This First

To use the conditional mood for politeness, you must first understand the morphological construction of the conditional mood itself, including both the mood markers and the specific indefinite and definite conjugation endings used in this mood.