Verb + -va/-ve + van

In Hungarian, the 'true' passive voice is archaic. Instead, speakers use this periphrastic construction to describe states.

1. Formation:
Take the verb stem and add -va (for back-vowel verbs) or -ve (for front-vowel verbs), then add the appropriate form of van.

• bezár (to close) → be van zárva (is closed)
• megfőz (to cook) → meg van főzve (is cooked)

Note that the suffix is added directly to the stem without a linking vowel, even for stems ending in two consonants (e.g., mond → mondva, fest → festve). Some high-frequency verbs use irregular stems with this suffix (e.g., megy → menve, jön → jöve/jőve, alszik → alva). Note that some verbs, such as eszik and iszik, are defective in this construction and generally resist it, requiring workarounds.

2. Transitivity and Usage:
This pattern is most common with transitive verbs (verbs that take an accusative object), where the original object becomes the subject. However, it is also frequently used with intransitive verbs that describe a change of state (e.g., el van utazva - he/she is away/traveled away). Note: While phrases like el van utazva are common in informal speech, they are heavily stigmatized in formal Hungarian and considered sloppy ('pongyola'). In formal writing, the active voice (e.g., elutazott) is preferred.

3. Person, Number, and Tense:
The auxiliary verb van conjugates for all persons (e.g., vagyok, vagy, vagyunk, vagytok), not just the third person. This is very common for expressing personal states:

• Meg vagyok fázva. (I have a cold.)
• El vagyunk tévedve. (We are lost.)

Crucially, the auxiliary must agree in number with a plural subject (using vannak or its negative nincsenek):

• A levelek meg vannak írva. (The letters are written.)
• A levelek nincsenek megírva. (The letters are not written.)

It also changes to indicate time:

• Present: A levél meg van írva. (The letter is written.)
• Past: A levél meg volt írva. (The letter was written.)
• Past Change of State: A levél meg lett írva. (The letter got written.) - using lett emphasizes the transition.
• Future: A levél meg lesz írva. (The letter will be written.)

4. Word Order:
In neutral sentences, verbal prefixes usually separate from the participle and stand before van (e.g., meg van főzve). However, in non-neutral sentences, such as those with negation or a focused element, the prefix typically moves back to the participle (e.g., Nincs megírva a levél - The letter is not written; A könyv van becsomagolva - It is the book that is wrapped). Remember that the negative of van is nincs (and vannak becomes nincsenek)—nem van appears mainly when something is being contrasted. In fixed notices such as Minden jog fenntartva, van may also be left out.