valaki / valami

Someone and Something

Level 3

Valaki (someone) and valami (something) are used when a specific person or thing exists, but their identity is unknown or unspecified. They function as nouns and take standard case suffixes.

How It Works

Hungarian indefinite pronouns are highly regular but require attention to vowel harmony and verb agreement.

1. Vowel Harmony:
In Hungarian compound words, the last component determines the suffix. Even though 'vala-' contains back vowels, both pronouns end in front-vowel components ('ki' and 'mi').

2. The Accusative Case:
When these pronouns are the direct object of a verb, you must add the accusative suffix -t, resulting in valakit and valamit. This is a crucial step to become confident with when forming sentences.

3. The Indefiniteness Rule:
Even if you are referring to a specific 'something', these pronouns are grammatically indefinite. You must use indefinite verb endings when they are the object (e.g., Látok valakit). Note that these pronouns are never used with definite or indefinite articles.

4. Number and Usage:
These pronouns are almost always used in the singular form, even if the context implies multiple people or things. While plural forms like valakik exist, they are rare and specific; for general use, stick to the singular.

5. Affirmative vs. Negative:
Use valaki and valami in all affirmative statements and neutral questions (e.g., Látsz valamit? - Do you see something/anything?). In contrast, Hungarian uses double negation with senki and semmi for negative sentences and negative questions.

Examples (6)

  1. Valaki kopog az ajtón.

    Someone is knocking on the door.

    Word by Word: Someone knocks the door-on.

    Here 'valaki' is the subject. It is used because we know a person is there, but we don't know who.

  2. Látok valakit a kertben.

    I see someone in the garden.

    Word by Word: I-see someone-ACC the garden-in.

    Note the use of the accusative suffix -t and the indefinite verb form 'látok'.

  3. Valamit mondani akarok neked.

    I want to tell you something.

    Word by Word: Something-ACC to-say I-want to-you.

    The pronoun 'valami' takes the accusative -t. The verb 'akarok' is in the indefinite conjugation.

  4. Valaminek az illatát érzem.

    I smell the scent of something.

    Word by Word: Something-DAT the scent-its-ACC I-feel.

    This shows 'valami' taking the dative suffix -nek. Because 'mi' is a front vowel, the whole word takes front-vowel suffixes.

  5. Valakik már várnak rád.

    Some people are already waiting for you.

    Word by Word: Some-people already they-wait for-you.

    This shows the plural form 'valakik', used when the speaker knows there is more than one person.

  6. Kérsz valami teát?

    Would you like some kind of tea?

    Word by Word: You-want some tea-ACC?

    In this context, 'valami' acts as an adjective meaning 'some kind of'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the definite conjugation with valaki/valami.

    Látom valakit.
    Látok valakit.

    Even though 'valaki' refers to a specific person, it is grammatically indefinite. You must use the indefinite conjugation.

  • Using valami in a negative sentence when you mean 'nothing'.

    Different MeaningNem látok valamit.
    Nem látok semmit.

    Nem látok valamit is a correct sentence, but it means there is something specific that I cannot see. To say I do not see anything, use the negative pronoun semmit with negative concord.

How It Connects

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

valaki / valamiLevel 3Someone and Something

Learn This First

To understand 'valaki' and 'valami', you need to know the basic question words 'ki' and 'mi' which serve as their roots. Additionally, since these pronouns function as indefinite objects, you must understand how to use the indefinite verb conjugation.

Words in This Pattern

valakivalami