mi (személyes névmás)

In Hungarian, the pronoun mi is often omitted because the verb ending already indicates 'we'. However, Hungarian uses specific strategies to clarify who 'we' includes:

• Inherent Ambiguity: A simple verb like megyünk (we go) or the pronoun mi is neutral. It does not distinguish between inclusive 'we' (you and I) and exclusive 'we' (they and I). Context usually resolves this.
• The IPPC Pattern: To specify 'X and I', Hungarian uses a plural pronoun in the nominative case combined with a noun taking the -val/-vel suffix, or a conjugated comitative pronoun ([Nominative Plural Pronoun] + [Name/Noun] + -val/-vel or [Nominative Plural Pronoun] + [Conjugated Pronoun]). For example, Mi Jánossal means 'John and I'. Crucially, this comitative element can also be a conjugated pronoun: Mi veled means 'You and I', and Mi vele means 'He/She and I'. The total number of people is the primary referent (I, you, or he/she) plus the number of the noun (e.g., Mi a szüleimmel = 'My parents and I'). Note that possessive suffixes in this construction agree with the logical singular speaker, not the plural pronoun (e.g., you say Mi a feleségemmel 'My wife and I', instead of Mi a feleségünkkel 'Our wife and I'). This pattern also applies to the third person (e.g., Ők Jánossal functions as 'He/She and John' in the inclusory pattern, though it can also mean 'They and John' depending on context).
• Semantic Restrictions: This inclusory construction is restricted to definite or specific nouns that have a close sociological or personal relationship with the speaker, which includes pets (e.g., Mi a kutyámmal = 'My dog and I'). It cannot be used with inanimate objects or non-specific nouns (e.g., you cannot say Mi egy asztallal to mean 'A table and I').
• Verb Agreement: The verb must always agree with the plural pronoun used in the construction. If the phrase starts with mi, use first-person plural; if it starts with ti (meaning 'You (singular) and X'), use second-person plural.
• Word Order Flexibility: The plural pronoun and the comitative phrase can form a discontinuous syntactic unit. They can be separated by verbs or adverbs without losing the inclusory meaning, and their linear ordering can even be reversed (e.g., Jánossal mi is perfectly grammatical). For example, Mi gyakran megyünk koncertre Évával means 'Éva and I often go to concerts'.
• Pro-drop and Ambiguity: Even when the pronoun mi is retained, the construction remains inherently ambiguous. For instance, Mi Jánossal megyünk can mean 'John and I are going' (inclusory reading) or 'We (three or more) are going with John' (comitative reading). Because Hungarian is a pro-drop language, the pronoun mi is usually dropped in this specific construction and is generally only kept for emphasis. For example, A feleségemmel mentünk is the most natural way to say 'My wife and I went'. The inclusory meaning survives even without the pronoun. Jánossal megyünk carries the exact same ambiguity ('John and I are going' vs 'We are going with John'). However, when a phrase like Jánossal megyünk is used out of the blue without prior context, the default assumption by a native speaker is the inclusory reading ('John and I are going').