Hungarian, a member of the Uralic language family, is an intriguing and complex language that presents a unique challenge to language learners. One of the key aspects of mastering Hungarian is understanding how adjectives work, particularly when it comes to forming comparatives and superlatives. This article aims to demystify these concepts, providing you with a clear and comprehensive guide to Hungarian adjectives in their comparative and superlative forms.
The Basics of Hungarian Adjectives
Before diving into comparatives and superlatives, it’s crucial to understand the basic structure and usage of adjectives in Hungarian. Unlike English, where adjectives generally remain unchanged regardless of the noun they modify, Hungarian adjectives can change form based on their grammatical role in a sentence.
In Hungarian, adjectives typically come before the noun they modify and agree with the noun in terms of case, number, and definiteness. For example:
– szép ház (beautiful house)
– szép házak (beautiful houses)
– a szép ház (the beautiful house)
– a szép házak (the beautiful houses)
Forming Comparatives in Hungarian
Comparatives in Hungarian are used to compare two entities, indicating that one has a greater or lesser degree of a particular quality than the other. To form comparatives, Hungarian adjectives generally add the suffix “-bb” to the adjective’s base form. For example:
– szép (beautiful) becomes szebb (more beautiful)
– nagy (big) becomes nagyobb (bigger)
– gyors (fast) becomes gyorsabb (faster)
This rule applies to most adjectives, but there are a few exceptions and irregular forms that need to be noted:
1. **Adjectives ending in a vowel:** For adjectives ending in a vowel, the comparative form is created by simply adding “-bb” without any changes to the base form.
– drága (expensive) becomes drágább (more expensive)
– könnyű (easy) becomes könnyebb (easier)
2. **Irregular comparatives:** Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms that do not follow the standard “-bb” suffix rule. These need to be memorized as they do not adhere to a predictable pattern.
– jó (good) becomes jobb (better)
– rossz (bad) becomes rosszabb (worse)
When making comparisons in sentences, Hungarian often uses the conjunction “mint” (than) to compare the two entities. For example:
– Ez a ház szebb, mint az a ház. (This house is more beautiful than that house.)
– Ő gyorsabb, mint én. (He is faster than me.)
Equality Comparisons
In addition to comparatives, Hungarian also has a way to express equality between two entities. To indicate that two things are equal in some quality, Hungarian uses the structure “olyan…mint” or “ugyanolyan…mint” (as…as). For example:
– Ez a ház olyan szép, mint az a ház. (This house is as beautiful as that house.)
– Ő ugyanolyan gyors, mint én. (He is as fast as me.)
Forming Superlatives in Hungarian
Superlatives are used to indicate that one entity possesses the highest degree of a particular quality within a group. In Hungarian, superlatives are typically formed by adding the prefix “leg-” to the comparative form of the adjective. For example:
– szép (beautiful) becomes legszebb (most beautiful)
– nagy (big) becomes legnagyobb (biggest)
– gyors (fast) becomes leggyorsabb (fastest)
There are a few points to consider when forming superlatives:
1. **Adjectives ending in a vowel:** For adjectives that end in a vowel, the “leg-” prefix is simply added to the comparative form.
– drága (expensive) becomes legdrágább (most expensive)
– könnyű (easy) becomes legkönnyebb (easiest)
2. **Irregular superlatives:** As with comparatives, some adjectives have irregular superlative forms that must be memorized.
– jó (good) becomes legjobb (best)
– rossz (bad) becomes legrosszabb (worst)
When using superlatives in sentences, the definite article “a” or “az” (the) is typically used before the superlative adjective. For example:
– Ez a legszebb ház. (This is the most beautiful house.)
– Ő a leggyorsabb futó. (He is the fastest runner.)
Additional Notes on Hungarian Comparatives and Superlatives
While the general rules for forming comparatives and superlatives in Hungarian are straightforward, there are some additional nuances and exceptions that learners should be aware of:
Emphasizing Comparatives
In Hungarian, it is possible to emphasize the comparative form by adding the word “még” (even) before the comparative adjective. This construction emphasizes the increased degree of the quality. For example:
– Ez a ház még szebb, mint az a ház. (This house is even more beautiful than that house.)
– Ő még gyorsabb, mint én. (He is even faster than me.)
Using Intensifiers
Hungarian also uses intensifiers to modify the degree of an adjective. Common intensifiers include “nagyon” (very), “rendkívül” (extremely), and “hihetetlenül” (incredibly). These can be used with both base adjectives and their comparative and superlative forms. For example:
– Ez a ház nagyon szép. (This house is very beautiful.)
– Ez a ház nagyon szebb, mint az a ház. (This house is much more beautiful than that house.)
– Ez a ház rendkívül legszebb. (This house is the most beautiful of all.)
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in Different Cases
Hungarian is an inflected language, meaning that the form of adjectives can change depending on their grammatical case. This applies to comparative and superlative adjectives as well. When adjectives take on different cases, they follow the same case endings as nouns. Here are a few examples:
– Nominative: szebb (more beautiful), legszebb (most beautiful)
– Accusative: szebbet (more beautiful – object), legszebbet (most beautiful – object)
– Dative: szebbnek (to/for more beautiful), legszebbnek (to/for most beautiful)
Practical Examples and Exercises
To solidify your understanding of Hungarian comparatives and superlatives, let’s look at some practical examples and exercises. Try to form the comparative and superlative forms of the following adjectives and use them in sentences:
1. hideg (cold)
– Comparative: hidegebb (colder)
– Superlative: leghidegebb (coldest)
– Example: A téli napok hidegebbek, mint az őszi napok. (Winter days are colder than autumn days.)
2. hosszú (long)
– Comparative: hosszabb (longer)
– Superlative: leghosszabb (longest)
– Example: Ez a folyó hosszabb, mint az a folyó. (This river is longer than that river.)
3. könnyű (easy)
– Comparative: könnyebb (easier)
– Superlative: legkönnyebb (easiest)
– Example: Ez a feladat könnyebb, mint az előző. (This task is easier than the previous one.)
Exercise: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the following sentences with the appropriate comparative or superlative form of the given adjectives:
1. (nagy) Ez a kutya ________, mint az a macska.
2. (szép) Ez a virág ________, mint a többi.
3. (gyors) Ő a ________ futó az osztályban.
4. (drága) Ez az autó ________, mint az a bicikli.
5. (okos) Ez a diák ________, mint a többi.
Answers:
1. nagyobb
2. legszebb
3. leggyorsabb
4. drágább
5. okosabb
Conclusion
Understanding and mastering comparatives and superlatives in Hungarian can significantly enhance your language skills and allow you to express comparisons and extremes with ease. By following the rules and guidelines outlined in this article, you can confidently form and use comparative and superlative adjectives in various contexts.
Remember to practice regularly and pay attention to irregular forms and exceptions. With consistent effort and exposure, you’ll find that using comparatives and superlatives in Hungarian becomes second nature. Happy learning!
