Essive-modal -ul/-ül is indispensable in language adverbs and a set of manner, state, and role expressions, but it is not a general Hungarian equivalent of English “as,” “in,” or -ly. Its nearest alternatives include -an/-en adverbs, productive role -ként, result -vá/-vé, inessive or superessive phrases, and lexical constructions. See essive-modal meanings and usage for the full network; this page shows how to choose.
Language medium versus language as an object or attribute
Use -ul/-ül when the language is the medium of speaking, writing, reading, or understanding. Use nyelv when the language itself is a noun object, and use the bare nationality/language adjective before another noun.
Magyarul olvasok híreket.
I read news in Hungarian.
A magyar nyelv történetét kutatom.
I research the history of the Hungarian language.
Magyar könyveket keresek.
I am looking for Hungarian books.
Magyarul is adverbial; a magyar nyelv történetét contains a noun phrase; magyar modifies könyveket. English uses “Hungarian” in all three environments and distinguishes function mainly through position.
The analytic phrase magyar nyelven also means “in the Hungarian language.” It is natural when the language as an official medium is foregrounded, especially in (formal) notices; everyday speech usually prefers magyarul.
A szerződés magyar nyelven is elérhető.
The contract is also available in the Hungarian language. (formal)
Beszéljünk inkább magyarul!
Let's speak Hungarian instead! (informal)
-ul/-ül versus -an/-en manner adverbs
Hungarian has more than one adverb-forming pattern. The adjective's shape and lexical history determine which is standard; speakers do not choose purely by nuance.
| Standard -ul/-ül | Standard -an/-en | Learner trap |
|---|---|---|
| véletlenül — accidentally | gyorsan — quickly | gyorsul means “speed up” |
| váratlanul — unexpectedly | boldogan — happily | boldogul means “manage/get by” |
| kegyetlenül — cruelly | csendesen — quietly | csendesül would be read as a verb-like form |
| rosszul — badly | pontosan — precisely | the ending is lexical, not free |
A vonat váratlanul megállt.
The train stopped unexpectedly.
A vonat lassan megállt.
The train slowly came to a stop.
A csapat rosszul kezdett, de végül magabiztosan nyert.
The team started badly but eventually won confidently.
Some adjectives permit multiple derived words with different meanings. Boldogan él means “live happily”; boldogul az életben means “manage in life.” Gyorsan halad means “proceed quickly”; gyorsul az autó means “the car accelerates.” A mechanical “replace English -ly with -ul” rule creates another Hungarian word, not merely a bad adverb.
State adverb versus predicate adjective
An essive-modal adverb describes the state or manner accompanying an event. A predicate adjective states what the subject is like and does not need an adverbial suffix.
A beteg öntudatlanul feküdt a földön.
The patient lay unconscious on the ground.
A beteg öntudatlan volt.
The patient was unconscious.
A gyerek egyedül jött haza.
The child came home alone.
A gyerek magányos volt.
The child was lonely.
English can use the same adjective after a verb of position or after “be.” Hungarian distinguishes an adverbial attendant state from a plain predicate, though lexical items such as egyedül do not always have a simple unsuffixed counterpart with identical meaning.
Lexical role in -ul/-ül versus productive role in -ként
Use -ként freely for the capacity in which someone or something functions: tanárként dolgozik, bizonyítékként használ, vendégként érkezik. Use -ul/-ül only in established collocations such as vendégül lát, feleségül vesz, segítségül hív, and alapul szolgál.
Vendégként érkezett a konferenciára.
He/she arrived at the conference as a guest.
A konferencia után vendégül láttuk vacsorára.
After the conference, we hosted him/her for dinner.
A szakértőt tanúként hallgatták meg.
The expert was heard as a witness.
A szakértőt segítségül hívták a vizsgálathoz.
The expert was called on to assist with the investigation.
The first member of each pair gives an independently assigned capacity. The second belongs to a conventional predicate. Vendégül érkezik and segítségként hív valakit do not reproduce the same meanings.
Ajándékba and ajándékul illustrate register-sensitive alternatives. Ajándékba kap/ad is neutral everyday Hungarian. Ajándékul ad is (formal/literary) and frames the object in an elevated role.
A bögrét ajándékba kaptam.
I received the mug as a gift. (neutral)
A kardot hűségéért adta ajándékul.
He/she bestowed the sword as a gift for loyalty. (literary)
Role/state versus change of state
Translative -vá/-vé marks becoming or turning into a result. Essive-modal forms describe a mode/state or appear in lexical role predicates; -ként marks a functioning capacity.
A víz jéggé fagyott.
The water froze into ice.
A jeget hűtőanyagként használtuk.
We used the ice as a cooling material.
Az eset tanulságul szolgált mindannyiunknak.
The incident served as a lesson to all of us.
The result jéggé is productive. The capacity hűtőanyagként is productive. Tanulságul szolgál is a conventional collocation. There is no general jégül for “as ice.”
Lexicalized form versus transparent new formation
Words such as például, végül, belül, and kívül contain the historical ending but now have specialized syntax. Compare például “for example” with productive role példaként “as an example.”
Sok gyümölcsöt vettem, például almát és körtét.
I bought a lot of fruit, for example apples and pears.
Ezt a mondatot példaként írtam fel a táblára.
I wrote this sentence on the board as an example.
A csomag két napon belül megérkezik.
The parcel will arrive within two days.
Például introduces an illustration; példaként assigns a role to a specific item. Belül governs a time or spatial phrase and should be learned with that construction.
Information structure and register
An adverb in focus normally stands immediately before the finite verb. Neutral A vendég magyarul válaszolt can become MAGYARUL válaszolt, nem angolul, contrasting the language. The suffix remains unchanged.
A vendég magyarul válaszolt a kérdésre.
The guest answered the question in Hungarian.
MAGYARUL válaszolt, nem angolul.
He/she answered in Hungarian, not in English.
Language and common manner adverbs span all registers. Lexical role expressions range from neutral vendégül lát to formal/academic alapul szolgál and literary hírül ad.
A kutatás eredményei alapul szolgálnak a következő elemzéshez.
The research results serve as the basis for the next analysis. (academic)
Decision tree
- Is a language the communication medium? Use its established -ul/-ül adverb.
- Is the language a noun object or adjective? Use nyelv or the bare modifier instead.
- Is an adjective becoming a manner adverb? Check its learned form; do not choose freely between -ul/-ül and -an/-en.
- Is someone functioning in an ordinary role? Use productive -ként.
- Does the whole predicate form an established expression? Use forms such as vendégül lát and alapul szolgál exactly.
- Is there a change into a new result? Use -vá/-vé.
- Is the apparent form lexicalized? Learn its government and discourse function as a whole word.
Diagnostic exercise
Choose the natural form.
- “She speaks German”: németül / németben / németként
- “He works as a teacher”: tanárul / tanárként / tanárrá
- “The car moves quickly”: gyorsul / gyorsan / gyorsként
- “We hosted the guests”: vendégként láttuk / vendégül láttuk / vendéggé láttuk
- “The water turned into ice”: jégül / jégként / jéggé
Answers: (1) németül, language medium. (2) tanárként, productive capacity. (3) gyorsan; gyorsul means “accelerates.” (4) vendégül láttuk, the established predicate. (5) jéggé, result of change.
Common Mistakes
❌ Angolban beszélek az ügyféllel.
Incorrect — English 'in English' does not map to the Hungarian inessive; use angolul.
✅ Angolul beszélek.
I speak English.
❌ A gyerek boldogul énekelt.
Incorrect — boldogul is a verb meaning 'manage,' not 'happily.'
✅ A gyerek boldogan énekelt.
The child sang happily.
❌ Éva orvosul dolgozik.
Incorrect — an ordinary professional capacity takes -ként.
✅ Éva orvosként dolgozik.
Éva works as a doctor.
❌ A tejet sajtként változtatták.
Incorrect for transformation — -ként marks capacity, not becoming.
✅ A tejet sajttá változtatták.
They turned the milk into cheese.
❌ A vendégeket vendégként láttuk vacsorára.
Incorrect for 'hosted' — this predicate requires the lexical form vendégül.
✅ A vendégeket vendégül láttuk vacsorára.
We hosted the guests for dinner.
Key Takeaways
- Language medium magyarul contrasts with noun magyar nyelv and adjective magyar.
- The split between -ul/-ül and -an/-en manner adverbs is partly lexical.
- Predicate adjectives and attendant-state adverbs perform different syntactic jobs.
- Productive roles take -ként; role-like -ul/-ül survives in established collocations.
- Change of state takes -vá/-vé, not essive-modal.
- Lexicalized forms and register must be learned with the whole expression.
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Start learning Hungarian →Related Topics
- The Essive-Modal -ul/-ül: Forms and Core PatternB1 — Form Hungarian -ul/-ül language and lexical manner expressions while distinguishing productive patterns from fixed role and state constructions.
- The Essive-Modal -ul/-ül: Meanings and UsageB1 — Use Hungarian -ul/-ül in language names, established manner adverbs, and lexicalized role or state expressions.
- The Essive-Formal -ként: Contrasts and Learner TrapsB2 — Choose Hungarian -ként rather than a predicate noun, translative -vá/-vé, comparison mint, or lexical -ul/-ül expression.
- The Translative-Factive -vá/-vé: Contrasts and Learner TrapsB2 — Choose translative-factive -vá/-vé over unmarked predicates, role marking, directional cases, and lexical result constructions.
- Manner Adverbs with -an/-en and -ul/-ül: Contrasts and Learner TrapsB1 — Choose between adjectives, derived manner adverbs, language adverbs, frozen case forms, and lexical alternatives in Hungarian.