English often uses an -ing form or infinitive where Hungarian must choose among several structures. The natural choice depends first on who performs the embedded action, whether time and completion must be stated, and what information receives focus. The companion forms page inventories the constructions; this page organizes them by communicative purpose.
One understood actor: the plain infinitive
After verbs of intention, desire, beginning, and ability, a plain infinitive normally shares its understood subject with the finite verb. Hungarian does not repeat a subject pronoun merely because English supplies one.
Szeretnék korábban hazaindulni.
I would like to set off for home earlier.
Megpróbáltuk időben befejezni a javítást.
We tried to finish the repair on time.
In both examples, the person wanting or trying is also the person leaving or finishing. The verbal prefix helps express direction or completion: hazaindulni points homeward, while befejezni presents reaching an endpoint.
A different actor: a finite hogy-clause
When the main-clause participant wants, asks, expects, or causes somebody else to act, Hungarian commonly uses hogy plus a finite verb. Requests, commands, and desired actions often take the imperative-subjunctive form.
Azt szeretném, hogy holnap te vezesd a megbeszélést.
I would like you to chair the meeting tomorrow.
Megkértem Ákost, hogy küldje el újra a számlát.
I asked Ákos to send the invoice again.
English readily uses “object + infinitive,” but szeretném téged vezetni means “I would like to drive/lead you,” not “I would like you to lead.” The finite Hungarian verb makes person and mood explicit.
Some perception constructions allow an accusative participant plus infinitive: Láttam Annát átfutni az úton “I saw Anna run across the road.” This is a lexical construction, not a general license to copy English object-infinitive patterns.
Hallottuk a szomszéd kutyáját ugatni az éjszaka közepén.
We heard the neighbor's dog barking in the middle of the night.
Impersonal necessity and the personal infinitive
After kell, szabad, lehet, and evaluative expressions, a personal infinitive can identify the person responsible for the action. Its endings resemble possessive endings. A dative phrase can state that performer, but context often makes it unnecessary.
Nekem most indulnom kell, különben lekésem a buszt.
I have to leave now, otherwise I'll miss the bus.
A vendégeknek este tízig el kell hagyniuk az épületet.
The guests must leave the building by ten in the evening.
Generic advice uses the plain infinitive: Érdemes előre foglalni “It is worth booking ahead.” Personal Érdemes előre foglalnunk means “It is worth our booking ahead.” The ending changes reference, not politeness.
Fontos pontosan megértenünk, mit vállalunk.
It is important for us to understand exactly what we are undertaking.
Simultaneous manner and resulting state with -va/-ve
An adverbial participle in -va/-ve commonly presents an accompanying manner or state. With an action verb, its implicit participant is normally controlled by a participant—most often the subject—of the main clause. Make that reference unmistakable.
Mosolyogva nyitotta ki az ajtót.
She opened the door smiling.
A kabát felakasztva maradt a fogason.
The coat remained hanging on the coat rack.
The first describes a simultaneous action by the door-opener. The second describes the coat's resulting state. English -ing is not a sufficient cue: “the crying child” needs an adjectival -ó/-ő form, a síró gyerek, not sírva gyerek.
A síró kisfiút az édesapja vitte ki a váróteremből.
The crying little boy was carried out of the waiting room by his father.
Modifying a noun: participle or relative clause
An -ó/-ő participle compactly describes a simultaneous, habitual, or characteristic action. A past participle can present a completed relation. A finite relative clause is preferable when person, tense, modality, negation, or internal focus must remain explicit.
A bejáratnál várakozó utasok nem kaptak tájékoztatást.
The passengers waiting at the entrance received no information.
Azok az utasok, akik már két órája várakoztak, visszakérték a jegy árát.
The passengers who had already been waiting for two hours requested a refund.
The participle packages a background property. The relative clause asserts a time-rich fact and can focus már két órája. See adverbial participles for control and aspect.
Naming the event: nominalization
An -ás/-és noun treats the event as a concept, topic, or institutional process. It is useful as a subject or object, especially in formal prose. A finite clause is clearer when responsibility and temporal sequence matter.
A napi gyakorlás gyorsítja az új szavak rögzülését.
Daily practice helps new words become established more quickly.
Örülök, hogy végül mindenki időben megérkezett.
I'm glad that everyone eventually arrived on time.
English “everyone's arriving on time” might tempt mindenki időbeni megérkezése, but the finite hogy-clause sounds more natural in this personal reaction. Nominalization backgrounds assertion and often creates denser (formal/academic) prose.
Completion, focus, and prefix placement
Choosing an infinitive does not settle aspect or focus. Compare neutral El akarom olvasni a cikket “I want to read the article through” with object focus A CIKKET akarom elolvasni “It is the article I want to read.” The prefix belongs with the infinitive in both, while the focused constituent stands before the finite verb.
A hétvégén el szeretném olvasni ezt a hosszú interjút.
I'd like to read this long interview over the weekend.
Nem szeretném félbehagyni a munkát.
I wouldn't like to leave the work unfinished.
Reference, direction, completion, and focus must therefore be decided before an English translation is mapped onto a Hungarian form.
A short dialogue
– Sikerült beszélned Évával? – Igen. Megkértem, hogy holnap jöjjön be. – Nekünk is ott kell lennünk? – Nem, elég délután telefonálnunk.
– Did you manage to speak with Éva? – Yes. I asked her to come in tomorrow. – Do we have to be there too? – No, it's enough for us to call in the afternoon.
Beszélned marks the addressee as the actor, jöjjön marks Éva inside a finite request, and telefonálnunk identifies “us” under impersonal elég.
Formal and informal packaging
Formal notices often compress an event into a nominalization, while everyday instructions use a verb or infinitive.
A dokumentumok bemutatása belépéskor kötelező.
Presentation of the documents upon entry is mandatory. (formal)
Belépéskor meg kell mutatnod a dokumentumokat.
You have to show your documents when you enter. (informal)
The formal version suppresses the actor and presents a general rule. The personal infinitive directly assigns the task. Neither is universally better; discourse purpose chooses between them.
Common Mistakes
❌ Azt akarom Pétert eljönni holnap.
Incorrect English object-infinitive transfer after akar.
✅ Azt akarom, hogy Péter holnap eljöjjön.
I want Péter to come tomorrow.
❌ A buszra várva eleredt az eső.
Dangling reference: the sentence makes the rain the only available controller of várva.
✅ Miközben a buszra vártam, eleredt az eső.
While I was waiting for the bus, it started to rain.
❌ Fontos mi időben elindulni.
Incorrect English-style overt subject with a plain infinitive.
✅ Fontos időben elindulnunk.
It is important for us to leave on time.
Key Takeaways
- A shared actor favors a plain infinitive; a distinct actor usually requires a finite hogy-clause.
- Personal infinitives identify the responsible participant under impersonal predicates.
- -va/-ve expresses accompanying manner or state and needs clear participant reference.
- Participles background a property; relative clauses preserve tense, focus, and assertion.
- Nominalizations package events as concepts, especially in formal registers.
- Decide reference, direction, completion, and focus before choosing a construction from its English translation.
Now practice Hungarian
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Hungarian →Related Topics
- Choosing Infinitives, Participles, or Finite Clauses: Forms and Core PatternB1 — Build Hungarian finite clauses, plain and personal infinitives, adverbial and attributive participles, and event nominalizations.
- Choosing Infinitives, Participles, or Finite Clauses: Contrasts and Learner TrapsB2 — Distinguish Hungarian infinitives, personal infinitives, participles, relative clauses, and event nouns through reference and information structure.
- The Infinitive in -ni: Meanings and UsageA1 — Use Hungarian -ni infinitives for controlled actions, modal meanings, purpose, evaluation, instructions, and activity names.
- Personal Infinitives: Meanings and UsageB1 — Use Hungarian personal infinitives to identify who must, may, should, or is expected to perform a nonfinite action.
- Adverbial Participles in -va/-ve: Meanings and UsageA2 — Use Hungarian -va/-ve participles for accompanying actions, manner, instructions, and resultant states without copying English -ing mechanically.