Case-Governing Postpositions: Contrasts and Learner Traps | Hungarian Grammar

The central contrast is structural: many Hungarian postpositions follow an unmarked noun phrase, as in az iskola mellett “beside the school,” but others require their complement to carry a particular case, as in az iskolával szemben “opposite the school.” The selected case belongs to the whole relationship; it cannot be omitted or replaced merely because English uses one preposition for several meanings. See the forms overview and usage guide for the full inventories. This page focuses on choices that remain difficult even after the forms are known.

The four main case patterns

The following heads are postposed, but the noun immediately before them is already case-marked. The pattern is therefore noun + case + postposition, not English-style preposition + noun.

Selected case	Frequent head	Core relationship	Model phrase
instrumental -val/-vel	szemben	opposite; against; in contrast with	az állomással szemben
instrumental -val/-vel	együtt	together with	a kollégákkal együtt
superessive -n/-on/-en/-ön	túl, kívül, belül	beyond; outside/besides; within	a határon túl
superessive -n/-on/-en/-ön	át, keresztül	across; through	az erdőn keresztül
sublative -ra/-re	nézve, vonatkozóan, tekintettel	as regards; with regard to	a jövőre nézve
dative -nak/-nek	megfelelően, köszönhetően	in accordance with; thanks to	a tervnek megfelelően

A könyvtárral szemben nyílt egy kis kávézó.

A small café has opened opposite the library.

A csapattal együtt én is részt veszek a képzésen.

I am taking part in the training together with the team.

A hídon túl már ritkábban járnak a buszok.

Beyond the bridge, the buses run less frequently.

A szerződésnek megfelelően harminc napon belül fizetünk.

In accordance with the contract, we will pay within thirty days.

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The case and the following head form one relational unit. Learn szemben as -val/-vel szemben, and túl as -n/-on/-en/-ön túl, just as an English learner memorizes a verb together with its required preposition.

Spatial neighbors are not interchangeable

Compare an ordinary postposition with a case-governing one. Az iskola mellett locates something beside the school; az iskolával szemben locates it on the opposite side or sets it in opposition to the school. Similarly, a híd alatt means physically under the bridge, whereas a hídon túl places the reference point beyond the bridge. The difference is semantic, but each meaning comes packaged with its own morphology.

A rendelő az iskola mellett van, nem az iskolával szemben.

The clinic is next to the school, not opposite it.

A park a híd alatt kezdődik, a sportpálya pedig a hídon túl van.

The park begins under the bridge, while the sports field is beyond the bridge.

Kívül has an important boundary use. Spatial a városon kívül means “outside the city,” while additive a szálláson kívül can mean “besides the accommodation.” Context, not a different case, supplies the interpretation. Belül similarly has literal and abstract readings: a kerítésen belül “inside the fence” and egy héten belül “within a week.”

A belépőn kívül az idegenvezetésért sem kellett fizetnünk.

Besides the admission ticket, we did not have to pay for the guided tour either.

A javítást két munkanapon belül elvégezzük.

We will complete the repair within two working days.

Personal reference: case pronoun plus an invariant head

Ordinary postpositions often carry personal endings: előttem “in front of me,” melletted “beside you.” Case-governing heads behave differently. The personal element appears in the corresponding case-pronoun form, and the head remains unchanged: velem szemben, veled együtt, rajtam kívül, rám nézve, neked köszönhetően. These expressions show why Hungarian postpositions form a gradient between independent words, case markers, and possessive-style paradigms.

Rajtam kívül mindenki hallotta a bejelentést.

Everyone except me heard the announcement.

Veled együtt szívesen vállalom ezt a feladatot.

I would gladly take on this task together with you.

Ez rám nézve semmilyen kötelezettséget nem jelent.

This entails no obligation for me.

Neked köszönhetően időben befejeztük a munkát.

Thanks to you, we finished the work on time.

The last two are relatively formal. In everyday conversation, neked köszönhetően is still natural, but rám nézve often gives way to a direct clause such as nekem ez nem jelent kötelezettséget. Register changes what sounds idiomatic; it does not change the required case.

Topic, standard, and cause

The sublative group presents a frequent editorial choice. A jövőre nézve “for the future” is established and moderately formal. A szabályokra vonatkozóan “regarding the rules” is strongly associated with administrative and professional prose. A körülményekre tekintettel “in view of the circumstances” presents those circumstances as a consideration affecting a decision. It does not simply mean “about.”

A jövőre nézve egyetlen ígéretet sem szeretnék tenni.

I do not want to make any promises for the future.

A pályázatra vonatkozóan további kérdéseket is kaptunk.

We also received further questions regarding the application.

Az időjárásra tekintettel a koncertet a csarnokban tartják meg.

In view of the weather, the concert will be held in the arena.

The dative heads express a different logic. Valaminek megfelelően identifies a standard that an action conforms to; valaminek köszönhetően identifies a favorably framed cause. For a harmful result, miatt is normally more natural than ironic köszönhetően, unless the irony is deliberate.

Az útmutatónak megfelelően újraindítottam a készüléket.

I restarted the device in accordance with the instructions.

A gyors segítségnek köszönhetően nem maradtunk le a vonatról.

Thanks to the quick help, we did not miss the train.

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Do not choose the case from the English preposition. Choose the Hungarian relational head first; that head then determines its complement: megfelelően → dative, vonatkozóan → sublative, túl → superessive.

Information structure

Hungarian can move the entire relational phrase for contrast or topic, but the case-marked complement and head stay together. Fronting a szerződésnek megfelelően makes the standard the frame for the statement. Placing it later makes it less prominent. Separating the head from its complement is not a normal way to create focus.

A szerződésnek megfelelően jártunk el, nem a szóban elhangzott ígéret alapján.

We acted in accordance with the contract, not on the basis of the oral promise.

Mi a szerződésnek megfelelően jártunk el.

We acted in accordance with the contract.

A practical decision tree

Is the relation ordinary location such as “beside,” “under,” or “in front of”? Use an unmarked noun with the appropriate simple postposition: a bolt mellett.
Does it mean “opposite/against” or “together with”? Choose instrumental: a bolttal szemben, a barátommal együtt.
Does the reference point mark a boundary traversed or exceeded? Choose superessive with át, keresztül, túl, kívül, belül.
Does a formal phrase mean “regarding” or “taking into consideration”? Expect sublative with nézve, vonatkozóan, tekintettel.
Does the phrase introduce a standard or a favorably framed cause? Expect dative with megfelelően or köszönhetően.
Is the complement a person? Build the appropriate case-pronoun form first: velem, rajtam, rám, nekem.

Diagnostic

Choose the natural completion.

A szabály_ megfelelően jártak el. → szabálynak. Megfelelően requires the dative.
A falun _ már nincs térerő. → túl. A boundary exceeded selects superessive falun plus túl.
_ együtt érkeztem. (“with her”) → Vele. The instrumental pronoun precedes invariant együtt.
A változások_ vonatkozóan értesítést küldtünk. → változásokra. Formal vonatkozóan selects the sublative.

Common Mistakes

English speakers often preserve English order or leave the noun unmarked. These are plausible errors because the intended meaning remains understandable, but the Hungarian structure is incomplete.

❌ A ház szemben van egy kávézó.

Incorrect — szemben requires an instrumental complement and follows it.

✅ A házzal szemben van egy kávézó.

There is a café opposite the house.

❌ Énnel együtt ment el a találkozóra.

Incorrect — the instrumental pronoun is velem, not a regular case form built on én.

✅ Velem együtt ment el a találkozóra.

He went to the meeting together with me.

❌ A város túl olcsóbbak a szállások.

Incorrect — túl requires a superessive complement in this boundary meaning.

✅ A városon túl olcsóbbak a szállások.

Beyond the city, accommodation is cheaper.

❌ A szabály megfelelően töltöttem ki az űrlapot.

Incorrect — megfelelően requires the dative: szabálynak.

✅ A szabálynak megfelelően töltöttem ki az űrlapot.

I filled in the form in accordance with the rule.

Key Takeaways

Learn each governing head together with its required case, not with a single English gloss.
Instrumental, superessive, sublative, and dative patterns express different relational structures.
With people, use a case-pronoun plus the unchanged head: velem szemben, not an invented ending on szemben.
Case-marked complement and postposition form one information-structural unit, even when the phrase moves.
Formal alternatives can change register and nuance, but they never license omission of the selected case.

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