The following notice could appear at a district library in Budapest. It announces maintenance, explains temporary access, and gives binding instructions without addressing every reader personally. That institutional purpose accounts for its infinitives, compact dates, and impersonal style.
Complete notice
TÁJÉKOZTATÁS IDEIGLENES ZÁRVATARTÁSRÓL
NOTICE OF TEMPORARY CLOSURE
A Fővárosi Szabó Ervin Könyvtár Kertész utcai tagkönyvtára 2027. május 3–7. között műszaki karbantartás miatt zárva tart.
The Kertész Street branch of the Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library will be closed from 3 to 7 May 2027 due to technical maintenance.
A kölcsönzött dokumentumokat ez idő alatt nem kell visszahozni; a határidőket automatikusan meghosszabbítjuk.
Borrowed items do not need to be returned during this period; due dates will be extended automatically.
A földszinti könyvbedobó használható, de lejárt olvasójegyet megújítani nem lehet.
The ground-floor book return may be used, but expired library cards cannot be renewed.
Az építési területre belépni tilos.
Entry to the construction area is prohibited.
Kérjük, hogy a kihelyezett kordont ne lépjék át, és a vészkijáratot hagyják szabadon.
Please do not cross the barrier and keep the emergency exit clear.
Sürgős ügyben munkatársaink a +36 1 555 0142-es telefonszámon, illetve a kerteszkonyvtar@example.hu címen érhetők el.
For urgent matters, our staff can be reached at +36 1 555 0142 or at kerteszkonyvtar@example.hu.
Nyitás: 2027. május 8., szombat, 10.00 óra.
Reopening: Saturday, 8 May 2027, at 10:00.
Köszönjük olvasóink türelmét és megértését.
We thank our readers for their patience and understanding.
FSZEK Kertész utcai Tagkönyvtár
Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library, Kertész Street Branch
Sentence-by-sentence segmentation
| Hungarian chunks | Literal structure | Function |
|---|---|---|
| zárva-tartás-ról | closed-ADV-keeping-DEL | about closure |
| május 3–7. között | May 3rd–7th between | from 3 to 7 May |
| karbantartás miatt | maintenance because-of | due to maintenance |
| nem kell / vissza-hozni | not necessary / back-bring-INF | need not be returned |
| meg-hosszabbít-juk | PREFIX-lengthen-1PL.DEF | we extend them |
| megújítani / nem lehet | renew-INF / not possible | cannot be renewed |
| belépni / tilos | enter-INF / prohibited | entry is prohibited |
| ne lépj-ék át | NEG cross-SBJV.3PL.DEF over | please do not cross it |
| telefon-szám-on / érhető-k el | telephone-number-SUPER / reachable-PL | can be reached by phone |
| olvasó-ink türelm-é-t | reader-POSS.1PL patience-POSS.3SG-ACC | our readers’ patience |
Grammar and style decisions
1. Headlines nominalize the event
Tájékoztatás … zárvatartásról is a noun phrase, not a sentence. Zárvatartás is written as one compound, and -ról marks the subject matter of the notice. Capitals are a visual convention of signage, not a special Hungarian grammatical mood.
2. Dates combine ordinal punctuation and a postposition
In 2027. május 3–7. között, the periods mark ordinal values in the year and day notation. Között follows the interval. Hungarian official dates conventionally order year, month, day, unlike ordinary American English.
3. Institutional infinitives suppress an actor
Nem kell visszahozni, megújítani nem lehet, and belépni tilos foreground the rule rather than an addressee. English often chooses a passive; Hungarian needs no passive auxiliary. Moving megújítani before nem lehet gives renewal contrastive scope: other services may remain possible.
4. Prohibition can become a polite finite request
The absolute rule is belépni tilos. The following Kérjük, hogy… ne lépjék át directly but formally addresses plural readers with third-person definite imperative forms. Át follows lépjék because negation and imperative syntax separate the prefix.
5. Definite endings recover omitted objects
Meghosszabbítjuk is definite because its understood object is a határidőket. Hungarian omits repeated pronouns readily; English supplies “them.” In hagyják szabadon, the expressed definite object a vészkijáratot selects hagyják.
6. Abbreviations require genre knowledge
FSZEK is the institution’s initialism. Tel. could replace telefonszám, but the notice spells the word out for accessibility. The suffix in 0142-es is joined by a hyphen to the numeral. Such typography belongs to modern standard public writing.
7. Reachability uses a result predicate
Munkatársaink … érhetők el is a plural potential participial predicate: literally “our colleagues are reachable.” The prefix el follows the predicate in this neutral construction. The phone number takes -on, while the email address takes címen.
8. The closing formula marks institutional possession
Olvasóink türelmét contains nested possession: olvasóink “our readers” and türelmét “their patience” as the object of köszönjük. See the formal-text conventions for a related register.
Diagnosing an English-shaped notice
An English speaker might write Ne belépni az építési terület! This combines finite negator ne with an infinitive, omits the directional suffix, and copies English prefix order.
❌ Ne belépni az építési terület!
Incorrect — an institutional infinitive prohibition needs tilos and a directional complement.
✅ A munkaterületre engedély nélkül belépni tilos.
Entry to the work site without permission is prohibited.
The corrected version needs no overt “you.” Területre identifies the prohibited destination and tilos supplies the prohibition.
Common Mistakes
❌ Május harmadik és hetedik között zárva.
Incorrect for the full interval: the range needs clear date marking and a finite notice predicate.
✅ A könyvtár május 3–7. között zárva tart.
The library is closed from 3 to 7 May.
❌ A könyveket nem kell vissza hozni.
Incorrect spelling — the prefix is joined to the infinitive here.
✅ A könyveket péntekig nem kell visszahozni.
The books do not need to be returned by Friday.
❌ Kérjük, nem lépjék át a kordont.
Incorrect — a requested prohibition requires ne.
✅ Kérjük, ne lépjék át a sárga kordont.
Please do not cross the yellow barrier.
❌ A munkatársaink elérhető telefonon.
Incorrect — the plural subject requires plural érhetők el.
✅ Munkatársaink munkaidőben telefonon érhetők el.
Our staff can be reached by phone during working hours.
Key Takeaways
- Public notices favor nominal headlines and actorless infinitive rules.
- Dates use Hungarian order, ordinal punctuation, and postpositions such as között.
- Tilos states a rule; Kérjük, hogy… ne… gives a formal request.
- Omitted objects remain visible through definite verb endings.
- Abbreviations, numeral suffixes, and formal closing formulas belong to the genre’s grammar.
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