ad: Complete Conjugation and Usage

Ad basically means “give,” but an accurate reference must record more than that gloss. The thing transferred is normally an accusative direct object, the recipient is dative, and the direct object—not the recipient—selects indefinite or definite conjugation. Prefixes such as oda-, vissza-, át-, be-, and el- add endpoints or new lexical meanings.

Most forms of ad are regular, yet its imperative contains a useful alternation: indefinite adj, but definite add. English speakers often omit the recipient ending or let a definite recipient wrongly influence the verb. The wider conjugation decision is explained in definiteness choice; here it is integrated with the particular frames of ad.

Principal parts and nonfinite forms

Present indicative

The indefinite forms accompany no object or an indefinite object: adok egy címet. The definite forms accompany an identified object: megadom a címet. A dative recipient such as a szerelőnek does not change that choice.

For “I give you,” the special first-person-to-second-person form is adlak, usually in a prefixed verb such as beadlak “I submit/enter you” or an idiom; with a transferred thing, Hungarian normally says adok neked valamit instead.

Past and conditional

Future time is usually expressed by present tense plus context (Holnap visszaadom) or explicitly by fog + adni (vissza fogom adni). The auxiliary carries object definiteness.

Imperative–subjunctive

The -j marker is visible in most forms, but the short definite 2sg form is add, with a pronounced long dd. The same paradigm serves commands and subordinate subjunctive clauses.

The personal infinitive

Hungarian can mark the understood subject of adni directly on the infinitive. This is common with impersonal predicates such as kell “must” and szabad “be permitted,” or possessive-like frames such as ideje “it is time.” The infinitive subject is dative when stated: nekem kell adnom.

Do not conjugate both kell and the infinitive for the same person: the standard pattern is nekünk kell adnunk, not an English-like finite “we must” followed by a bare form.

Valency, prefixes, and information structure

The canonical transfer frame is valaki ad valakinek valamit: giver as subject, recipient in -nak/-nek, theme in accusative. Ad valamit valamiért means “give something in exchange for something.” Fixed combinations extend the meaning: tanácsot ad “give advice,” választ ad “give an answer,” engedélyt ad “grant permission.”

Prefixes are not interchangeable. Odaad makes the transfer to an endpoint explicit, visszaad returns, átad hands over, bead submits, and elad sells. In neutral affirmation the prefix precedes the finite verb; negation and preverbal focus separate it.

The unprefixed verb often names an activity or a conventional combination: tanácsot ad, választ ad, órát ad “teach a lesson.” A prefix can bound the event or create a new dictionary meaning. Thus adja a kabátot merely describes giving the coat, odaadja a kabátot profiles delivery to the recipient, and eladja a kabátot means that the coat is sold. English “give away” is especially treacherous: it can be odaad, elajándékoz, or elárul “reveal,” depending on the intended meaning.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• The thing given is accusative; the recipient is dative.
• Direct-object definiteness selects adok versus adom; a definite recipient does not.
• Distinguish indefinite adj from definite add, preserving the long consonant.
• Personal infinitives are adnom, adnod, adnia, adnunk, adnotok, adniuk.
• Prefixes refine the transfer and separate under negation or preverbal focus.