Jár does not simply equal English “go.” Its central motion meaning is repeated or customary movement: iskolába jár “go to school/attend school.” It also means “function” of a machine, “be due” as a benefit, and “traverse” with an accusative object. These frames determine the cases, object conjugation, and English translation.
Principal parts
The long á remains throughout the finite forms. Do not shorten jár to jar, which is a different orthographic shape and pronunciation.
| Function | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dictionary / present 3sg | jár | long á |
| past 3sg | járt | stem + -t |
| conditional 3sg | járna | back-vowel ending |
| imperative–subjunctive 2sg | járj | stem + -j |
| infinitive | járni | stem + -ni |
| present participle | járó | “going; due” depending on frame |
Indefinite conjugation
Habitual destinations, activity infinitives, machine subjects, and dative entitlement frames do not contain an accusative object. They use the indefinite paradigm.
| Person | Present | Past | Conditional | Imperative–subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| én | járok | jártam | járnék | járjak |
| te | jársz | jártál | járnál | járj / járjál |
| ő | jár | járt | járna | járjon |
| mi | járunk | jártunk | járnánk | járjunk |
| ti | jártok | jártatok | járnátok | járjatok |
| ők | járnak | jártak | járnának | járjanak |
Hetente háromszor járok gyógytornára munka után.
I go to physical therapy three times a week after work.
The frequency makes repeated movement explicit. For a single trip happening now, megyek gyógytornára is normally the better choice.
The boundary is based on how the speaker frames the event, not on an objective count. A question such as Jársz mostanában moziba? asks about a current habit even if the visits are irregular. Mész ma moziba? asks about today’s planned trip. Past jártam can likewise summarize a former routine, while mentem normally narrates one movement event. Time expressions such as hetente, keddenként, három éve strongly support the habitual reading.
Definite conjugation for traversal and performance
Jár can be transitive when someone covers or repeatedly travels through an area, performs a dance, or follows a route: járja a várost, járja a táncot, járja az útját.
| Person | Present | Past | Conditional | Imperative–subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| én | járom | jártam | járnám | járjam |
| te | járod | jártad | járnád | járd / járjad |
| ő | járja | járta | járná | járja |
| mi | járjuk | jártuk | járnánk | járjuk |
| ti | járjátok | jártátok | járnátok | járjátok |
| ők | járják | járták | járnák | járják |
Egész délelőtt a környék antikváriumait jártam.
I spent the whole morning going around the neighborhood’s secondhand bookshops.
A párok már magabiztosan járják a csárdást.
The couples are already dancing the csárdás confidently.
The definite object selects járom/járja/járják. By contrast, the destination in antikváriumba jár has an illative ending and does not trigger definite conjugation.
Habitual destinations and activities
The endpoint takes the same directional family used with other motion verbs. Buildings and institutions often take -ba/-be; events and activities often take -ra/-re; people and professionals take -hoz/-hez/-höz.
A kisebbik lányunk már óvodába jár.
Our younger daughter already goes to kindergarten.
Keddenként egy belvárosi nyelvtanfolyamra járunk.
On Tuesdays we attend a language course downtown.
A térdem miatt rendszeresen ortopéd orvoshoz járok.
Because of my knee, I regularly see an orthopedist.
An infinitive can name the repeated purpose:
Nyáron hajnalban járunk futni, mielőtt felmelegszik a levegő.
In summer we go running at dawn before the air heats up.
Transport or accompaniment commonly takes instrumental -val/-vel: busszal jár munkába “commute to work by bus.” English packages habituality, direction, and transport differently, so learn the whole frame rather than translating go word by word.
Functioning and circulation
With a machine as subject, jár means “run, operate.” With a service or vehicle, it can mean “run/circulate on a route.”
Furcsa hangja van, de a régi falióra még pontosan jár.
It makes a strange sound, but the old wall clock still keeps accurate time.
Vasárnap ritkábban járnak a külvárosi buszok.
The suburban buses run less frequently on Sundays.
Do not use definite conjugation because the English translation contains the clock or the buses. Those nouns are Hungarian subjects. Nem jár a lift means “the elevator is not working”; it has no object.
Entitlement: something jár someone-DATIVE
In the entitlement frame, the benefit is the grammatical subject and the recipient takes -nak/-nek. English reverses the perspective with “someone is entitled to something” or “someone gets something.”
Minden teljes állású dolgozónak jár fizetett szabadság.
Every full-time employee is entitled to paid leave.
Ehhez a menühöz ingyen jár egy pohár ásványvíz.
A glass of mineral water comes free with this menu.
Jár neki therefore means “it is due to him/her,” not “he/she goes.” The person is dative neki, while the thing due controls third-person jár.
This experiencer/recipient pattern belongs to the wider dative system, but the entitlement meaning is lexical to jár.
Duration and secondary everyday frames
Because jár readily expresses a habit, a duration extending to the present combines with present tense. Hungarian három éve jár corresponds to English “has been attending/has been going for three years,” not a simple past.
A bátyám három éve jár esti képzésre, és tavasszal végez.
My older brother has been attending an evening program for three years and will graduate in the spring.
If the habit has ended, past tense and a closed interval make that clear:
Gyerekkoromban hat évig jártam zeneiskolába.
As a child, I attended music school for six years.
The same verb enters several frequent idioms. Jól jár means obtain a favorable outcome, whereas rosszul jár or pórul jár means fare badly. There is no destination despite the English motion-like translation.
Jól jártunk a korai foglalással, mert később megduplázódtak az árak.
Booking early worked out well for us because prices later doubled.
Aki engedély nélkül parkol itt, könnyen pórul járhat.
Anyone who parks here without permission may easily get into trouble.
Valakivel jár means be dating someone (informal). The partner takes instrumental -val/-vel, not accusative. This is distinct from accompanying someone on one journey, which normally needs a more specific context or verb.
Lilla már hónapok óta egy volt évfolyamtársával jár.
Lilla has been dating a former classmate for months.
Another idiom, valamin jár az esze, means someone’s mind is occupied with something. The topic takes superessive -on/-en/-ön.
Látom, hogy már megint a költözésen jár az eszed.
I can see that your mind is on the move again.
These senses show why memorizing only “go” is unreliable: the same morphology combines with different participant structures, and each structure assigns its own cases.
Subject agreement remains ordinary across the meanings. Jár a busz is singular because a busz is singular; járnak a buszok is plural. In Nekünk évente két szabadnap jár, the quantified benefit két szabadnap occurs with singular agreement because noun phrases headed by a numeral are grammatically singular in standard Hungarian. English plural marking therefore cannot be copied mechanically onto the Hungarian verb.
Prefixes and their frames
Frequent prefixed relatives are lexical verbs. Bejár can traverse an entire area or commute to a place; eljár can attend regularly or act/proceed (formal); kijár can go out repeatedly or secure something through effort; megjár can visit and return or undergo an unpleasant experience.
A kutatók egy hét alatt bejárták az egész szigetet.
The researchers covered the entire island in a week.
A nagynéném vidékről jár be dolgozni a fővárosba.
My aunt commutes from the countryside to work in the capital.
Az ügyben a hatóság a hatályos szabályok szerint jár el.
The authority proceeds in the case under the rules in force.
Negation and focus can put the finite verb before the prefix:
A vihar miatt nem jártuk be a tanösvény északi szakaszát.
Because of the storm, we didn’t cover the northern section of the nature trail.
Mely napokon jártatok be személyesen az új irodába?
On which days did you go in person to the new office?
In bejárták az egész szigetet, the prefix and definite verb are adjacent. In nem jártuk be, negation occupies the preverbal position. The object remains definite in both orders.
For the general information-structure rule, see verb-prefix order.
Infinitive and participles
Personal infinitive forms are járnom, járnod, járnia, járnunk, járnotok, járniuk.
A kezelés végéig kéthetente kell kontrollra járnom.
Until the treatment ends, I have to go for a checkup every two weeks.
| Form | Typical use | Register |
|---|---|---|
| járni | edzésre járni “attend training” | unmarked |
| járó | az utasnak járó kártérítés “compensation due to the passenger” | unmarked; often (formal) in entitlement texts |
| járt | a vidéket járt fotós “photographer who traveled the region” | expanded attributive use |
| járva | házról házra járva “going from house to house” | unmarked |
| járandó | neki járandó összeg “amount due to him/her” | (formal), especially administrative |
Common Mistakes
❌ A fiam minden hétköznap az egyetemre járja.
Incorrect — a directional attendance complement does not license definite conjugation.
✅ A fiam a szegedi egyetemre jár.
My son attends the university in Szeged.
❌ Éppen moziba jártam, amikor felhívtál.
Incorrect for movement in progress on one occasion — habitual jár does not mean ‘was going.’
✅ Éppen moziba mentem, amikor felhívtál.
I was on my way to the cinema when you called.
❌ A szabadság minden alkalmazottat jár.
Incorrect — the entitled person is dative, not accusative.
✅ A próbaidő után minden alkalmazottnak jár szabadság.
After the probationary period, every employee is entitled to leave.
❌ A szerelés óta nem járja a konyhai óra.
Incorrect — the clock is the subject, so the intransitive indefinite form is required.
✅ A szerelés óta sem jár pontosan a konyhai óra.
The kitchen clock hasn’t kept accurate time since the repair either.
Key Takeaways
- The principal forms are jár – járt – járna – járj – járni – járó.
- Jár usually expresses habitual travel or attendance; megy is usual for one trip in progress or on one occasion.
- Destinations are case-marked complements: iskolába, tanfolyamra, orvoshoz jár.
- Machines and services can jár “run”; in entitlement jár valami valakinek, the recipient is dative.
- Continuing habits take present tense with durations: három éve jár “has been attending for three years.”
- Transitive járja a várost/a táncot uses object conjugation.
- Prefixed verbs have their own frames, and negation or focus separates the prefix.
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