kezd: Complete Conjugation and Usage

Kezd means “begin” or “start,” but its Hungarian grammar depends on what begins. A person can kezd valamit “begin something,” kezd valamit csinálni “begin doing something,” or valamibe kezd “embark on something.” An event that begins by itself normally uses kezdődik: Kezdődik az előadás “The performance is beginning.”

With an infinitive, kezd behaves like a restructuring verb: the object of the infinitive can determine the indefinite or definite ending on the finite kezd. Thus kezdek olvasni egy regényt has indefinite kezdek, but elkezdem olvasni a regényt has definite kezdem. English begin never displays this agreement, so learners must analyze the entire Hungarian verb chain.

The general selection rule is developed in the definiteness-choice guide. This reference shows how it applies specifically when kezd and an infinitive form one predicate chain.

Principal parts and nonfinite forms

The personal infinitive is kezdenem, kezdened, kezdenie, kezdenünk, kezdenetek, kezdeniük. It appears with impersonal predicates: Ideje kezdenünk “It is time for us to begin.”

Present indicative

Use indefinite conjugation with no object or an indefinite object; use definite conjugation with an identified object. A noun object is straightforward: kezdünk egy új projektet, but kezdjük az új projektet.

With a shared-subject infinitive, kezd adds an inchoative boundary: an activity starts. Hungarian does not need a preposition corresponding to English to or -ing; the complement is simply an infinitive.

Past and conditional

First-person past kezdtem and first-person plural conditional kezdenénk are identical across the two conjugations. The object still has a grammatical effect even where sound does not reveal it.

Imperative–subjunctive

The short definite 2sg form kezdd has a written and pronounced long dd. Compare indefinite kezdj. These forms also occur after verbs of wishing and in purpose clauses, where English may not use an imperative.

Infinitive restructuring and definiteness

When the understood subject of kezd and the infinitive is the same, the object of the infinitive controls finite agreement. This is why Elkezdek kitölteni egy űrlapot but Elkezdem kitölteni az űrlapot differ. The object need not stand beside kezd to trigger the contrast.

The infinitive may precede bare kezd (esni kezd, beszélni kezd) or follow it. The highly frequent prefix el- emphasizes entry into the activity and normally precedes kezd in a neutral affirmative: elkezd dolgozni. English often makes “start to work” and “start working” interchangeable; Hungarian uses the same infinitive for both.

Prefix order, focus, and negation

With neutral affirmative elkezd, the prefix is joined to the finite verb. Negation and a focused constituent normally separate it: nem kezdi el, HOLNAP kezdi el. The infinitive’s own prefix is a separate issue: elkezdi kitölteni, where ki- remains on kitölteni unless the information structure moves it.

Two related frames require different cases. Valamibe kezd takes illative -ba/-be and means “embark on something”: nagy vállalkozásba kezd. Hozzákezd valamihez takes allative -hoz/-hez/-höz and means “get down to something.” Learn them as whole patterns.

Kezd versus kezdődik and indít

Transitive kezd assigns an agent or experiencer: A tanár kezdi az órát. Intransitive kezdődik presents the event itself as beginning: Az óra kilenckor kezdődik. For starting a machine, Hungarian usually prefers elindít or beindít, not a literal use of kezd.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• Kezd takes an accusative noun, a shared-subject infinitive, or specialized case frames such as valamibe kezd.
• The infinitive’s object controls the finite ending: kezdek egy könyvet olvasni, but kezdem a könyvet olvasni.
• Neutral elkezd separates under negation and focus: nem kezdi el, HOLNAP kezdi el.
• Use kezdődik when an event begins by itself and beindít/elindít for starting a machine.
• Preserve the imperative contrast kezdj versus definite kezdd.