Hungarian van / lesz covers “be,” “exist,” and “become,” but its forms come from several stems: vagy- / van-, vol-, and le- / len-. That suppletion is genuinely irregular; there is no single stem from which an English-speaking learner can predict the whole paradigm. Learn the principal parts together, then learn which complements each meaning licenses.
This is a verb reference rather than a general lesson on copulas. The wider contrast between an overt verb and the present-tense zero copula is explained on the van, zero copula, volt, and lesz page. Unless labeled otherwise, the forms below are neutral in both speech and writing.
Principal parts and the central contrast
| Function | Form | Core value |
|---|---|---|
| present | van | is, exists, is located |
| past | volt | was, existed, was located |
| future / change | lesz | will be; becomes |
| conditional | lenne | would be |
| imperative–subjunctive | legyen | let it be; should be |
| infinitive | lenni | to be |
The English gloss “be” hides an essential Hungarian split. Location and existence normally require van, while a third-person present noun or adjective predicate normally has no overt copula.
A gyógyszertár a pályaudvar mellett van.
The pharmacy is next to the station.
Dóra gyógyszerész, a testvérei pedig tanárok.
Dóra is a pharmacist, while her siblings are teachers.
The first predicate locates something, so van is present. The second classifies people by profession, so third-person present is/are has no spoken Hungarian equivalent. Other persons still show the verb: gyógyszerész vagyok “I am a pharmacist.”
Present: vagyok, vagy, van
| Person | Present form | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| én | vagyok | nem vagyok |
| te | vagy | nem vagy |
| ő / ön | van | nincs / nincsen |
| mi | vagyunk | nem vagyunk |
| ti | vagytok | nem vagytok |
| ők / önök | vannak | nincsenek |
Van is intransitive, so it has no indefinite-versus-definite object conjugation. A following noun can be a predicate complement, not a direct object. Third-person existential and locative negation uses suppletive nincs(en) / nincsenek, while the other persons use nem + vagy-.
Most az irodában vagyok, de fél hatkor már otthon leszek.
I'm at the office now, but by half past five I'll be home.
A felső fiókban nincs semmi, a szerződések alul vannak.
There is nothing in the top drawer; the contracts are at the bottom.
With a noun or adjective predicate, van/vannak is omitted only in the third-person present. It returns in the past, future, conditional, and subjunctive.
A terem tegnap üres volt, holnap viszont zsúfolt lesz.
The room was empty yesterday, but tomorrow it will be crowded.
Past and future/change paradigms
| Person | Past | Future / change |
|---|---|---|
| én | voltam | leszek |
| te | voltál | leszel |
| ő / ön | volt | lesz |
| mi | voltunk | leszünk |
| ti | voltatok | lesztek |
| ők / önök | voltak | lesznek |
Lesz can locate a future state (“will be”) or present a resulting identity/state (“become”). Hungarian often uses this simple form where English uses will be.
Jövőre a régi raktárból közösségi műhely lesz.
Next year the old warehouse will become a community workshop.
Mikor lesz kész a javítás?
When will the repair be ready?
When lesz specifically means “become,” its past is lettem, lettél, lett, lettünk, lettetek, lettek. This result series contrasts with state voltam, voltál, volt....
A keskeny mellékutcából néhány év alatt forgalmas bevásárlóutca lett.
Within a few years, the narrow side street became a busy shopping street.
Conditional and imperative–subjunctive
| Person | Conditional | Imperative–subjunctive |
|---|---|---|
| én | lennék | legyek |
| te | lennél | légy / legyél |
| ő / ön | lenne | legyen |
| mi | lennénk | legyünk |
| ti | lennétek | legyetek |
| ők / önök | lennének | legyenek |
The short second-person légy is neutral in many fixed instructions (légy óvatos), while legyél is especially common in conversation. The same paradigm expresses both commands and subordinate wishes or requirements.
Légy szíves, szólj, amikor megérkezik a futár!
Please let me know when the courier arrives.
Fontos, hogy minden melléklet olvasható legyen.
It is important that every attachment be legible.
Több időm lenne rád, ha nem ingáznék naponta.
I would have more time for you if I didn't commute every day.
Modern everyday counterfactuals normally use the lenn- series. Volna is especially important as the invariant auxiliary of the past conditional (elment volna, “would have left”; jobb lett volna, “would have been better”). Simple volna / volnék also occurs as an elevated or less usual alternative to lenne / lennék, though it remains ordinary in a few polite formulas such as Volna egy kérdésem “I have a question.” Outside such formulas, it is not the default production pattern for beginners.
Here English “have” corresponds to Hungarian nekem időm van: the possessor is dative or recoverable, the possessed noun bears a possessive suffix, and van asserts its availability. See the possessive existential pattern.
Infinitive and participles
The infinitive is lenni. Its personal forms are lennem, lenned, lennie, lennünk, lennetek, lenniük. They appear when the understood subject of the infinitive must be identified.
Nem könnyű egyszerre türelmesnek és határozottnak lenni.
It isn't easy to be patient and firm at the same time.
Holnap korábban kell bent lennünk.
We have to be in earlier tomorrow.
The major nonfinite relatives are irregular or lexicalized:
| Form | Use | Register |
|---|---|---|
| levő | present participle: situated/being | neutral to formal |
| volt | former; previously existing | neutral |
| lett | having become; resulting | neutral in finite use, often formal as a modifier |
| leendő | future/intended: future spouse, officeholder | formal |
| lévén | “being,” giving a circumstance or reason | formal/literary |
Az ajtó mellett levő kapcsoló a folyosói lámpát vezérli.
The switch next to the door controls the corridor light.
A leendő bérlők délután nézik meg a lakást.
The prospective tenants are viewing the apartment this afternoon. (formal)
Complement frames and fixed constructions
Learn van with its frame, not as an isolated translation. Location takes a locative case or adverb; existence can introduce an indefinite subject; possession uses a dative possessor plus a possessed form. Fixed frames impose their own cases.
| Frame | Meaning | Required form |
|---|---|---|
| valaki/valami valahol van | be located | -ban/-ben, -on/-en/-ön, -nál/-nél, locative adverb |
| valakinek van valamije | someone has something | dative possessor + possessed noun |
| szükség van valamire | something is needed | -ra/-re |
| szó van valamiről | something is under discussion | -ról/-ről |
| igaza van | be right | possessed noun |
A végleges döntéshez még két aláírásra van szükség.
Two more signatures are needed for the final decision.
Ebben a fejezetben nem a kiejtésről, hanem a mondatszerkezetről van szó.
This chapter is not about pronunciation but about sentence structure.
Megvan, nincs meg, and information structure
Megvan is a conventional prefixed combination meaning “be found/present,” “be secured,” or “be completed.” In neutral affirmative order the prefix precedes van; negation and focus place it after the finite verb. The negative is nincs meg, not nem megvan in a neutral denial.
Megvan a pincekulcs; a kabátzsebemben találtam meg.
I've got the cellar key; I found it in my coat pocket.
Még nincs meg az összes engedély, ezért nem kezdhetünk építkezni.
We don't have all the permits yet, so we can't start building.
A helyszín van meg, az időpontot még egyeztetnünk kell.
It is the venue that is settled; we still need to coordinate the date.
Common Mistakes
❌ A kollégám van mérnök.
Incorrect: a third-person present noun predicate normally has no overt copula.
✅ A kollégám mérnök.
My colleague is an engineer.
❌ Holnap egész nap otthon leszem.
Incorrect form: lesz is intransitive and has no definite-object ending.
✅ Holnap egész nap otthon leszek.
I'll be home all day tomorrow.
❌ Két új szék van szükségünk.
Incorrect complement form: szükség van requires -ra/-re on what is needed.
✅ Két új székre van szükségünk.
We need two new chairs.
❌ Nem van meg a belépőkártyám.
Incorrect neutral negation: megvan uses the suppletive negative nincs meg.
✅ Nincs meg a belépőkártyám.
I can't find my access card / I don't have it.
Key Takeaways
- Memorize the suppletive series van – volt – lesz – lenne – legyen – lenni.
- Van has no object conjugation; noun complements are predicates, not direct objects.
- Third-person present noun and adjective predicates use zero, but location and existence use van/vannak.
- Learn complement frames such as szükség van valamire and szó van valamiről with their cases.
- Neutral megvan becomes nincs meg under negation; focus can also separate meg.
Now practice Hungarian
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Start learning Hungarian →Related Topics
- van, Zero Copula, volt, and lesz: Forms and Core PatternA1 — Build Hungarian clauses of identity, state, location, existence, past being, future being, and becoming.
- Nominal Predicates and the Zero Copula: Forms and Core PatternA1 — Build Hungarian identity and classification sentences with the present zero copula, overt personal forms, plural predicates, volt, lesz, and existential van.
- Possessive Existentials with van and nincs: Forms and Core PatternA1 — Form Hungarian equivalents of have with a dative possessor, a possessively marked noun, and existential van, nincs, volt, lesz, or lenne.
- Nominal, Adjectival, Existential, and Locative Predicates: Forms and Core PatternA1 — Form Hungarian identity, property, location, existence, and possession clauses with zero copulas, van, and their tense and negative forms.
- nincs, nincsen, sincs, and sincsen: Forms and Core PatternA1 — Form present-tense Hungarian negation of existence, location, possession, and additive absence with nincs and sincs.