Sem figyelmeztetést, sem választ nem kaptam.

Because Hungarian uses sem ... sem to mean neither ... nor.

So:

• sem figyelmeztetést
• sem választ

together mean neither a warning nor an answer.

This is a very common Hungarian pattern:

• Sem teát, sem kávét nem kérek. = I want neither tea nor coffee.
• Sem Péter, sem Anna nem jött el. = Neither Péter nor Anna came.

So the repeated sem is not redundant; it is the normal way to connect two negative alternatives.

This is one of the most important things for English speakers to notice: in Hungarian, negative words often appear together with the negative particle nem.

So even though sem ... sem already gives the idea of neither ... nor, the verb still stays negative:

• Sem figyelmeztetést, sem választ nem kaptam.

Literally, Hungarian is comfortable with something like:

• Neither warning, nor answer, I did not receive.

In natural English, that would sound like a double negative, but in Hungarian it is completely normal grammar.

Kaptam is the past tense, first person singular form of kap = to get / receive.

So:

• kapok = I get / I receive
• kaptam = I got / I received

In this sentence, kaptam means I received.

Breaking it down:

• kap- = verb stem
• -t- = past tense marker
• -am = I ending

So nem kaptam = I did not receive.

Because they are in the accusative case, which marks the direct object.

The verb kapni (to receive) takes a direct object: you receive something. That something appears in the accusative.

So:

• figyelmeztetés = warning
• figyelmeztetést = warning, as a direct object

and

• válasz = answer
• választ = answer, as a direct object

That is why the sentence uses:

• figyelmeztetést
• választ

rather than the dictionary forms figyelmeztetés and válasz.

Because Hungarian accusative formation is not always just add -t in a simple mechanical way. The form depends on the shape of the noun.

For válasz, the correct accusative is:

• válasz → választ

For figyelmeztetés, the correct accusative is:

• figyelmeztetés → figyelmeztetést

Many nouns simply add -t, but the exact form can involve sound-pattern rules and stem shape. So this is something learners usually memorize along with noun patterns.

The important takeaway here is:

• választ is the normal accusative form of válasz
• figyelmeztetést is the normal accusative form of figyelmeztetés

Hungarian word order is much freer than English word order, and it often reflects focus or emphasis rather than fixed subject-verb-object order.

In this sentence:

• Sem figyelmeztetést, sem választ nem kaptam.

the objects are placed before the verb because the sentence is highlighting the fact that these are the things I did not receive.

This is very natural in Hungarian negative sentences.

A more English-like word order is often not the most natural way to say it in Hungarian. The fronted objects make the contrast clear:

• not a warning
• not an answer

That is exactly the point of the sentence.

Yes, but not all versions sound equally natural, and word order changes the emphasis.

The given sentence is a very natural and clear version:

• Sem figyelmeztetést, sem választ nem kaptam.

You may also hear closely related structures, but the fronted sem ... sem phrase is especially good when emphasizing the missing things.

Hungarian often puts important or contrastive information before the verb. So this version strongly foregrounds what was not received.

For a learner, the safest thing is to treat the given sentence as a standard model for neither X nor Y with a verb in the negative.

Because here the meaning is indefinite/general: neither a warning nor an answer.

Hungarian often omits the article in this kind of structure when the nouns are not definite, specific previously identified items.

So:

• Sem figyelmeztetést, sem választ nem kaptam. = I received neither a warning nor an answer.

If you were talking about specific known items, Hungarian could use articles, but in this sentence the article-less version is the natural one.

Not exactly, but they are related in meaning.

Sem often works like a compact negative connector meaning something like:

• and not
• nor
• not ... either

For example:

• Péter sem jött. = Péter didn’t come either.
• Sem esőt, sem havat nem várunk. = We expect neither rain nor snow.

So sem is not just a direct word-for-word replacement for és nem, but it belongs to the same negative logic.

In this sentence, sem ... sem is the fixed pattern you want, not és nem ... és nem.

Yes, Hungarian also uses se ... se.

Both patterns exist:

• sem ... sem
• se ... se

For learners, sem ... sem is a very safe and clear form to recognize and use.

You may hear se especially in speech or in other common phrases, but the sentence you were given with sem ... sem is perfectly normal and correct.

It is basically neutral standard Hungarian.

It does not sound especially slangy, old-fashioned, or poetic. It is the kind of sentence structure you could meet in:

• everyday language
• writing
• news-style language
• formal communication

The noun figyelmeztetés itself is a somewhat formal word because warning is a somewhat formal idea, but the grammar of the sentence is completely standard and ordinary.

Yes, it would be understandable, but the version you were given is the more standard, stronger neither ... nor pattern.

The given sentence:

• Sem figyelmeztetést, sem választ nem kaptam.

puts the paired negative objects first, which makes the neither ... nor relationship very clear.

A version with nem kaptam first can still be understood, but for learners, the clearest model to remember is:

• Sem X-et, sem Y-t nem + verb

For example:

• Sem pénzt, sem segítséget nem kaptam.
• Sem levelet, sem választ nem írt.

A very useful pattern is:

• Sem X-et, sem Y-t nem + verb

Meaning:

• Neither X nor Y + verb

Examples:

• Sem teát, sem kávét nem iszom. = I drink neither tea nor coffee.
• Sem anyámat, sem apámat nem hívtam fel. = I called neither my mother nor my father.
• Sem figyelmeztetést, sem választ nem kaptam. = I received neither a warning nor an answer.

This is the main grammar lesson hidden inside the sentence.