Breakdown of A barátom szeretné, ha feltűnés nélkül érkeznénk.
szeretni
to love
barát
the friend
az
the
ha
if
Questions & Answers about A barátom szeretné, ha feltűnés nélkül érkeznénk.
Why is it a barátom if barátom already means my friend?
Because Hungarian often uses the definite article before a possessed noun.
- barátom = my friend
- a barátom = still my friend
So the a here is not translated separately into English. It is just normal Hungarian grammar. In a neutral sentence like this, a barátom is the expected form.
Why is szeretné used here? Does it really mean would like?
Yes. The verb szeret basically means to like / to love, but in the conditional it very often means would like.
So:
- szereti = he/she likes it
- szeretné = he/she would like it
In this sentence, A barátom szeretné... means My friend would like...
This is softer and more natural than using akarja (wants), which sounds stronger and more direct.
Why is it szeretné, not szeretne?