Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Én szeretem a kutyákat is.

Although Hungarian doesn’t always require the use of personal pronouns (because verbs are conjugated for person and number), én can be used to add emphasis or clarity. In this sentence, using én highlights that I specifically am the one who loves dogs (also).

What does is mean in this context?

Is in Hungarian means also or too. It tells us that dogs are being added to a list of things the speaker loves, or indicates an additional category of affection. So the sentence can be understood as “I love dogs too.”

Why is kutyákat in the accusative plural form?

The base form of dog in Hungarian is kutya. Here, we need the object form in the plural, which is kutyákat. The -kat ending indicates the accusative case (direct object) and plural together.

Do we always use the definite article a before plural nouns in Hungarian?

When referring to specific or general “dogs” in a general statement (not just any dogs, but dogs as a concept), Hungarian typically uses a (the definite article) before the plural noun. So a kutyákat can mean something like “the dogs” in English, though in a more general sense it often just means “dogs.”

Can the sentence be rephrased without én?

Yes, it could be Szeretem a kutyákat is. This is still grammatically correct and has the same basic meaning. Using én simply adds emphasis on I.