Questions & Answers about Miért nem kérdezel tőlem semmit?
Why does the sentence use tőlem instead of engem?
In Hungarian, when you want to say that you are asking something from somebody, you typically use the postposition -tól/-től (in this case tőlem, “from me”) rather than using the direct object form engem (“me”).
Why do I see semmit together with nem even though both are negative words?
In Hungarian, negative sentences often use so-called “double negatives.” If you are negating the verb (with nem), you also need to use a negative indefinite pronoun like semmit to match that negation.
Is kérdezel a definite or an indefinite verb form here?
It is an indefinite form. There is no specifically defined object (like a the question), so we use the indefinite conjugation for the second-person singular, which is kérdezel.
Could I change the word order and say Miért nem tőlem kérdezel semmit?
Yes, you could move tőlem earlier, but it slightly shifts the emphasis to “from me” rather than “Why don’t you ask anything at all?” In everyday speech, both are acceptable, though the original sentence sounds a bit more natural.
Is there a more formal way to pose this question?
You could use the polite form Miért nem kérdez tőlem semmit?, where kérdez (third-person singular) is used to address someone politely (similar to “Why don’t you ask me anything, Sir/Madam?” in English). Otherwise, the structure remains the same.
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