Egy barát kis házat keres.

A friend is looking for a small house.

Breakdown of Egy barát kis házat keres.

• ház: the house
• egy: a
• barát: the friend
• keresni: to look for
• kis: small

Questions & Answers about Egy barát kis házat keres.

Why is the word kis used here instead of kicsi?

In Hungarian, kis is often used attributively (right before a noun) to mean "small." You might see kicsi used in other contexts (such as "Ez a ház kicsi" – "This house is small"), but when it directly modifies a noun, kis is preferred (e.g., "egy kis ház" – "a small house").

Why does ház have a -t ending in házat?

The -t ending in házat is the accusative suffix in Hungarian, marking the direct object of the verb. So kis házat shows that "a small house" is what is being searched for.

Why is there an egy before barát but also an egy implied before kis házat?

In Hungarian, using egy before the subject (barát) is optional but common to emphasize that it is "a friend" in a non-specific sense. For objects, we also often see egy used before the noun, but it can be omitted if it’s clear from context or if the indefinite nature is already implied. In this sentence, only the first egy is explicitly used; you could say "Egy barát egy kis házat keres" or just "Egy barát kis házat keres" without much difference in meaning.

Is the word order Egy barát kis házat keres flexible in Hungarian?

Yes. Hungarian word order is more flexible than English due to its case endings. You could say Kis házat keres egy barát or Egy barát keres kis házat, and it would still make sense. However, each variation slightly changes the emphasis. The original form, Egy barát kis házat keres, puts general emphasis on the entire statement.

Why is the verb keres used in its indefinite form here, rather than a definite form?

Hungarian has two types of conjugation for most verbs: definite and indefinite. Keres is in the indefinite form because the noun kis házat is not a definite or specific object (like "the small house"). If you were looking for a specific house, you might use the definite conjugation (keresi). Since we’re talking about a small house in general, keres (indefinite) is used.