Én vigyázok a kottára, mert nálam marad a táskában.

I take care of the sheet music, because it stays with me in the bag.

Breakdown of Én vigyázok a kottára, mert nálam marad a táskában.

• én: I
• -ben: in
• -ra: to
• mert: because
• vigyázni: to take care
• maradni: to remain
• táska: the bag
• kotta: the sheet music
• -nál: with

Questions & Answers about Én vigyázok a kottára, mert nálam marad a táskában.

Why does the object appear as a kottára with the suffix -ra instead of using a typical accusative ending?

In Hungarian, some verbs—like vigyázni (to take care of)—require their object to be marked with the allative case. The suffix -ra (or -re depending on vowel harmony) is used to indicate the target or destination of the action. So, a kottára literally shows that the sheet music is the item being looked after.

What does vigyázok mean, and why is it conjugated with the ending -ok?

Vigyázok is the first person singular present form of vigyázni, meaning "I take care of" or "I look after." The ending -ok is the standard conjugation marker for the first person singular in the present tense, which makes it clear that the speaker is the one performing the action.

Why is the pronoun Én included at the beginning, given that Hungarian is a pro-drop language?

Although Hungarian often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already indicates the subject, Én is used here for emphasis. It stresses that I am the one taking care of the sheet music, leaving no ambiguity about who is responsible.

In the clause mert nálam marad a táskában, what roles do nálam and a táskában play in indicating location or possession?

Nálam is formed with the postposition nál and the possessive suffix -am, meaning "with me" or "at my place." This indicates that the item remains under the speaker’s responsibility. Meanwhile, a táskában uses the inessive case (marked by -ban) to show that the sheet music is located inside the bag. Together, they convey that the sheet music stays safely in the bag that is with me.

What function does the conjunction mert serve in the sentence?

Mert means "because." It introduces the reason for the first part of the sentence—the action of taking care of the sheet music. Essentially, it explains that the speaker takes care of the sheet music because it remains in their bag.

How do the case endings in this sentence help convey meaning compared to English prepositions?

Hungarian uses case endings to express spatial and relational concepts rather than relying on separate prepositions. In this sentence: • a kottára (allative case) indicates the target of the protective action. • nálam shows location or possession. • a táskában (inessive case) specifies that something is inside a container. These endings integrate relational meaning directly into the noun, allowing Hungarian to express ideas more compactly than English, which would use prepositions like "to," "with," and "in."