Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Ön mikor szokott kávét inni? - When do you formal, singular usually drink coffee?

Ön is the formal singular form of you in Hungarian. It shows respect and social distance (to strangers, elders, officials, customers). With Ön, verbs take third-person singular forms (e.g., szokott, iszik). Use informal te with friends/family instead: Te mikor szoktál kávét inni?

Why is Ön capitalized?

Capitalizing Ön is a courtesy in formal writing (letters, emails, signs). In everyday text, lowercase ön is also correct; capitalization just adds extra politeness. The same applies to the plural Önök.

Why does the sentence use szokott … inni instead of just iszik?

Szokott + infinitive expresses a habitual action (“tends to,” “usually”). Iszik simply means “drinks.”

Habitual: Ön mikor szokott kávét inni? = When do you usually drink coffee?
Non-habitual or neutral: Ön mikor iszik kávét? can ask about a specific occasion/time or, depending on context, a neutral general time, but it lacks the explicit “usually” nuance.

Is szokott a past tense because of the -ott ending?

No. Here szokott is present tense, third person singular of szokni “to be in the habit (of).” Present forms are:

én szoktam
te szoktál
ő szokott
mi szoktunk
ti szoktatok
ők szoktak

Could I say szokik instead?

Not in this meaning. In modern usage, habitual meaning is expressed with szokott + infinitive. Szokik is used in other structures or with prefixes (e.g., megszokik = “gets used to”), and plain szokik before an infinitive sounds odd in today’s standard Hungarian.

Can I drop Ön?

Yes. Subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb form shows person/number. Neutral, perfectly polite question: Mikor szokott kávét inni?

Where can I put Ön in this question?

Both are fine:

Ön mikor szokott kávét inni?
Mikor szokott Ön kávét inni?
The question word mikor typically appears before the finite verb (szokott). Including Ön at the start adds a slight emphasis on the addressee; after mikor is a very neutral placement.

Why is it kávét (with -t) and no article?

The -t marks the accusative (direct object) of kávé. There’s no article because we’re talking about coffee in general/unspecified “some coffee” (partitive-like use).

General: kávét inni = to drink coffee (in general)
Specific: a kávét inni = to drink the coffee (a particular one)

When would it be szokta instead of szokott?

Use the definite form szokta when the (infinitive’s) object is definite (specific). For example:

Mikor szokta meginni a kávéját? = When do you usually drink your coffee?
Here a kávéját is definite, so szokta is used. With non-specific kávét, you use szokott: Mikor szokott kávét inni?

Why is the order kávét inni and not inni kávét?

Both are grammatical, but the neutral, most common order with an infinitive places the object before the infinitive: kávét inni.
You may front elements for emphasis/focus:

Kávét inni szokott, teát nem. = It’s coffee that he/she usually drinks, not tea.
The base question stays natural as … szokott kávét inni.

Is there a single verb for “to have coffee”?

Yes: kávézni. You can say: Ön mikor szokott kávézni? This focuses on the activity of having coffee (often socially), whereas kávét inni is literally “to drink coffee.” Both are common.

What’s the difference between mikor and hánykor?

mikor = when (broadly: time of day/period/occasion)
hánykor = at what clock time
So: Ön hánykor szokott kávét inni? asks for a specific time like “At what time do you usually drink coffee?”

How would I answer naturally?

Examples:

Reggelente szoktam kávét inni. = I usually drink coffee in the mornings.
Délelőtt, ebéd után. = Late morning, after lunch.
Nem szoktam kávét inni. = I don’t usually drink coffee.
Add frequency/time words like általában (usually), minden nap (every day), ritkán (rarely).

How do I negate the habit?

Put nem before the finite verb: Nem szoktam kávét inni.
For “never,” use soha nem: Soha nem szoktam kávét inni.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Ön: ö like German “ö” (rounded front vowel).
sz is like English “s”; Hungarian s (not in this sentence) is “sh.”
szokott: roughly “so-kott,” both o sounds short.
mikor: “mee-kor,” stress always on the first syllable in Hungarian: ÖN mi-kor szo-kott KÁ-vét IN-ni (primary stress on each word’s first syllable).

How do I address multiple people formally?

Use Önök (formal plural) and plural verb: Önök mikor szoktak kávét inni?

What’s the difference between mikor and amikor?

Mikor asks a question (“when?”). Amikor is “when” in a clause (“when he/she…”):

Question: Mikor szokott kávét inni?
Clause: Amikor fáradt, szokott kávét inni. = When he/she is tired, he/she usually drinks coffee.

Is Maga a valid substitute for Ön?

Grammatically yes, but maga often sounds blunt or even rude, depending on tone and region. For safe, respectful politeness, use Ön.