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Questions & Answers about Ez a válasz gyors, ami jó.
Why is there no verb of “to be” (van) in either clause?
Hungarian drops the copula in 3rd person present when the predicate is a noun or adjective. So both Ez a válasz gyors and ami jó omit van. In the past or future, it reappears: Ez a válasz gyors volt, ami jó volt / … lesz, ami jó lesz. For negation you say nem: Ez a válasz nem gyors, ami nem jó.
What exactly does ami refer to here?
It refers to the entire preceding statement (the fact that the answer is quick), not just the noun válasz. So ami jó means “which is good” about the whole idea “this answer is quick.”
Why use ami and not hogy?
Hogy (“that”) introduces a clause governed by a verb (e.g., “I think that…” = Azt gondolom, hogy…). Here we’re attaching a comment to the previous clause, so Hungarian uses the relative ami (“which”), not hogy.
Why ami and not amely or amelyik?
- Use ami for general “which/that,” and especially when referring to a whole clause or to words like az, olyan, annyi, etc.
- Use amelyik (or formal amely) when selecting/identifying among a set: Az a válasz, amelyik gyors, jó. (“The answer that is quick is good.”) Here, we’re not choosing an answer; we’re commenting on the fact, so ami is the right choice.
Do I need the comma before ami?
Yes. In writing, Hungarian separates a relative clause like ami jó from the main clause with a comma: Ez a válasz gyors, ami jó.
Could I just say Ez jó instead of …, ami jó?
Yes. Two natural options:
- One sentence with a relative clause: Ez a válasz gyors, ami jó. (“…which is good.”)
- Two sentences: Ez a válasz gyors. Ez jó. (“This answer is quick. That’s good.”) The first is a bit more cohesive; the second is more conversational.
Why is it the adjective gyors and not the adverb gyorsan?
Gyors is a predicate adjective describing the subject (a válasz). Use gyorsan only to modify a verb: A válasz gyorsan jött/érkezett (“The answer came quickly”). Both are fine, but they say slightly different things.
Why is there an article a in Ez a válasz?
Hungarian uses the definite article with demonstratives: ez a/az + noun (“this [the] …”). So Ez a válasz = “this answer.” Without the article you’d say something different, e.g., Ez egy válasz (“This is an answer”).
Can I use aki instead of ami?
No. Aki is for people (“who”), ami is for things/ideas (“which/that”). Also, here ami refers to the whole clause, not a person.
Does ami agree in number? What if the subject is plural?
When ami refers to the entire preceding proposition, it stays singular: Ezek a válaszok gyorsak, ami jó. (“These answers are quick, which is good.”) If you instead want to refer back to the plural noun itself, you can use amik/amelyek: Ezek a válaszok, amik gyorsak, jók. (“The answers that are quick are good.”) The two versions have different focuses.
Is the word order fixed? Can I say Gyors ez a válasz, ami jó?
Yes, you can. Gyors ez a válasz, ami jó puts extra emphasis on gyors. You can also write Ez a válasz gyors — ami jó with a dash for a clearer aside in writing. The basic meaning remains.
Is ami jó formal? Are there more colloquial ways?
It’s perfectly normal and neutral. Colloquial alternatives include:
- Two sentences: Ez a válasz gyors. Ez jó.
- Adding an intensifier: …, ami nagyon jó.
- Using a light contrastive link: …, ami pedig jó. (“which, in turn, is good”)