Breakdown of Emlékszel a nehéz kérdésre?
te
you
-re
to
kérdés
the question
nehéz
difficult
emlékezni
to remember
Questions & Answers about Emlékszel a nehéz kérdésre?
Why does the noun end with -re in kérdésre?
Because emlékszik/emlékezik takes the sublative case (-ra/-re) for the thing remembered. So you say emlékszel valamire (you remember something). Here, kérdés + -re = kérdésre. The vowel in -re (not -ra) follows vowel harmony, since kérdés contains front vowels (é, e).
Why can’t I say Emlékszel a nehéz kérdést with an accusative?
With emlékszik/emlékezik, Hungarian does not use a direct object; it uses the sublative (valamire). So accusative kérdést is ungrammatical here. Correct: Emlékszel a nehéz kérdésre?
Is emlékszel informal? What’s the formal version?
Yes, emlékszel addresses one person informally (like English “you” to a friend). The formal/Polite singular is 3rd person: Emlékszik a nehéz kérdésre? (often with the pronoun Ön understood). Plural:
- Informal to a group: Emlékeztek/Emlékszetek a nehéz kérdésre? (see next Q for the stem variants)
- Formal to a group: Emlékeznek/Emlékszenek a nehéz kérdésre?
Why do I sometimes see emlékezel instead of emlékszel?
This verb has two accepted present stems: emlékez- and emléksz-.
- Common set: emlékszem, emlékszel, emlékszik, emlékszünk, emlékszetek, emlékszenek
- Also correct: emlékezem, emlékezel, emlékezik, emlékezünk, emlékeztek, emlékeznek Note: Forms like emlékezek are widespread in speech but are often marked nonstandard in formal writing.
Can I replace the whole noun phrase with a pronoun?
Yes. Use the pronominal sublative:
- Emlékszel rá? = Do you remember it?
- Emlékszel arra? = Do you remember that? If you keep the noun but add a demonstrative: Emlékszel arra a nehéz kérdésre? (that difficult question).
Why is the article a and not az in a nehéz kérdésre?
Hungarian uses a before a consonant sound and az before a vowel sound, based on the first word after the article. Since nehéz starts with consonant n, it’s a nehéz. If the adjective began with a vowel, e.g., érdekes, you’d get az érdekes kérdésre.
Is the word order fixed? Could I say A nehéz kérdésre emlékszel?
Word order in Hungarian reflects emphasis. Neutral yes–no question: Emlékszel a nehéz kérdésre? If you contrastively focus the object (“it’s the difficult question you remember, not the easy one”), front it: A nehéz kérdésre emlékszel? Both are correct; the latter highlights the object.
How do I say “Do you remember that difficult question?”
Use a demonstrative:
- Emlékszel arra a nehéz kérdésre? You can also drop the noun if context is clear: Emlékszel arra?
How do I make it plural?
- Emlékszel a nehéz kérdésekre? (“the difficult questions”) Note that attributive adjectives like nehéz do not take a plural ending before the noun; the noun carries the plural: nehéz kérdésekre, not nehézek kérdésekre.
How is this pronounced? I’m confused by sz and s.
- sz is like English s. s is like English sh.
- Emlékszel ≈ [EM-layk-sel] (with long é).
- kérdésre ≈ [KAIR-daysh-re] (long é again; s = sh). Primary stress is always on the first syllable of each word in Hungarian.
Can I omit the article and say Emlékszel nehéz kérdésre?
You can, but it changes the feel. Without the article it sounds more generic/indefinite (“a/any difficult question”). With a, it points to a specific difficult question known to both speakers. In most real contexts here, the article is expected.
How do I form a more formal or embedded question with -e?
Attach -e to the verb:
- Emlékszel-e a nehéz kérdésre? (formal, written, or neutral in embedded clauses)
- Embedded: Nem tudom, emlékszel-e a nehéz kérdésre.
How do I say “Do you remember that… (clause)”?
Use arra, hogy… or directly a clause:
- Emlékszel arra, hogy mit kérdeztek?
- Emlékszel, amikor azt a nehéz kérdést feltették? Using arra, hogy is the clearest way to link emlékezni to a whole proposition.
How do I negate and answer such questions naturally?
Negation is with nem:
- Nem emlékszem / Nem emlékszel a nehéz kérdésre. Short answers:
- Q: Nem emlékszel a nehéz kérdésre?
- To contradict: De, emlékszem. (“Actually, I do.”)
- To agree: Nem, nem emlékszem.
Does nehéz mean “hard” or “heavy”? Any synonyms here?
Nehéz literally means “heavy” and by extension “difficult/hard.” In this context it’s “difficult.” Common near-synonyms: bonyolult (complex), fogós (tricky), kőkemény (very tough, informal), ravasz (cunning/tricky, for questions).
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