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Questions & Answers about Itt tilos sietni.
Why is there no to be verb here?
Hungarian drops the copula in 3rd person singular present when the predicate is a noun or adjective. So you don’t say van here.
- Present: Itt tilos sietni.
- Past/Future: Itt tilos volt sietni. / Itt tilos lesz sietni.
Note that van would appear if the predicate is a place expression, e.g. A fiú itt van, but not with an adjective like tilos.
Why is sietni in the -ni form? What is that?
The -ni ending is the infinitive, like English to + verb. After tilos (forbidden), the action is expressed with an infinitive:
- Dohányozni tilos.
- Parkolni tilos.
- Belépni tilos.
So here, sietni means the action of hurrying in general.
Can I say siet instead of sietni?
No. Siet is a finite verb form and would need a subject. To express prohibition in Hungarian, the natural pattern is tilos + infinitive. A clause like Itt tilos, hogy valaki siessen is grammatical but clunky and not how prohibitions are normally stated.
Can the word order change? For example Tilos itt sietni or Sietni itt tilos?
Yes, all of these are grammatical:
- Itt tilos sietni. (neutral, puts the location up front)
- Tilos itt sietni. (slightly stronger emphasis on the prohibition)
- Sietni itt tilos. (puts focus on the action hurrying) In everyday use the difference is minor; signs often choose what looks best visually.
Is itt necessary? How else can I express the place?
You can drop itt if you mean it generally: Tilos sietni.
To name a specific place, use a case-marked noun:
- A folyosón tilos sietni.
- A múzeumban tilos sietni.
- Ebben az épületben tilos sietni.
You can also combine with itt for emphasis: Itt a folyosón tilos sietni.
What part of speech is tilos, and does it change form?
Tilos is an adjective meaning forbidden/prohibited. In predicative use (as here) it does not change for number or gender. It’s rarely used attributively before a noun; for that Hungarians prefer tiltott (forbidden) or other structures (see next question).
What’s the difference between tilos, tiltott, and also nem szabad or nem lehet?
- tilos: strong, official prohibition, especially on signs. Takes an infinitive or a noun phrase.
- Dohányozni tilos. / Tilos a dohányzás.
- tiltott: past participle used attributively before nouns.
- tiltott terület (forbidden area), tiltott gyümölcs.
- nem szabad: not allowed, more neutral/polite.
- Itt nem szabad sietni.
- nem lehet: cannot; either not allowed or not possible.
- Itt nem lehet sietni (due to rules or practical constraints).
How do I negate the whole sentence to say it’s not forbidden?
Place nem before tilos:
- Itt nem tilos sietni.
Word order variants like Nem tilos itt sietni are also fine; the meaning is the same.
How do I tell someone directly, as a command, not to hurry here?
Use the negative imperative:
- Informal singular: Ne siess itt!
- Informal plural: Ne siessetek itt!
- Polite singular: Ne siessen itt!
- Polite plural: Ne siessenek itt!
Does sietni mean to speed when driving?
Not really. Sietni is to be in a hurry in general. For traffic:
- Gyorshajtani tilos. (No speeding)
- Megállni tilos. (No stopping)
- Parkolni tilos. (No parking)
If you mean no running, use Futni tilos or the stronger Rohanni tilos.
Can tilos take a noun instead of an infinitive?
Yes, very common with a verbal noun in -ás/-és plus the definite article:
- Tilos a dohányzás.
- Tilos a belépés.
These mean the same as the -ni versions (Dohányozni tilos, Belépni tilos). With sietés (haste) the nouny version is rare; speakers prefer sietni or a more specific verb like futni.
How do I ask if it’s allowed?
Two natural ways:
- Szabad itt sietni? (Is it permitted here?)
- Lehet itt sietni? (Is it allowed/possible here?)
Answer with Igen, szabad/lehet or Nem, nem szabad/nem lehet.
What’s the difference between itt, ide, and innen, and why is itt used?
- itt = here (static location)
- ide = to here (motion toward)
- innen = from here (motion away)
The sentence describes a rule at a location, so itt is the correct choice.
Any pronunciation tips for Itt tilos sietni?
- itt: long double t [itː]
- tilos: stress on first syllable, s is sh-like [ˈtiloʃ]
- sietni: stress on first syllable, s = sh, say roughly SHE-et-nee [ˈʃiɛtni]
Hungarian stress is always on the first syllable.