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Questions & Answers about Ha lenne időm, pihennék.
Why is the verb in the if-clause conditional (lenne) instead of a past tense?
Hungarian marks unreal/hypothetical conditions by putting both clauses in the conditional: Ha lenne …, … -nék/-nák. Unlike English, it does not use a past tense in the if-clause. So Ha lenne időm literally means “If there would be time (for me).”
What exactly is lenne?
It’s the 3rd person singular conditional of van (“to be”). Hungarian uses van/lenne with a possessed noun to express “to have”: Van időm = “I have time,” Ha lenne időm = “If I had time.” It agrees with idő (a 3rd-person noun), not with “I.”
Why időm and not an accusative like időt?
With van/lenne expressing possession, there is no direct object: the possessed noun appears in the possessed form (here, időm = “my time”). Hence no accusative ending is used. You can add a dative pronoun for emphasis: Ha nekem lenne időm…
Can I say ha volna időm instead of ha lenne időm?
Yes. Volna and lenne are interchangeable conditional forms of van here. Volna can sound a touch more formal/literary or softening. You may also see elliptical, more literary phrasing like Időm volna, pihennék (without ha).
Why does pihennék have two n’s?
The stem is pihen-, and the 1sg conditional ending is -nék/-nák. When you attach -nék to a stem ending in -n, the n’s merge and are written/pronounced double: pihen + nék → pihennék.
Does pihennék mean “would rest” or “could rest”?
Pihennék = “I would rest.” “I could rest” adds the potential suffix -hat/-het: pihenhetnék. So Ha lenne időm, pihenhetnék = “If I had time, I could rest.”
Can I switch the clause order?
Yes: Pihennék, ha lenne időm is perfectly natural and slightly emphasizes the desire to rest. You can also add akkor in the main clause: Ha lenne időm, akkor pihennék.
Do I need the comma?
Yes. Hungarian normally separates an if-clause from the main clause with a comma: Ha …, … Even if the pause is slight in speech, keep the comma in writing.
How do I say the past unreal version (“If I had had time, I would have rested”)?
Use lett volna in the if-clause and a past + volna in the main clause: Ha lett volna időm, pihentem volna.
What’s the difference between Ha van időm, pihenek and Ha lenne időm, pihennék?
Ha van időm, pihenek describes a real, habitual condition: whenever I have time, I rest. Ha lenne időm, pihennék is hypothetical/unreal: I don’t have time now, but if I did, I would rest.
Do I need to say én?
No. The ending -nék already marks 1st person singular. Use Én pihennék only for emphasis or contrast (e.g., “Én pihennék, de te dolgoznál”).
Where does nekem go if I want to emphasize “for me”?
Put it before the verb lenne: Ha nekem lenne időm, pihennék. Without emphasis, you normally omit it: Ha lenne időm…
Why is there no article before időm? Could I add one?
Possessed nouns with existential van/lenne usually take no article: Van autóm, Nincs pénzem, Ha lenne időm… You can add a quantifier for nuance: Ha lenne egy kis időm… (“If I had a little time…”).
Is there a difference between pihenni and kipihenni magam?
Yes. Pihenni = “to rest.” Kipihenni magam = “to rest up, get fully rested,” and it takes a definite object (magam), so the conditional is definite: Ha lenne időm, kipihenném magam.