Questions & Answers about Én szeretek levest csinálni.
Do I need the pronoun Én, or can I drop it?
You can drop it. Hungarian usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person.
- Neutral: Szeretek levest csinálni.
- With emphasis/contrast: Én szeretek levest csinálni. (e.g., “I, for my part, like making soup.”)
Why is it szeretek and not szeretem?
Hungarian has two present-tense conjugations: indefinite and definite.
- Szeretek (indefinite) is used when there is no definite direct object of szeret. Here, the thing liked is the activity (levest csinálni), which is not definite.
- Szeretem (definite) is used when what you like is definite: Szeretem a levest. (“I like the soup.”), or when the infinitive has a definite object: Szeretem megfőzni a levest.
So is Én szeretem levest csinálni possible?
No, that sounds wrong. With an infinitive and an indefinite object like levest, use the indefinite verb: (Én) szeretek levest csinálni. If you make the object definite, you can use the definite conjugation: Szeretem megfőzni a levest.
Why does leves get a -t (becoming levest)?
The -t marks the accusative (direct object) case. In the phrase levest csinálni, levest is the object of csinálni (“to make”). Without -t it would be ungrammatical here.
Why is there no article (like a/az or egy) before levest?
No article signals an indefinite, generic quantity: “soup (in general).”
- Generic: Szeretek levest csinálni.
- Specific: Szeretem a levest megfőzni. (“I like to cook the soup.”)
- A single portion: Főzök egy levest. (“I’ll cook a soup.”) — natural in some contexts, especially when planning a meal.
Is csinálni the best verb here? Would főzni or készíteni be better?
For soup, főzni (“to cook/boil”) is the most idiomatic: Szeretek levest főzni.
- Csinálni = “to do/make,” very general; acceptable but less specific.
- Készíteni = “to prepare/make,” a bit more formal: Szeretek levest készíteni.
Can I change the word order, like Levest szeretek csinálni or Szeretek csinálni levest?
- Neutral: Szeretek levest csinálni.
- Focus on “soup” (as opposed to other things): Levest szeretek csinálni.
- Szeretek csinálni levest is possible but less neutral; Hungarian usually places the object before its verb, even with infinitives.
Word order mainly signals emphasis/focus in Hungarian.
What does the ending -ni in csinálni mean?
-ni marks the infinitive (“to do/make”). After verbs of liking/wanting, Hungarian uses the infinitive: szeretek olvasni, szeretnék tanulni, etc.
How is sz vs s pronounced in this sentence?
- sz is like English s: szeretek = “seh-reh-tek” (with s as in “see”).
- s is like English sh: leves ends with “-sh.”
Also: cs is “ch” (as in “church”): csinálni; á is a long “a.”
What’s the difference between liking the soup itself and liking the activity of making it?
- Liking the activity: Szeretek levest főzni/csinálni.
- Liking the soup (its taste): Szeretem a levest.
They use different structures because one likes an activity (infinitive) and the other likes a definite noun.
When does the verb before an infinitive take the definite conjugation?
If the infinitive has a definite object, many speakers prefer the definite conjugation:
- Szeretem olvasni ezt a könyvet.
- Szeretem megfőzni a levest.
If there’s no definite object, use indefinite: Szeretek olvasni.
Is leveset ever correct instead of levest?
No. The accusative of leves is leves+t → levest. Some nouns take a linking vowel before -t (e.g., víz → vizet), but leves does not.
How would I say “I would like to make soup”?
Use the conditional/polite form: Szeretnék levest főzni/csinálni.
Can I add a particle like meg-?
Yes, to express completion/“get it done”:
- Szeretem megfőzni a levest. (“I like to get the soup cooked.”)
Place the particle before the infinitive: megfőzni / megcsinálni.
Is there any reason to keep Én besides emphasis?
It’s common in contrast, corrections, and coordination:
- Én szeretek levest főzni, de a párom nem.
- Én nem szeretek levest főzni.
Otherwise, you normally drop it.
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