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Questions & Answers about Nincs pénz a táskában.
What does the word nincs mean here, and why not nem van?
Nincs is the special negative form of van (to be) in the 3rd person singular present, used for existence or location. You must not say nem van; Hungarian replaces that with nincs. So “there is no …” = nincs … in the present.
How would I say the affirmative version?
Say: Van pénz a táskában. In existential/location statements like this, the affirmative present uses van.
What about the longer form nincsen and the plural nincsenek?
Nincsen is a stylistic variant of nincs (same meaning). For plural subjects you use nincsenek: e.g., Nincsenek kulcsok a táskában (“There are no keys in the bag.”).
Why is it táskában and not táskába?
Because -ban/-ben means “in” (static location), while -ba/-be means “into” (movement). A táskában = “in the bag”; a táskába = “into the bag.”
Why does the ending here use -ban and not -ben?
Vowel harmony: táska has a back vowel (á), so it takes the back-vowel form -ban. With a front-vowel word you’d use -ben (e.g., székben “in the chair”).
Why does táska become táskában with a long á?
When a noun ends in -a or -e and you add many consonant-initial suffixes, that final vowel usually lengthens to á/é. So táska + -ban → táskában; similarly, szoba → szobában.
Why is there an a before táskában?
It’s the definite article “the.” A táskában means “in the bag” (a specific bag). Hungarian uses the article with case-marked nouns in the same way English uses “the.”
When do I use a vs az?
Use a before a consonant-initial noun (e.g., a táskában), and az before a vowel-initial noun (e.g., az almában “in the apple”). The choice depends on the base noun, not the suffix.
Can I leave out the article, or say “in a bag”?
Leaving the article out (just táskában) is usually odd here. To say “in a bag,” use egy táskában. The original sentence with a is specific: “in the bag.”
Does pénz take a plural? Why not pénzek?
Pénz is a mass noun (“money”), so it stays singular: nincs pénz. Pénzek exists but means “currencies/monies,” not ordinary “money.” If you mean physical items, use plural count nouns like érmék (coins) or bankjegyek (banknotes).
How do I say “There are no X in the bag”?
Use plural nincsenek: for example, Nincsenek érmék a táskában (“There are no coins in the bag”). For a mass noun, keep nincs: Nincs víz a táskában (“There’s no water in the bag”).
What’s the difference between Nincs pénz a táskában, A táskában nincs pénz, and Pénz nincs a táskában?
All are grammatical; the nuance is focus. Neutral/new-information order is typically Nincs pénz a táskában. A táskában nincs pénz emphasizes the location (in the bag, specifically, there is no money). Pénz nincs a táskában stresses that it’s money that’s missing (though other things might be there).
Why is van needed here, but sometimes it’s omitted in the present (e.g., “The bag is red”)?
In the present tense, van is omitted with nominal/adjectival predicates: A táska piros (“The bag is red”). But for existence/location, you use van in the affirmative and nincs in the negative: Van/Nincs pénz a táskában.
How do I say “I don’t have money” vs “There’s no money in my bag”?
“I don’t have money” is Nincs pénzem. “There’s no money in my bag” is A táskámban nincs pénz. (Note the possessive: táskám + -ban → táskámban.)
How do I say it in the past or future?
Past: Nem volt pénz a táskában (“There was no money in the bag”). Future: Nem lesz pénz a táskában (“There won’t be money in the bag”). In these tenses you use nem + the appropriate form of lenni.
How can I emphasize “not any money at all”?
You can say Egyáltalán nincs pénz a táskában (“There is absolutely no money in the bag”). Or use a negative quantifier: Semennyi pénz sincs a táskában (“There isn’t any money at all in the bag”). Double negatives like this are normal in Hungarian.
What if I mean “The money is not in the bag” (specific money)?
Use a definite subject: A pénz nincs a táskában. That contrasts with Nincs pénz a táskában, which means there is no money there at all.
How do I pronounce the tricky parts?
- nincs: “neen-ch” (the cs is like English “ch”).
- pénz: roughly “paynz” (long é like “ay”).
- táskában: “tahsh-kah-bahn” (Hungarian s = English “sh”; long á as in “father,” held longer).