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Questions & Answers about Melyik könyv az övé?
What does "övé" mean exactly? Does it mark gender?
Övé is a possessive pronoun meaning his or hers (Hungarian is gender‑neutral). It refers to a single owner. For multiple owners, use övék = “theirs.”
Why is there "az" before "övé"? Is it “the”?
Yes. Az is the definite article “the.” When possessive pronouns like enyém, tiéd, övé, miénk, tiétek, övék stand alone, they normally take the article:
- a before a consonant: a tiéd
- az before a vowel: az övé
Why isn’t "van" used?
Hungarian drops van in present‑tense equational sentences (X = Y). So it’s Melyik könyv az övé?, not … van …. In other tenses, the copula appears:
- Past: Melyik könyv volt az övé?
- Future: Melyik könyv lesz az övé?
Why is it "könyv" and not "könyvet"?
Because this is not a direct object; it’s an equation (“Which book = his/hers?”). So könyv stays in base (nominative) form. You’d use -t only for objects, e.g. Melyik könyvet szereti?
What’s the difference between "melyik" and "melyiket"?
Melyik is the base “which.” It takes case as needed:
- Subject/predicate: Melyik könyv az övé?
- Direct object: Melyik könyvet veszed meg?
Could I just say "Melyik az övé?" without the word "könyv"?
Yes, if the context (e.g., you’re pointing at books) makes the category clear. Melyik az övé? = “Which one is his/hers?”
Can I say "Az övé melyik könyv?" instead?
That word order sounds odd. Natural options:
- Melyik könyv az övé? (standard)
- Melyik az ő könyve? (also common)
- Az övé melyik? (elliptical, if “book” is understood)
How do I pronounce the tricky parts (ly, ö, é)?
- ly (in melyik) = English y in “yes” → “MEH‑yik.”
- ö (in övé) = German ö/French eu; approximate “sir” without the r.
- é = long close‑mid e, like “say” but pure (no glide): ö‑VÉ.
Why is it "övé" and not "ővé"?
The correct form is övé (short ö). It derives from ő + -é (possessive nominalizer) with a linking v: ő + -é → övé. The vowel becomes ö and isn’t long here.
What’s the difference between "az övé" and "az ő könyve"?
- az övé = “his/hers” (standalone possessive pronoun). Example: Ez az övé.
- az ő könyve = “his/her book” (explicit noun with possessive suffix), often emphasizing the owner ő. Example: Melyik az ő könyve?
How do I ask about multiple books?
- Explicit plural noun: Melyik könyvek az övéi? = Which books are his/hers? (colloquial but common)
- Without the noun: Melyek az övéi? (more formal) Here övéi shows the possessed items are plural (“his/hers ones”).
Could I use "kié" here instead of "melyik"?
They ask different things:
- Kié ez a könyv? = Whose book is this? (asks for the owner)
- Melyik könyv az övé? = Which book is his/hers? (you know the owner; you’re identifying the correct book)
Does "az övé" take case endings if needed?
Yes. The -é form behaves like a noun and can take cases:
- to his/hers: az övéhez
- from his/hers: az övétől
- on his/hers: az övén