Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Kérlek, gyere azonnal, mert esik az eső. - Please, come immediately, because it is raining.

Azonnal gyere, kérlek, mert esik az eső (emphasizes “immediately”).
Gyere azonnal, kérlek, mert esik az eső (polite, focus on the request). Hungarian word order is flexible, but moving words changes what’s emphasized. The version with the weather clause first is also possible: Mert esik az eső, gyere azonnal, but it sounds a bit more formal or rhetorical.

Why is there a comma before mert?

Hungarian usually puts a comma before mert (“because”) because it introduces a subordinate clause. If the reason-clause comes first, you still use a comma: Mert esik az eső, gyere azonnal.

Does kérlek just mean “please”? What does it literally mean?

Literally, kérlek = “I ask you.” It’s the verb kér (ask) + the -lak/-lek ending that means “I [verb] you (singular).” In everyday speech, kérlek functions like “please.” You’ll also hear:

kérlek szépen (a bit softer: “please, nicely”)
légy/legyél szíves (be so kind; informal)
Formal: kérem, or legyen szíves.

Is kérlek informal? How do I make this formal?

Yes, kérlek addresses one person informally. For formal address, say:

Kérem, jöjjön azonnal, mert esik az eső.
Or: Legyen szíves, jöjjön azonnal, mert esik az eső.

What if I’m speaking to more than one person?

Use plural imperative:

Informal plural: Kérlek, gyertek azonnal, mert esik az eső. Strictly speaking, kérlek is “I ask you (singular),” so to be crystal-clear with a group you can say: Kérlek titeket, gyertek azonnal… or more formally Kérek mindenkit, hogy jöjjön azonnal…

Why is the imperative of “to come” gyere and not something like “jöjj” or “jönj”?

The verb jönni (to come) is irregular. Common imperative forms:

2sg informal: gyere (everyday standard)
2pl informal: gyertek
3sg formal: jöjjön
3pl formal: jöjjenek
1pl (“let’s”): jöjjünk You’ll see jöjj in set phrases or literary style, but for daily speech to one person, use gyere.

Can I say Jössz azonnal instead of Gyere azonnal?

Different meaning:

Gyere azonnal = imperative/request: “Come immediately.”
Jössz azonnal? = “Are you coming right away?” (a question)
Jössz azonnal. (as a flat statement) = “You are coming immediately.” (sounds like a command only by tone/context)

Where should azonnal go? Is there a nuance difference?

Both are fine:

Gyere azonnal (neutral).
Azonnal gyere (stronger emphasis on “immediately,” more urgent/commanding).

Is azonnal the only way to say “immediately”? What about rögtön and mindjárt?

azonnal = immediately (strong, unambiguous).
rögtön = right away (very common, nearly the same as azonnal).
mindjárt can mean “in a moment/very soon” and sometimes “right away” in speech, but it’s weaker or can imply a short delay.

Do I need to say ide to mean “come here”?

Not necessarily. Gyere (azonnal) usually implies “to where I am” from context. If you need to be explicit, add ide: Gyere ide azonnal, mert esik az eső. (Come here immediately…)

Why say esik az eső? Isn’t that redundant?

It’s idiomatic. Esik = “it’s falling/raining,” and az eső = “the rain,” so esik az eső literally “the rain is falling.” You can also just say Esik (“It’s raining”), which is very common. Similar patterns:

Esik a hó = It’s snowing (also Havazik).
Süt a nap = The sun is shining.

Why the definite article az in az eső?

Hungarian uses the definite article with many weather nouns and natural phenomena. Az (instead of a) appears because the next word starts with a vowel: eső. So: a before consonants, az before vowels.

Is the pronunciation tricky here?

Key points:

gyere: gy is a soft palatal sound (like a very soft “dy”), stress on the first syllable: GYE-re.
esik and eső: Hungarian s is “sh” [ʃ], not [s] (that’s sz). So “eshik,” “eshő.”
ő in eső is a long front-rounded vowel [øː], like French “peu” but held longer.
r is tapped/trilled. Hungarian stress is always on the first syllable of words.

Is the comma after Kérlek necessary?

Yes, when kérlek is used as a sentence-initial politeness marker, it’s set off by a comma: Kérlek, gyere… If kérlek is inside the sentence, it’s usually also set off: Gyere, kérlek, azonnal…

Could I use mivel or ugyanis instead of mert?

mert = because (neutral, most common).
mivel = since/as (often used when the reason comes first: Mivel esik az eső, …), sounds a bit more formal.
ugyanis = “namely/you see,” adds explanation rather than pure cause; it doesn’t replace mert in all contexts.

Can I say Kérlek, hogy gyere azonnal?

Grammatically possible (request + hogy-clause + subjunctive), but everyday Hungarian prefers the direct imperative after kérlek: Kérlek, gyere azonnal. With more formality: Kérem, hogy jöjjön azonnal is fine.

Is there a difference in tone between having an exclamation mark and a period?

Yes. Kérlek, gyere azonnal, mert esik az eső. (period) sounds like a calm request. With ! it’s more urgent or forceful: Kérlek, gyere azonnal, mert esik az eső! If you want very strong urgency, use fronted emphasis: Azonnal gyere, kérlek!

Could I drop the accents when typing?

People sometimes do in casual texting, but it’s not recommended in proper writing because it can change meanings or reduce readability. For example, eső vs eso; ő and ö (and their long/short versions) matter in Hungarian.

How would the sentence change if I were extremely polite or very soft?

Very polite: Kérem, jöjjön azonnal, mert esik az eső.
Soft/less direct: Kérlek, ha lehet, gyere azonnal, mert esik az eső. / Kérlek, amint tudsz, gyere. (as soon as you can)

Any quick grammar labels for the main pieces?

Kérlek: verb “ask” in 1sg + “you (sg)” object built-in; discourse politeness marker (“please”).
gyere: 2nd person singular imperative of “jönni” (irregular).
azonnal: adverb (“immediately”).
mert: subordinating conjunction (“because”).
esik: 3rd person singular intransitive (“it rains/falls”).
az eső: definite NP (“the rain”).