Én téged kereslek a könyvtárban.

I am looking for you in the library.

Breakdown of Én téged kereslek a könyvtárban.

• én: I
• könyvtár: the library
• keresni: to look for
• -ban: in
• téged: you

Questions & Answers about Én téged kereslek a könyvtárban.

Do I need both pronouns Én and téged, or can I drop them?

You can drop both. Hungarian usually omits personal pronouns because the verb ending shows who does what.

• Neutral, most common: Kereslek a könyvtárban.
• Keeping only object for emphasis: Téged kereslek a könyvtárban. (It’s you I’m looking for.)
• Keeping only subject for contrast: Én kereslek a könyvtárban. (I, as opposed to someone else, am the one looking.)
• Using both, as in the original, adds strong contrast on both: I (not someone else) am looking for you (not someone else).

What does the ending -lek in kereslek mean?

It’s the special object marker used when:

• Subject = 1st person singular (I)
• Direct object = 2nd person (you, singular or plural) Vowel harmony decides the exact form:
• After back-vowel verbs: -lak (e.g., várlak “I’m waiting for you”)
• After front-vowel verbs: -lek (e.g., kereslek “I’m looking for you”)

Why not say Keresem téged?

With a 2nd-person direct object, Hungarian uses -lak/-lek, not the regular definite ending -m. So:

• Correct: (Téged) kereslek.
• Incorrect/unnatural: Keresem téged. Exception: with formal “you” (Ön/Önt), Hungarian uses 3rd-person grammar:
• Correct formal: Önt keresem a könyvtárban.

What’s the difference between te and téged?

• te = nominative “you” (subject)
• téged = accusative “you” (direct object) For plural “you”:
• Subject: ti
• Object: titeket Examples:
• Te jössz? (Are you coming?)
• Téged kereslek. (I’m looking for you.)
• Titeket kereslek. (I’m looking for you all.)

Why is téged right before kereslek?

Hungarian puts the focused element immediately before the finite verb. Here téged is in focus, so the sentence highlights “you”:

• Én [téged] kereslek a könyvtárban. = It’s you that I’m looking for. Neutral word order (no special emphasis):
• Kereslek a könyvtárban.

Can I move a könyvtárban around? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, position changes emphasis:

• A könyvtárban kereslek. Focus on the place: It’s in the library that I’m looking for you.
• Téged kereslek a könyvtárban. Focus on you.
• Én a könyvtárban kereslek. Topic “I”, focus on place. Keep in mind: the focused element sits immediately before the finite verb.

Why is it könyvtárban (with -ban) and not -ben?

Vowel harmony. Words with any back vowel (a, á, o, ó, u, ú) take back-vowel suffixes. Könyvtár contains á (a back vowel), so use -ban:

• könyvtárban = in the library If a word has only front vowels, you’d use -ben (e.g., székben “in the chair”).

Why is there an article a in a könyvtárban?

Hungarian generally uses articles with nouns, even with case endings. a/az is the definite article:

• a before a consonant-initial word: a könyvtárban
• az before a vowel-initial word: az iskolában Use egy for “a/an”: egy könyvtárban = in a library.

Where is the word “for”? Why isn’t there a separate word for it?

The verb keresni already means “to look for,” and it takes a direct object:

• (Téged) kereslek = I’m looking for you. No preposition is needed.

How do I say it to more than one person?

Use the plural object pronoun titeket, but the verb ending stays -lak/-lek:

• Titeket kereslek a könyvtárban. (I’m looking for you all in the library.) Note: -lak/-lek does not show singular vs plural; it just shows “I → you.”

How do I negate this sentence?

Put nem before the verbal complex. Position affects emphasis:

• Neutral: Nem kereslek a könyvtárban. (I’m not looking for you in the library.)
• Focus on “you” being excluded: Nem téged kereslek a könyvtárban. (It’s not you that I’m looking for in the library.)
• Focus on “I” being the one not doing it: Én téged nem kereslek a könyvtárban.

How do I say it in the past or in the future?

• Past: the pattern is -talak/-telek with many verbs.
  • Tegnap a könyvtárban kerestelek. (I looked for you yesterday.)
• Future: use fog
  • infinitive, and attach -lak/-lek to fog:
    • Holnap a könyvtárban foglak keresni. (I will look for you in the library tomorrow.)
    • Word order variants like Holnap keresni foglak a könyvtárban are also fine.

Why -ban (in) and not -ba (into)?

Hungarian distinguishes location vs direction:

• -ban/-ben = in/inside (static location): a könyvtárban (in the library)
• -ba/-be = into (movement toward the inside): a könyvtárba (into the library)

Is kereslek definite or indefinite conjugation?

It’s part of the definite paradigm. The direct object is specific (“you”), and -lak/-lek is the special definite ending used with 1st sg subject → 2nd person object. Without a 2nd-person object, you’d use regular definite endings: e.g., Keresem az útlevelet (I’m looking for the passport).