Breakdown of A tanár mond valamit a diákoknak.
tanár
the teacher
diák
the student
valami
something
-nak/-nek
to
mondani
to say
Questions & Answers about A tanár mond valamit a diákoknak.
Why is it valamit and not valami?
Because Hungarian marks a direct object with the accusative -t. valami (something) + -t → valamit. More examples:
- alma → almát (an apple → an apple-ACC)
- kávé → kávét (coffee → coffee-ACC)
What does the -nak in diákoknak mean?
-nak/-nek is the dative ending, expressing “to/for.” It’s chosen by vowel harmony:
- Back-vowel words take -nak; front-vowel words take -nek.
- diákoknak parses as: diák (student) + plural -ok → diákok
- dative -nak → diákoknak (to the students). Other examples:
- a nőnek (to the woman; front vowel → -nek)
- a gyerekeknek (to the children; front vowels → -nek)
Can I change the word order? What changes in meaning?
Yes. The element immediately before the finite verb is in focus (emphasized/new/contrasted).
- Neutral: A tanár mond valamit a diákoknak.
- Focus on recipient: A tanár a diákoknak mond valamit.
- Focus on “something”: A tanár valamit mond a diákoknak.
- Topic fronting: A diákoknak mond valamit a tanár.
- Another common neutral-ish variant: Valamit mond a tanár a diákoknak.
Why is it mond and not mondja?
Hungarian verb conjugation depends on the object’s definiteness:
- Indefinite object → indefinite conjugation → mond (3sg).
- Definite object → definite conjugation → mondja (3sg). Examples:
- A tanár mond valamit a diákoknak. (indefinite object: valamit)
- A tanár mondja a hírt a diákoknak. (definite object: a hírt “the news”)
- Fixed pattern with reported speech: A tanár azt mondja a diákoknak, hogy…
Is the article a required before tanár and diákoknak?
- A tanár = “the teacher” (specific). Without an article, you’d normally use Egy tanár = “a teacher.”
- a diákoknak = “to the students” (a specific group). Omitting the article (diákoknak) makes it generic: “to students (in general).” Both are grammatical; the article signals specificity.
Does mond mean “says” or “is saying”?
The Hungarian present covers both simple and progressive. Context or adverbs clarify:
- A tanár most/éppen mond valamit… = “The teacher is saying something right now.”
Why is it a diákoknak and not a diákokhoz?
- -nak/-nek marks a recipient (“to/for” someone) → fits “say to the students.”
- -hoz/-hez/-höz marks physical motion “(to/toward)” a place/person. Examples:
- A tanár mond valamit a diákoknak. (tells the students)
- A tanár odamegy a diákokhoz. (goes over to the students)
Can I replace a diákoknak with a pronoun?
Yes. Use the dative pronoun nekik (“to them”):
- A tanár mond valamit nekik. Word order is flexible: Nekik mond valamit a tanár, etc.
How would the sentence change if “something” were definite?
You’d use definite conjugation (and likely name the thing):
- A tanár (el)mondja a feladatot a diákoknak. = “The teacher (tells) the assignment to the students.” Here a feladatot is a definite object; mondja/elmondja is the definite form.
How do I say it in the past or future?
- Past, indefinite object: A tanár mondott valamit a diákoknak.
- Past, definite object: A tanár mondta a hírt a diákoknak.
- Future (with fog): A tanár (el) fog mondani valamit a diákoknak.
- Future (with majd): A tanár majd mond valamit a diákoknak.
How do I negate it?
Use nem and usually switch to a negative pronoun:
- A tanár nem mond semmit a diákoknak. = “The teacher doesn’t say anything to the students.”
What’s the difference between mond, beszél, szól, elmond, megmond?
- mond
- Acc (+ Dat): to say/tell (something to someone). Core verb.
- beszél: to speak/talk; beszél valakivel (talk with someone), beszél valamiről (talk about).
- szól (valakinek): to let someone know / say to someone briefly; also “to sound.”
- elmond: to tell/recount completely (finish telling).
- megmond: to tell/declare (often decisive: Megmondtam! = “I told you (so)!”).
Why isn’t the verb plural when the students are plural?
The verb agrees with the subject (here, a tanár, 3rd person singular), not with the indirect object. Plural subject example:
- A tanárok mondanak valamit a diákoknak. (3pl indefinite: mondanak)
How do I say “to the student” (singular) or “to the teachers” (plural)?
- Singular: a diáknak (diák + -nak)
- Plural: a tanároknak (tanár + -ok + -nak)
When do I use a vs az?
Use az before a vowel-initial word, otherwise a:
- a diákoknak, a tanár (consonant-initial)
- az órának, az egyetemnek (vowel-initial)
Can I drop valamit and just say A tanár mond a diákoknak?
No; mond normally takes a direct object. If you don’t want to name the object, use:
- A tanár beszél a diákoknak. (The teacher is speaking to the students.)
- Or keep a generic object: A tanár mond valamit a diákoknak.
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