Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Hallod őt, amikor halkan beszél? - Do you hear her when she speaks quietly?

Hungarian has two present-tense conjugations: indefinite and definite. You use the definite conjugation when the verb has a definite object (a specific person/thing), like őt.

Indefinite 2sg of hallani: hallasz (“you hear” with no specific object)
Definite 2sg of hallani: hallod (“you hear him/her/it”) Because the sentence has a definite object (őt), you need hallod, not hallasz.

Is őt necessary, or can I drop it?

You can drop it if the context makes the object clear: Hallod, amikor halkan beszél? is perfectly natural. The verb still stays definite (hallod) because the object is understood as specific. Keeping őt adds clarity or emphasis (“him/her in particular”).

Where can őt go, and does moving it change the meaning?

Word order is flexible but carries focus.

Hallod őt, amikor halkan beszél? neutral: “Do you hear him/her when …?”
Őt hallod, amikor halkan beszél? focuses őt: “Is it him/her that you hear (rather than someone else) when …?”
Amikor halkan beszél, hallod őt? fronting the time clause; still neutral. When you want to highlight what you hear, put that element immediately before the verb.

Why is there a comma before amikor?

Hungarian places a comma between a main clause and a subordinate clause introduced by conjunctions like amikor (“when”). So both:

Hallod őt, amikor halkan beszél?
Amikor halkan beszél, hallod őt? require a comma at the clause boundary.

What’s the difference between amikor and mikor?

amikor = “when” as a conjunction in a subordinate clause; neutral/standard.
mikor can also introduce a clause, but it’s more informal in this usage and is the normal question word for “when?”. So you’ll hear mikor halkan beszél, but amikor is the safer, more neutral choice in writing. Also note:
amíg = “while/as long as,” focusing on duration, not just the time of an event.

Why is it beszél and not beszéli?

beszél is intransitive here (“speaks”), so it uses the indefinite conjugation (3sg: beszél). The definite form beszéli is used only when there’s a definite direct object, e.g. beszéli a nyelvet (“he/she speaks the language [well]”).

What’s going on with halkan? Where does it go, and how is it formed?

halkan = “quietly,” the adverbial form of halk (“quiet”). Many adverbs come from adjectives + -an/-en: lassú → lassan, gyors → gyorsan.
Default placement is before the verb: halkan beszél.
You can say beszél halkan, but that tends to emphasize the action of speaking a bit more than the manner. The neutral choice here is halkan beszél.
A common synonym is csendesen (“quietly, softly”).

How do yes–no questions work here? Do I need -e?

Hungarian typically uses intonation (and a question mark in writing). So Hallod őt, amikor halkan beszél? is complete as is. You can optionally use:

Hallod-e őt, amikor halkan beszél? (with the enclitic -e, more formal/literary)
Ugye hallod őt, amikor halkan beszél? (tag-like “right?” seeking confirmation)

Does Hallod mean “Do you hear” or “Can you hear”?

It can cover both in context. If you want to stress ability or managing to hear:

Meghallod őt, amikor halkan beszél? = “Do you manage to hear him/her (catch what’s said) when …?”
Meg tudod hallani őt, amikor halkan beszél? = “Are you able to hear him/her when …?” Plain Hallod is often enough in everyday speech for both meanings.

Does őt mean “him” or “her”? How do I indicate gender?

Hungarian pronouns don’t mark gender. ő/őt can mean “he/him” or “she/her.” Context usually makes it clear. To specify gender explicitly, use a noun: a férfit / a nőt, a fiút / a lányt, or use the person’s name.

Should I include ő inside the amikor clause: amikor ő halkan beszél?

It’s normally omitted because the subject is clear from context: amikor halkan beszél is the default. Add ő only for emphasis or disambiguation (e.g., to make sure it’s not “you” who is speaking quietly).

If I mean “them,” how does the sentence change?

Use the plural object pronoun őket and make the subordinate verb plural:

Hallod őket, amikor halkan beszélnek? Note the main verb is still definite 2sg (hallod), but the subordinate verb agrees with the plural subject (beszélnek).

What if I mean “it” (a sound, a device), not a person?

Use azt for “that/it” as a definite object when you want to point to it:

Neutral: Hallod, amikor halkan szól? (“Do you hear it when it’s quiet/playing softly?”)
With focus on the object: Azt hallod, amikor halkan szól? If the context already makes “it” clear, omitting the pronoun and keeping the definite verb is common: Hallod, amikor…

Should I use hallani, hallgatni, or figyelni here?

hallani = “to hear” (perception): Hallod őt?
hallgatni = “to listen (to)” and is transitive: Hallgatod őt? (“Are you listening to him/her?”)
figyelni = “to pay attention (to)” (often with rá): Figyelsz rá, amikor halkan beszél? In your sentence, hallani is the right verb.

How do I negate or add emphasis?

Simple negation: Nem hallod őt, amikor halkan beszél? (“Don’t you hear him/her when…?”)
Object-focused negation: Őt nem hallod, amikor halkan beszél? (“It’s him/her you don’t hear when…?”)
Contrastive: Nem őt hallod, amikor halkan beszél, hanem mást. (“It’s not him/her you hear … but someone else.”) You can add egyáltalán (“at all”) for emphasis: Egyáltalán nem hallod őt…

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Stress is always on the first syllable of each word: HÁL-lod ŐT, A-mi-kor HÁL-kan BE-szél.
ő is a long, rounded front vowel (like a longer, tenser version of German “ö”): ő, őt.
é is a long “eh” (close-mid e), as in beszél.
Double consonants are pronounced long: hallod has a long ll.