Beszélünk a filmről.

We are talking about the movie.

Breakdown of Beszélünk a filmről.

• mi: we
• film: the movie
• beszélni: to talk
• -ról: from

Questions & Answers about Beszélünk a filmről.

Why is there no separate word for “we” in Beszélünk a filmről?

Hungarian usually doesn’t need a separate pronoun for the subject, because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

• Beszélünk = beszél (talk/speak) + -ünk (1st person plural ending = we).
• So beszélünk already means “we talk / we are talking”.

You only add the pronoun mi (we) when you want to emphasize we in contrast to others:

• Mi beszélünk a filmről. = It’s *we who are talking about the film (not them).*

Otherwise, mi is normally left out.

Does beszélünk mean “we speak” or “we are speaking right now”?

It can mean both, depending on context. Hungarian has only one present tense; it covers:

• Simple present:

  • We (generally) talk about the film.
  • Gyakran beszélünk a filmről. = We often talk about the film.

• Present continuous / right now:

  • We are talking about the film (right now).
  • If said while you’re in the middle of a conversation, Beszélünk a filmről is naturally understood as “we are talking about the film (now).”

So beszélünk = we speak / we talk / we are speaking / we are talking; English needs aspect, Hungarian doesn’t.

What exactly does the ending -ről in filmről mean?

The -ról / -ről ending is a case suffix added to nouns. Its core meanings are:

• “about” (topic)
• “from the surface of” / “off (of) something” (literal delative)

In a filmről it means “about the film” (topic):

• Beszélünk a filmről. = We are talking *about the film.*

Other examples with the “about” meaning:

• Olvastam a problémáról. = I read about the problem.
• Vitatkoznak a politikáról. = They are arguing about politics.

The form alternates with vowel harmony:

• -ról after back vowels (a, á, o, ó, u, ú) → házról (about the house)
• -ről after front vowels (e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű) → filmről (about the film)

Why is there a separate word a before filmről? What does it do?

A is the definite article in Hungarian, usually translating to “the” in English (before consonant sounds; az is used before vowels).

So:

• a filmről = about *the film*

Without the article:

• Beszélünk filmről.
  This sounds more like “We’re talking about (some) film / about film(s)” — less specific, more generic or indefinite.

With the article a, the sentence refers to a particular film that is known from context, just like English “the film”.

Can I say Beszélünk filmről without a, and if so, what’s the difference?

Yes, you can say Beszélünk filmről, but the nuance changes:

• Beszélünk a filmről.
  → We’re talking about *the film* (a specific, known film).

• Beszélünk filmről.
  → We’re talking about film / about a film / about films (in general).
  The reference is more indefinite or generic.

Hungarian often uses the article for specific, familiar things, much like English uses “the”.

Why is it beszélünk and not beszéljük?

Hungarian verbs have two main conjugations:

1. Indefinite conjugation (no definite direct object, or none at all)
2. Definite conjugation (with a specific definite direct object: the film, it, him, her, etc.)

Beszélni (to speak/talk) in this sentence has no direct object; the film is in an “about”-phrase (marked by -ről), not a direct object.

So we use indefinite conjugation:

• beszélünk = we talk / we are talking (indefinite)

Beszéljük would be definite conjugation, and it needs a direct object, e.g.:

• Ezt a részt beszéljük meg.
  = This part is what we’re (going to) discuss. (Here ezt a részt is a direct object.)

In Beszélünk a filmről, since a filmről is an oblique phrase (about the film), not a direct object, beszélünk is correct.

Is a filmről the direct object of the verb?

No. A filmről is not a direct object; it’s a prepositional‑like phrase expressed with a case suffix.

• Direct objects in Hungarian are typically bare nouns or nouns with the -t ending (accusative), often with an article:

  • Látjuk a filmet. = We see the film. (filmet is direct object)
  • Nézzük a filmet. = We are watching the film. (filmet is direct object)

• In Beszélünk a filmről, the suffix -ről marks a topic (about the film), not an object; there is no direct object here.

That’s why the verb uses indefinite conjugation (beszélünk, not beszéljük).

Can the word order change, e.g. A filmről beszélünk? Is there a difference?

Yes, Hungarian word order is flexible and used for emphasis and information structure.

Two common variants:

1. Beszélünk a filmről.

   • Neutral, natural order.
   • Roughly: We are talking about the film.
   • Focus is more on the action (talking), with a filmről as additional info.

2. A filmről beszélünk.

   • Puts a filmről into the focus position (right before the verb).
   • Implies contrast, like: It’s the film (as opposed to something else) that we’re talking about.
   • Similar to stressing it in English: “We’re talking about the film.”

In everyday speech, both can occur, and context + intonation decide how strong the emphasis feels.

How is filmről formed, and how do you pronounce it?

Formation:

• film (noun) + -ről (case suffix “about / from the surface of”)
  → filmről = about the film

Pronunciation tips:

• film ends in lm, then -ről adds an r.
• In careful phonetic terms, there is a consonant cluster lmr, but in natural speech it smooths out; Hungarian speakers say it fluently as one unit: [film-ről], with all consonants pronounced but quickly.
• Stress is always on the first syllable of the word in Hungarian:
  • FIlmről

So don’t move the stress to -ről; keep it on film.

Can this sentence also mean “We often talk about the film” or “We usually talk about the film”?

By itself, Beszélünk a filmről is neutral: it just says we talk / are talking about the film. To express habit more clearly, Hungarians typically add an adverb:

• Gyakran beszélünk a filmről. = We often talk about the film.
• Sokat beszélünk a filmről. = We talk a lot about the film.
• Általában beszélünk a filmről. = We usually talk about the film.

But in the right context (for example, when talking about your weekly meetings), Beszélünk a filmről can be understood as a general / habitual statement as well.

What is the difference between beszélni, beszélgetni, and mondani?

These verbs are related but not interchangeable:

• beszélni – to speak, to talk

  • Neutral “speak/talk”:
    
    • Beszélünk a filmről. = We’re talking about the film.

• beszélgetni – to chat, to have a conversation

  • More two-way, informal conversation, often relaxed:
    
    • Beszélgetünk a filmről. = We’re chatting about the film.

• mondani – to say, to tell

  • Used when someone says something specific:
    
    • Mondok valamit a filmről. = I’ll say something about the film.
    • Mit mondasz a filmről? = What do you say about the film?

So beszélünk a filmről = we are talking/speaking about the film; if you want to emphasize a conversational, back‑and‑forth feeling, you might say beszélgetünk a filmről instead.

Is Beszélünk a filmről formal or informal? Would I use it in any situation?

The sentence Beszélünk a filmről itself is neutral in terms of formality. It can be used in:

• Informal situations:

  • With friends: Ma este beszélünk a filmről. – We’ll talk about the film this evening.

• Formal situations:

  • At a meeting: A következő ülésen beszélünk a filmről. – At the next meeting we will talk about the film.

Formality in Hungarian is shown more by:

• Choice of pronouns (te vs. ön/maga)
• Verb forms and addressing people politely

Since the subject here is “we” (mi) and is dropped, there’s no formality issue. The sentence is safe to use in virtually any context.