Amikor sötét van, nem szeretek a parkban sétálni.

When it is dark, I do not like to walk in the park.

Breakdown of Amikor sötét van, nem szeretek a parkban sétálni.

• lenni: to be
• amikor: when
• -ban: in
• sétálni: to walk
• szeretni: to like
• park: the park
• nem: not
• sötét: the dark

Questions & Answers about Amikor sötét van, nem szeretek a parkban sétálni.

Why do we say sötét van and not just amikor sötét?

In Hungarian you normally need a verb in a full clause, even with adjectives like sötét (dark).

• sötét van = it is dark (literally “dark is”)
• Just amikor sötét would sound incomplete and ungrammatical in standard Hungarian.

So amikor sötét van is the natural way to say when it’s dark.

What exactly does van do in sötét van? Is it like English “there is”?

Here van is simply the verb “to be” in the 3rd person singular, present tense.

• In English we say: It is dark.
• In Hungarian: Sötét van. (There is no dummy subject like it.)

So van here just marks existence/state: “is (there) darkness / it is dark.” It’s not the “there is/are” meaning with a specific object; it’s more like a weather/state expression (It is cold, It is late, etc.).

What is the difference between amikor and ha here? Could I say Ha sötét van?

Yes, Ha sötét van, nem szeretek a parkban sétálni is grammatically correct, but there is a nuance:

• amikor sötét van = when/whenever it is dark
  
  • Focuses on time: at those times when it’s dark, I don’t like walking in the park.
• ha sötét van = if it is dark
  
  • More conditional: in the case that it’s dark, I don’t like walking in the park.

In everyday speech they often overlap, but amikor is the more natural choice for a habitual statement about what you do at certain times.

Why is the word order Amikor sötét van, nem szeretek a parkban sétálni and not Nem szeretek a parkban sétálni, amikor sötét van?

Both sentences are correct; the difference is in emphasis and style:

1. Amikor sötét van, nem szeretek a parkban sétálni.

   • Emphasis starts with the circumstance: As for when it’s dark – in that situation, I don’t like walking in the park.

2. Nem szeretek a parkban sétálni, amikor sötét van.

   • Starts with the main statement I don’t like walking in the park and then adds when it’s dark as extra information.

Meaning is almost the same, but the first version highlights the time condition more strongly.

Why is the negative nem placed before szeretek and not before sétálni?

In Hungarian, nem (not) normally comes right before the finite verb (the conjugated verb), not before the infinitive.

• nem szeretek sétálni = I do not like to walk.
• Putting nem before sétálni (sétálni nem szeretek) is only used in special emphasis patterns and still logically negates szeretek.

So the standard neutral order is: nem + [finite verb] + [infinitive] → nem szeretek sétálni.

Why is it nem szeretek and not nem szeretem?

Hungarian distinguishes between:

• szeretek + infinitive = I like to do something in general
  
  • Nem szeretek sétálni. = I don’t like walking.
• szeretem + noun / specific object = I like something (as a thing)
  
  • Nem szeretem a sétát. = I don’t like the walk. (rare and more abstract)
  • Nem szeretem a parkot. = I don’t like the park.

With a verb in the infinitive (sétálni), you must use szeretek, not szeretem.
So nem szeretem a parkban sétálni would be incorrect.

Why is there no “I” pronoun (én) in the sentence?

Hungarian verb endings already show the subject, so the personal pronoun is usually omitted when it’s clear:

• szeretek = I like
• nem szeretek = I do not like

You add én only for emphasis or contrast:

• Én nem szeretek a parkban sétálni.
  = I don’t like walking in the park (implying maybe others do).

Without emphasis, the natural version is without én.

Why do we use a parkban and not just parkban?

Hungarian normally uses the definite article a / az with common nouns even in general statements, especially with locations:

• a parkban = in the park (often meaning “in the park” in general, not one specific park you just mentioned)
• Bare parkban is possible but sounds more like “in a park (some park, not really specified)” and is less typical in this generic kind of sentence.

So a parkban is the most natural, neutral choice here.

Why is it parkban and not parkba?

The difference is in the type of location:

• -ban / -ben = in, inside (static location)
  
  • a parkban = in the park (you are inside it, moving around there)
• -ba / -be = into (movement towards the inside)
  
  • a parkba megyek = I am going into the park.

Here, the action happens within the park, so parkban is correct.

What does the ending -ban in parkban mean, and why -ban and not -ben?

-ban / -ben is the inessive case meaning “in, inside”.

The choice between -ban and -ben follows vowel harmony:

• Words with back vowels (a, á, o, ó, u, ú) → -ban
  
  • park (has a) → parkban
• Words with front vowels (e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű) → -ben
  
  • kert (garden) → kertben

So parkban is the harmonized form “in the park.”

Why do we use sétálni and not sétálok?

After szeretek (I like), Hungarian uses the infinitive form of the verb:

• sétálni = to walk / walking (non-finite form)
• sétálok = I walk / I am walking (finite, present tense)

Structure: szeretek + infinitive
→ nem szeretek a parkban sétálni = I don’t like to walk in the park.

Using sétálok would change the meaning to a full present-tense action:
Nem szeretek a parkban sétálok is ungrammatical.

Why is there a comma after Amikor sötét van?

Amikor sötét van is a subordinate clause (a time clause), and nem szeretek a parkban sétálni is the main clause.

In Hungarian, when the subordinate clause comes first, it is normally separated from the main clause by a comma:

• Amikor sötét van, nem szeretek a parkban sétálni.

If you reverse the order, you still usually keep the comma:

• Nem szeretek a parkban sétálni, amikor sötét van.