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A könyvtárban nem ehetsz, de ihatsz vizet.

A könyvtárban nem ehetsz, de ihatsz vizet.
In the library you can’t eat, but you can drink water.
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Questions & Answers about A könyvtárban nem ehetsz, de ihatsz vizet.

Why does könyvtár become könyvtárban? What does -ban mean?

-ban/-ben is an “in” case ending (the inessive).

  • könyvtár = library
  • könyvtárban = in the library

Which one you use depends on vowel harmony: -ban after back vowels (like á), -ben after front vowels.

Why is there a in A könyvtárban? Does it mean “a” or “the”?

In Hungarian, a/az usually corresponds to the (definite article). So A könyvtárban is most naturally in the library (often “in libraries” can also be expressed this way depending on context, but grammatically it’s definite).

Why isn’t there a word for “you” in the sentence?

Hungarian commonly drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person/number.

  • ehetsz = “you can eat”
  • ihatsz = “you can drink”
    So te (“you”) would usually be unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.
What does nem do, and where does it go?

nem is the basic negator: not. It normally goes directly before the part you negate—often right before the verb:

  • nem ehetsz = you can’t eat / you mustn’t eat
What exactly do ehetsz and ihatsz mean? Is it “can,” “may,” or “are allowed to”?

They are the verb stems (enni “to eat”, inni “to drink”) plus the potential/permission suffix -hat/-het and the 2nd person singular ending -sz:

  • ehet-sz → ehetsz
  • ihat-sz → ihatsz

Depending on context, -hat/-het can express:

  • ability: “can”
  • permission: “may / be allowed to”
  • possibility: “might”

In a rule-setting context like this sentence, it’s naturally permission: “you may/are allowed to.”

Why is it ehetsz with -het- but ihatsz with -hat-?

That’s vowel harmony again. The potential suffix has two main variants: -hat (back-vowel) and -het (front-vowel).

  • enni → ehet- (front vowel environment)
  • inni → ihat- (back-vowel a appears here)

Some verbs also have fixed patterns you essentially learn as forms, but vowel harmony is the main reason for the a/e difference.

Why is there a comma before de?

Hungarian typically uses a comma to separate two clauses joined by de (“but”), especially when each side has its own verb:

  • nem ehetsz, de ihatsz...
    That’s the standard punctuation.
What does de mean, and could it be something else like “however”?

de is the everyday word for but. It can often be translated as but / however, but grammatically it’s just the coordinating conjunction de.

Why is it vizet and not víz? What is -t?

-t marks the direct object (accusative case).

  • víz = water (subject/basic form)
  • vizet = water (as the thing being drunk)

So ihatsz vizet literally means “you can drink water,” with vizet as the object.

Why does víz lose the long vowel in vizet?

This is a common Hungarian pattern: some short suffixes cause vowel shortening in the stem.

  • víz (long í) + -et → vizet (short i)

It’s an accepted standard form you memorize: víz → vizet.

Why isn’t it a vizet (“the water”)? Is vizet indefinite on purpose?

Yes. vizet without an article is typically some water / water in general. In this context, it means you may drink water (as a general allowed drink).
If you said a vizet, it would point to a specific, known water (e.g., “the water (we talked about)”), which is usually not what a library rule means.

Is this sentence informal? How would it change for formal “you” (Ön / maga)?

ehetsz / ihatsz is 2nd person singular informal (te). For formal “you,” you’d usually rephrase rather than just swap endings, commonly using szabad (“allowed”) or lehet (“it is possible/allowed”):

  • A könyvtárban nem szabad enni, de szabad vizet inni. (More rule-like)
    Or:
  • A könyvtárban nem lehet enni, de lehet vizet inni.

These sound more like official notices.