A krumplihoz is kérek egy kis sót és borsot.

I also ask for a little salt and pepper for the potatoes.

Breakdown of A krumplihoz is kérek egy kis sót és borsot.

• is: also
• és: and
• egy: a
• kérni: to ask for
• -hoz: for
• krumpli: the potato
• só: the salt
• bors: the pepper
• kis: little

Questions & Answers about A krumplihoz is kérek egy kis sót és borsot.

What does krumplihoz mean, exactly?

It is krumpli + -hoz.

• krumpli = potato / potatoes
• -hoz = a suffix meaning to, toward, for, with depending on context

With food, -hoz/-hez/-höz often means something like for or to go with.

So a krumplihoz here means something like:

• for the potatoes
• with the potatoes
• to go with the potatoes

The suffix changes by vowel harmony:

• -hoz
• -hez
• -höz

Here krumpli takes -hoz.

Why is krumpli singular? Why not a plural form if English would say potatoes?

Hungarian often uses the singular where English prefers a plural, especially with food or side dishes.

So a krumpli can mean:

• the potato in a literal singular sense, but also
• the potatoes as a food portion or side dish

In this sentence, it most naturally refers to the potato part of the meal in a general way, so singular is normal.

If you really wanted to stress several separate potatoes as individual items, a plural form could appear, but in everyday meal-related speech, the singular is very common.

Why is there an a in A krumplihoz?

a is the definite article, meaning the.

So:

• a krumplihoz = for the potatoes / for the potato

Hungarian often uses the definite article in contexts where English may or may not use the, especially when talking about a specific dish already present, already known, or understood from the situation.

Here it sounds like the speaker means the potatoes on the plate / the potatoes we are talking about, not potatoes in general.

What does is mean here, and why is it placed after krumplihoz?

is means also or too.

In Hungarian, is usually comes right after the word or phrase it belongs to.

So:

• A krumplihoz is = for the potatoes too

This means the speaker is not just asking for salt and pepper in general, but is adding that they want it for the potatoes as well.

If is were attached to something else, the meaning would change:

• sót is = salt too
• borsot is = pepper too
• kérek is is not how you would say it here

So the position of is is very important.

Why is the verb kérek, not kérem?

This is a very common question.

Hungarian verbs have two conjugations here:

• indefinite conjugation
• definite conjugation

kérek is the indefinite form.
kérem is the definite form.

In this sentence, the thing being requested is indefinite:

• egy kis sót és borsot = some/a little salt and pepper

That is why Hungarian uses kérek.

Compare:

• Kérek egy kis sót. = I’d like a little salt.
• A sót kérem. = I’ll have the salt / The salt, please.

So in your sentence, kérek is correct because the object is not a specific definite item like the salt.

Does kérek literally mean I ask?

Yes, literally it comes from kérni = to ask for / request.

But in everyday use, especially in restaurants, shops, or at the table, kérek often means:

• I’d like
• Can I have
• I’ll have

So it is very natural and polite in this kind of situation.

It does not sound strange or overly formal. It is one of the basic and most useful Hungarian request forms.

What does egy kis mean?

egy kis means a little or a small amount of.

So:

• egy kis sót = a little salt

This is a very common way to ask for a small quantity of something, especially with uncountable things like:

• salt
• sugar
• water
• pepper

Here kis does not really mean small in the physical-size sense. Together with egy, it works more like a little bit of.

Why do sót and borsot end in -t?

Because they are direct objects, and Hungarian marks direct objects with the accusative ending.

So:

• só → sót
• bors → borsot

The basic accusative marker is -t, but sometimes an extra vowel appears for pronunciation, which is why you get:

• bors + -ot → borsot

In this sentence, both salt and pepper are things being requested, so both are direct objects, and both take the accusative.

Why does kis stay kis? Why not something like kist?

Because in Hungarian, when an adjective directly modifies a noun, the case ending usually goes on the noun, not on the adjective.

So:

• egy kis sót = correct
• egy kist sót = incorrect

The adjective kis stays unchanged, and the noun só gets the accusative ending:

• só → sót

This is normal Hungarian grammar.

Why is there only one egy kis for both salt and pepper?

Because egy kis can cover both nouns together:

• egy kis sót és borsot = a little salt and pepper

Hungarian often avoids repeating words when one phrase clearly applies to both items.

You could repeat it if you wanted to be more explicit:

• egy kis sót és egy kis borsot

That would also be correct, but the original sentence is more natural and economical.

Is krumpli the normal word for potato, or is burgonya better?

krumpli is a very common everyday word for potato.

burgonya also means potato, but it is usually felt as:

• more formal
• more standard
• sometimes more written or culinary

In ordinary speech, krumpli is extremely common and natural.

So this sentence sounds everyday and normal, not wrong or sloppy.

Why is the sentence ordered as A krumplihoz is kérek...? Could the words be arranged differently?

Yes, Hungarian word order is flexible, but different orders change the emphasis.

Starting with A krumplihoz is highlights that part:

• As for the potatoes too, I’d like some salt and pepper.

So the sentence is drawing attention to what the salt and pepper are for.

Hungarian often places the most topical or contrastive element early in the sentence.

Other word orders are possible, but they would sound slightly different in emphasis. The given version suggests something like:

• maybe salt and pepper are already relevant for something else, and now the speaker adds: for the potatoes too

So the word order is not random; it reflects what the speaker wants to emphasize.