Mióta tanulsz magyarul?

Since when have you been learning Hungarian?

Breakdown of Mióta tanulsz magyarul?

• tanulni: to learn
• magyar: Hungarian
• mióta: since when

Questions & Answers about Mióta tanulsz magyarul?

What does mióta mean exactly?

Mióta literally means since when.

In English, though, a sentence with mióta often translates more naturally as how long when you are asking about something that started in the past and is still continuing now.

So:

• Mióta tanulsz magyarul? = literally Since when do you learn Hungarian?
• natural English = How long have you been learning Hungarian?

Why is Hungarian using a present-tense verb here, when English uses have you been learning?

Because Hungarian normally uses the present tense for an action that began earlier and is still going on, as long as the time expression makes that clear.

So in this sentence:

• tanulsz = you learn / you are learning
• mióta tells you the action started in the past

Together, they express the idea that English often puts into the present perfect continuous:

• Mióta tanulsz magyarul? = How long have you been learning Hungarian?

Hungarian does not need a special verb form equivalent to English have been learning here.

What does tanulsz break down into?

Tanulsz comes from the verb tanul, meaning to learn or to study.

Breakdown:

• tanul- = verb stem
• -sz = you ending for 2nd person singular in the present tense

So tanulsz means you learn / you study / you are learning.

More forms of the same verb:

• tanulok = I learn
• tanulsz = you learn
• tanul = he/she learns

Why is there no separate word for you in the sentence?

Because Hungarian often leaves subject pronouns out when they are already clear from the verb ending.

Here, tanulsz already tells you the subject is you singular, so te is not necessary.

• Te tanulsz magyarul. = You are learning Hungarian.
• Tanulsz magyarul. = also You are learning Hungarian.

Adding te is possible, but it usually adds emphasis, contrast, or emotional force.

What does magyarul mean, and why does it end in -ul?

Magyarul means in Hungarian or, in language-learning contexts, simply Hungarian as the language being used or learned.

It is formed from:

• magyar = Hungarian
• -ul / -ül = a suffix often used with language names to mean in that language

Examples:

• angolul = in English
• németül = in German
• magyarul = in Hungarian

This is why Hungarian often says things differently from English. English says learn Hungarian; Hungarian can say tanul magyarul.

Could I also say Mióta tanulsz magyart?

Yes, you may hear that too.

There is a useful nuance:

• magyart tanulni treats Hungarian more like a direct object: to study/learn Hungarian
• magyarul tanulni uses the language-form magyarul

In many learning contexts, both can be understood as learning Hungarian.

However, magyarul can also mean in Hungarian, so depending on context, magyarul tanul could potentially sound like study in Hungarian. In this sentence, though, the intended meaning is normally clear.

So for a learner, the safest takeaway is:

• Mióta tanulsz magyarul? = natural and common
• Mióta tanulsz magyart? = also possible

Is the word order fixed?

The given word order is the neutral, natural one for this question.

• Mióta tanulsz magyarul?

Hungarian usually puts the question word near the front, so mióta naturally comes first.

You can change word order for emphasis, but then the focus changes. For example:

• Magyarul mióta tanulsz? puts more emphasis on Hungarian
• Mióta magyarul tanulsz? could suggest studying in Hungarian, depending on context

So the original sentence is the best basic pattern to learn.

Is this sentence informal or formal?

It is informal singular.

That is because tanulsz is the you singular informal form.

So this is what you would say to one person you address as te.

Related forms:

• Mióta tanulsz magyarul? = informal singular
• Mióta tanultok magyarul? = informal plural
• Mióta tanul magyarul? = formal singular
• Mióta tanulnak magyarul? = formal plural

How would I answer this question naturally in Hungarian?

A few very natural answers are:

• Két éve. = For two years.
• 2023 óta. = Since 2023.
• Három hónapja tanulok magyarul. = I’ve been learning Hungarian for three months.
• Tavaly óta tanulok magyarul. = I’ve been learning Hungarian since last year.

A useful pattern is:

• [time expression] + tanulok magyarul

For example:

• Egy éve tanulok magyarul. = I’ve been learning Hungarian for one year.

How is this sentence pronounced?

A rough English-friendly guide is:

Mióta tanulsz magyarul?
mee-OH-taw TAH-nools MA-dyor-ool?

A few helpful pronunciation points:

• Hungarian stress is usually on the first syllable of each word.
• sz sounds like English s.
• Hungarian s by itself sounds like English sh, so sz and s are different letters.
• gy in magyarul has no exact English equivalent, but it is a soft sound, somewhat like the dy sound some English speakers use in duke or during.

You do not need a perfect accent to understand the grammar, but those two spelling points are especially useful:

• sz = s
• s = sh