Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Hungarian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Kérem, mondja még egyszer!
What does kérem mean here?
Kérem is a polite word meaning please in this sentence.
It comes from the verb kér = to ask / request, and literally kérem means I ask or I request. But in everyday Hungarian, it is very commonly used just like English please.
You may also hear kérem? by itself, which can mean Pardon? or Sorry? when asking someone to repeat something.
Why is it mondja and not mondj or mondd?
Because this is a polite/formal command.
Hungarian forms commands differently depending on who you are speaking to:
- mondd! = say it! to one person informally
- mondja! = say it! to one person formally/politely
- mondjátok! = say it! to several people informally
- mondják! = say it! to several people formally
So in Kérem, mondja még egyszer!, the speaker is addressing someone politely, roughly like Please say it again to you in a formal sense.
Why does Hungarian use a third-person-looking form like mondja for a polite command?