Basic Conjunctions in Hungarian

Overview

Conjunctions are the glue that connects words, phrases, and clauses in any language. Hungarian conjunctions at the CEFR A1 level are few in number but high in frequency. The essential ones — és (and), de (but), vagy (or), mert (because), and is (also/too) — appear in nearly every Hungarian conversation.

Most Hungarian conjunctions work similarly to their English counterparts, making them among the easier grammar points for beginners. The main challenge is the word is (also/too), which follows the word it modifies rather than preceding it, and the conjunction vagy (or), which is identical in form to the verb vagy (you are).

Learning these basic connectors allows you to move beyond simple sentences and begin expressing more complex thoughts, even with limited vocabulary.

How It Works

Essential Conjunctions

Hungarian	English	Type	Example
és	and	coordinating	Péter és Anna
de	but	coordinating	Szép, de drága.
vagy	or	coordinating	Tea vagy kávé?
mert	because	subordinating	Nem megyek, mert esik.
tehát	so/therefore	coordinating	Beteg, tehát otthon marad.
is	also/too	additive particle	Én is megyek.
sem	neither/nor	negative additive	Én sem megyek.
ha	if	conditional	Ha jössz, örülök.

Word Order with Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions (és, de, vagy) go between the elements they connect without affecting word order:

• Péter és Anna jön. — Péter and Anna are coming.
• Szép, de drága. — Beautiful, but expensive.

Subordinating conjunctions (mert, ha) introduce a new clause:

• Nem megyek, mert esik. — I'm not going because it's raining.
• Ha jössz, örülök. — If you come, I'm happy.

Special Behavior of "is" and "sem"

Unlike English "also/too," Hungarian is comes after the word it modifies:

English	Hungarian	Note
I also go.	Én is megyek.	is after the subject
I go too.	Én is megyek.	same construction
Péter also comes.	Péter is jön.	is after Péter

The negative form sem (neither/not either) works the same way:

• Én sem megyek. — I'm not going either.
• Péter sem jön. — Péter isn't coming either.

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
Magyarul és angolul beszélek.	I speak Hungarian and English.	és connecting nouns
Menni akarok, de nem tudok.	I want to go, but I can't.	de for contrast
Tea vagy kávé?	Tea or coffee?	vagy for choice
Nem megyek, mert esik.	I'm not going because it's raining.	mert for reason
Beteg vagyok, tehát otthon maradok.	I'm sick, so I stay home.	tehát for consequence
Én is magyar vagyok.	I'm also Hungarian.	is after subject
Ő sem jön.	He/She isn't coming either.	sem, negative of is
Szép és okos.	Beautiful and smart.	és connecting adjectives
Jövök, ha van időm.	I'll come if I have time.	ha for condition
Péter is jön, Anna is jön.	Péter is coming and Anna is coming too.	is with multiple subjects

Common Mistakes

Placing is before the word

• Wrong: Is én megyek.
• Right: Én is megyek.
• Why: Hungarian is always follows the word it modifies, unlike English "also" which precedes.

Confusing vagy (or) and vagy (you are)

• Wrong: Misreading Te vagy magyar vagy angol?
• Right: Understanding: "Are you Hungarian or English?" (first vagy = are, second vagy = or)
• Why: Context distinguishes the conjunction from the verb. The conjunction connects two alternatives.

Using de when és is needed

• Wrong: Szép de okos. (meaning "beautiful and smart")
• Right: Szép és okos.
• Why: De implies contrast ("but"), not addition. Use és for simple addition without contrast.

Using sem without negation context

• Wrong: Én sem megyek. (in an affirmative context)
• Right: Use sem only when negation is already established or implied
• Why: Sem is the negative counterpart of is. It implies "not ... either."

Usage Notes

In casual speech, meg is often used as a more informal alternative to és: Péter meg Anna instead of Péter és Anna. Both are correct, but és is more formal and more common in writing.

The conjunction hanem (but rather) is used after negation for correction: Nem magyar, hanem angol. (Not Hungarian, but rather English.) This differs from de, which expresses contrast without correction.

Practice Tips

• Connect simple sentences you already know: Magyar vagyok. + Angolul is beszélek. → Magyar vagyok, de angolul is beszélek.
• Practice is/sem pairs: Én is megyek. / Én sem megyek. Do this with every pronoun.
• Write five reasons using mert: Tanulok magyarul, mert...

Related Concepts

• Next steps: Cause and Condition Clauses — deeper exploration of mert, mivel, and ha
• Next steps: Discourse Connectors — advanced connectors for formal and written Hungarian