Directional Prefixes (Basic) in Hungarian

Overview

Hungarian uses verbal prefixes to indicate direction of movement: be- (in), ki- (out), fel- (up), and le- (down). At the CEFR A1 level, these four directional prefixes combine with basic motion verbs like megy (go) and jön (come) to describe everyday movement. They are among the most frequently used prefixes and provide an intuitive entry point to the broader verbal prefix system.

These prefixes attach to the front of the verb in neutral sentences but separate in negation, questions, and focus constructions — a pattern studied in detail at higher levels. At A1, learners should focus on the meanings and basic usage.

How It Works

The Four Basic Directional Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	With megy (go)	English
be-	in/into	bemegyek	I go in
ki-	out	kimegyek	I go out
fel-	up	felmegyek	I go up
le-	down	lemegyek	I go down

With Common Motion Verbs

Prefix	megy (go)	jön (come)	szalad (run)
be-	bemegy	bejön	beszalad
ki-	kimegy	kijön	kiszalad
fel-	felmegy	feljön	felszalad
le-	lemegy	lejön	leszalad

Extended Meanings

Beyond literal direction, these prefixes develop figurative meanings:

Prefix + verb	Literal	Figurative
bekapcsol	connect in	switch on
kikapcsol	connect out	switch off
felvesz	take up	pick up / put on (clothes)
levesz	take down	take off / remove

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
Bemegyek a házba.	I go into the house.	be- = in
Kimegyek az utcára.	I go out to the street.	ki- = out
Felmegyek a lépcsőn.	I go up the stairs.	fel- = up
Lemegyek a pincébe.	I go down to the cellar.	le- = down
Bejön a szobába.	He comes into the room.	be- + jön
Kijön a házból.	He comes out of the house.	ki- + jön
Felmegyek az emeletre.	I go up to the floor above.	fel- + megy
Lemegyek a boltba.	I go down to the shop.	le- + megy
Bekapcsolom a tévét.	I turn on the TV.	be- figurative
Kikapcsolom a lámpát.	I turn off the lamp.	ki- figurative

Common Mistakes

Confusing prefix with postposition

• Wrong: Using both prefix and a redundant postposition
• Right: The prefix already carries the directional meaning. The location suffix on the noun provides the destination.
• Why: Bemegyek a házba — the be- and -ba complement each other naturally.

Using wrong prefix for the context

• Wrong: Kimegyek a házba. (I go out into the house?)
• Right: Bemegyek a házba. (I go into the house.)
• Why: Ki- means out (away from interior), be- means in (toward interior). Match the prefix to the direction.

Not matching prefix direction with case suffix direction

• Wrong: Bemegyek a házból. (I go in from the house?)
• Right: Bemegyek a házba. (I go into the house.)
• Why: The prefix direction (be- = inward) should match the case suffix direction (-ba = into).

Usage Notes

In Hungarian, "going down to the shop" (lemegyek a boltba) reflects the traditional arrangement of buildings — shops on the ground floor, living spaces above. This usage persists even when the shop is not literally below.

Fel and le are also used metaphorically for north/south in some expressions: going "up" to Budapest from the countryside.

Practice Tips

• Practice all four prefixes with megy and jön: bemegyek, kimegyek, felmegyek, lemegyek and bejövök, kijövök, feljövök, lejövök.
• Describe movement through your home: Bemegyek a konyhába. Kimegyek a kertbe. Felmegyek az emeletre.
• Learn be-/ki- pairs for appliances: bekapcsol/kikapcsol, berak/kirak.

Related Concepts

This is an introductory concept that leads to the broader study of verbal prefixes at B1 level.