Infinitive Constructions in Hungarian

Overview

The Hungarian infinitive is formed by adding -ni to the verb stem: olvasni (to read), menni (to go), enni (to eat). What makes Hungarian unique is the conjugated infinitive — an infinitive that carries personal suffixes, used after certain verbs and expressions like kell (must), szabad (may), and illik (it is proper).

At the CEFR B1 level, learners must master both the plain infinitive (used with verbs like akar — want, tud — can, szeret — like) and the conjugated infinitive (used with kell, szabad, illik, sikerül). The conjugated infinitive is rare among European languages and is one of Hungarian's distinctive grammatical features.

The infinitive is also used in purpose clauses, polite constructions, and as a noun-like element in sentences.

How It Works

Plain Infinitive (-ni)

Verb	Infinitive	English
olvas	olvasni	to read
megy	menni	to go
eszik	enni	to eat
iszik	inni	to drink
lát	látni	to see

Conjugated Infinitive (Personal Suffixes)

Person	Back vowel (-nom)	Front vowel (-nem)
én	-nom	-nem
te	-nod	-ned
ő	-nia	-nie
mi	-nunk	-nünk
ti	-notok	-netek
ők	-niuk	-niük

Verbs Taking Plain Infinitive

Verb	Example	English
akar (want)	Olvasni akarok.	I want to read.
tud (can)	Tudok úszni.	I can swim.
szeret (like)	Szeret olvasni.	He/She likes to read.
fog (will)	Menni fog.	He/She will go.

Verbs Taking Conjugated Infinitive

Expression	Example	English
kell (must)	Mennem kell.	I must go.
szabad (may)	Szabad kérdeznem?	May I ask?
illik (proper)	Illik köszönnie.	It is proper for him to greet.
sikerül (succeed)	Sikerült megcsinálnom.	I managed to do it.

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
Olvasni akarok.	I want to read.	plain infinitive
Mennem kell.	I must go.	conjugated, 1st person
Látnia kell.	He/She must see.	conjugated, 3rd person
Szabad kérdeznem?	May I ask?	conjugated, polite
Tudok úszni.	I can swim.	plain infinitive
Menni akar.	He/She wants to go.	plain infinitive
Sikerült megcsinálnom.	I managed to do it.	conjugated, past
Nem szabad dohányozni.	Smoking is not allowed.	impersonal
Jó lenne pihenni.	It would be good to rest.	plain, conditional
Mennünk kell.	We must go.	conjugated, 1st plural

Common Mistakes

Using plain infinitive where conjugated is needed

• Wrong: Kell menni. (when meaning "I must go")
• Right: Mennem kell. (conjugated: -nem → who must go)
• Why: After kell, the conjugated infinitive specifies who must do the action. The plain infinitive (Kell menni) is impersonal — "one must go."

Wrong person on conjugated infinitive

• Wrong: Mennem kell. (when meaning "he must go")
• Right: Mennie kell.
• Why: The conjugated infinitive suffix must match the person who must/may/should do the action.

Forgetting irregular infinitive stems

• Wrong: eszni (to eat)
• Right: enni
• Why: Eszik has an irregular infinitive: enni (not eszni). Similarly: iszik → inni, jön → jönni.

Usage Notes

The impersonal construction (Nem szabad dohányozni — Smoking is not allowed) uses a plain infinitive and expresses general prohibition or permission. This is common on signs and in official communication.

The conjugated infinitive is strongly preferred in careful speech when the subject of the infinitive differs from any other element in the sentence. In casual speech, it is sometimes replaced by a hogy-clause: Kell, hogy menjek instead of Mennem kell, though the infinitive construction is considered better style.

Practice Tips

• Practice kell with all six conjugated infinitive forms: mennem kell, menned kell, mennie kell, mennünk kell, mennetek kell, menniük kell.
• Distinguish between verbs taking plain vs conjugated infinitive: akar + plain, kell + conjugated.
• Memorize irregular infinitives: enni, inni, tenni, venni, vinni, hinni, menni, jönni, lenni.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Indefinite Conjugation — the base conjugation system
• Next steps: Subjectless Constructions — impersonal sentences with infinitives
• Next steps: Modal Expressions — kell, szabad, lehet in detail