Modal Expressions in Hungarian

In Brief

Hungarian commonly expresses necessity, permission, possibility, prohibition, and worthwhile action with kell, szabad, lehet, tilos, and érdemes plus an infinitive (the basic verb form ending in -ni). If a particular person must or may act, that person is often marked on the infinitive: Mennem kell means “I must go,” while a plain infinitive gives a general rule: Tilos dohányozni means “Smoking is forbidden.”

Overview

English usually puts a modal verb directly before another verb: “I must go” or “you may enter.” Hungarian often organizes the same idea differently. The modal expression is impersonal—it does not conjugate to agree with “I,” “you,” or “they”—and the infinitive can carry a personal ending instead: mennem kell, literally closer to “for-me-to-go is necessary.”

This is a core B1 pattern because it combines everyday meanings with a structure that feels unfamiliar to an English speaker. You will hear it when discussing obligations, asking permission, reading notices, suggesting a useful action, and talking about what may be possible. The five central expressions are kell “must, need to,” szabad “may, be allowed,” lehet “can, may, it is possible,” tilos “forbidden,” and érdemes “worth doing.”

These words do not all behave identically. Kell strongly expresses necessity; szabad and one use of lehet concern permission; lehet can also describe practical possibility or introduce a clause meaning “perhaps”; tilos states prohibition; and érdemes recommends something as worthwhile. Learning the contrasts matters as much as learning the forms.

How It Works

The basic patterns

Meaning	Hungarian pattern	Example	Natural English
necessity	personal infinitive + kell	Dolgoznom kell.	I must work.
permission	szabad + personal/plain infinitive	Szabad kérdeznem?	May I ask?
possibility or permission	lehet + infinitive	Itt lehet parkolni.	You can park here.
possibility of an event	lehet, hogy + finite clause	Lehet, hogy késik.	He/She may be late.
prohibition	tilos + plain infinitive	Tilos belépni.	Entry is forbidden.
worthwhile action	érdemes + infinitive	Érdemes várni.	It is worth waiting.

A finite clause is a clause containing a verb marked for person and tense, such as késik “he/she is late.” An infinitive, by contrast, names the action without functioning as an ordinary present- or past-tense verb.

Plain and personal infinitives

The plain Hungarian infinitive normally ends in -ni: olvasni “to read,” kérdezni “to ask,” menni “to go.” Use it when no individual actor needs to be identified, especially in public rules and general advice:

• Tilos dohányozni. — Smoking is forbidden.
• Érdemes korán érkezni. — It is worth arriving early.
• Itt lehet jegyet venni. — You can buy a ticket here.

When the actor matters, Hungarian can replace the final -i of -ni with a personal ending. The precise vowel follows vowel harmony, so several variants occur.

Person	Typical ending	olvasni “to read”	Meaning in a modal construction
I	-nom/-nem/-nöm	olvasnom	for me to read
you (singular)	-nod/-ned/-nöd	olvasnod	for you to read
he/she/it	-nia/-nie	olvasnia	for him/her to read
we	-nunk/-nünk	olvasnunk	for us to read
you (plural)	-notok/-netek/-nötök	olvasnotok	for you all to read
they	-niuk/-niük	olvasniuk	for them to read

The irregularly short infinitive menni gives mennem, menned, mennie, mennünk, mennetek, menniük. These are not ordinary conjugated verbs: they are personal infinitives, meaning infinitives whose endings identify the person connected with the action.

A dative pronoun (a pronoun in the “to/for someone” form) can make the actor explicit: nekem “for me,” neked “for you,” neki “for him/her,” nekünk, nektek, nekik. It is often omitted because the infinitive ending already identifies the person:

• (Nekem) indulnom kell. — I have to leave.
• Neked is látnod kell ezt. — You also have to see this.
• A gyerekeknek korán kell lefeküdniük. — The children have to go to bed early.

Notice the agreement between a gyerekeknek and lefeküdniük. In careful standard usage, if the actor is stated in this dative form, the corresponding personal infinitive is a safe and clear choice.

Necessity with kell

Kell means “it is necessary,” “must,” or “need to.” The neutral order commonly places the infinitive or its verbal prefix before kell:

• Tanulnom kell. — I must study.
• El kell mennem. — I must leave.
• Meg kell vennünk a jegyeket. — We have to buy the tickets.

A verbal prefix is a short element such as el- or meg- that modifies a verb. In a modal construction, it often separates from its infinitive and stands before the modal: elmenni becomes el kell menni; megvenni becomes meg kell venni. The personal ending remains on the infinitive.

To negate necessity, use nem kell:

• Nem kell sietned. — You do not have to hurry.

This means there is no need to hurry, not that hurrying is forbidden. That distinction is crucial.

Permission with szabad and lehet

Szabad asks for or grants permission. A personal infinitive is especially natural when politely asking whether you yourself may do something:

• Szabad kérdeznem? — May I ask?
• Szabad bejönnöm? — May I come in?

A plain infinitive is common in general rules:

• Itt szabad fényképezni. — Photography is allowed here.

Lehet also expresses permission, often in an everyday, neutral way:

• Lehet kártyával fizetni? — Can one pay by card?/Can I pay by card?
• Be lehet jönni. — You may come in.

In questions, szabad can sound like an explicit request for authorization, while lehet may ask whether something is allowed or practically possible. Context often decides which meaning is intended.

Possibility with lehet

With an infinitive, lehet can mean that an action is possible or available:

• Innen látni lehet a Dunát. — The Danube can be seen from here.
• Online is lehet jelentkezni. — It is also possible to apply online.

With hogy “that” and a full clause, it expresses uncertainty about whether an event is true:

• Lehet, hogy esik. — It might be raining.
• Lehet, hogy holnap nem jön. — Perhaps he/she will not come tomorrow.

Do not add an infinitive after lehet, hogy. The verb after hogy is an ordinary finite verb: esik, jön, elfelejtette.

Prohibition with tilos and nem szabad

Tilos states that an action is forbidden, particularly on signs, in regulations, or in firm warnings:

• Tilos dohányozni. — Smoking is forbidden.
• Belépni tilos. — No entry.

Nem szabad also means “must not” or “is not allowed.” It is very common in speech and can express a rule, warning, or moral judgment:

• Nem szabad ide parkolni. — You must not park here.
• Nem szabad elfelejtened. — You must not forget.

English “must not” therefore corresponds to nem szabad or tilos, not nem kell.

Advice with érdemes

Érdemes says that an action is worth the time or effort. It is often softer than an obligation and works well for recommendations:

• Érdemes előre foglalni. — It is worth booking in advance.
• Érdemes megnézned ezt a filmet. — This film is worth seeing./You should see this film.

The actor may be shown with a dative noun or pronoun and a matching personal infinitive: Neked érdemes lenne pihenned “It would be advisable for you to rest.”

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
Mennem kell.	I must go.	Personal infinitive, first person
Holnap korán kell kelnünk.	We have to get up early tomorrow.	First-person plural ending
A diákoknak be kell fejezniük a feladatot.	The students must finish the task.	Stated actor plus matching infinitive
Nem kell jegyet venned.	You do not have to buy a ticket.	Lack of necessity
Szabad kérdeznem?	May I ask?	Polite request for permission
Itt szabad fényképezni.	Photography is allowed here.	General permission
Lehet kártyával fizetni?	Can I pay by card?	Permission or practical possibility
Ezt a hibát könnyen ki lehet javítani.	This error can easily be corrected.	General possibility; separated prefix
Lehet, hogy esik.	It might be raining.	lehet, hogy plus a finite clause
Tilos dohányozni.	Smoking is forbidden.	Formal, impersonal prohibition
Nem szabad megérinteni a képeket.	The pictures must not be touched.	Rule expressed with nem szabad
Érdemes előre asztalt foglalni.	It is worth reserving a table in advance.	General recommendation
Neked is érdemes elolvasnod ezt a könyvet.	This book is worth reading for you too.	Explicit actor and personal infinitive
Mikorra kell elkészülnie a jelentésnek?	By when must the report be ready?	The grammatical actor is “the report”

Common Mistakes

Using a present-tense verb after kell

• Wrong: Én kell megyek.
• Right: Mennem kell.
• Why: Hungarian does not copy English “I must + verb.” Use a personal infinitive when “I” is the actor.

Confusing “do not have to” with “must not”

• Wrong: Nem kell dohányozni. when you mean “Smoking is forbidden.”
• Right: Nem szabad dohányozni. or Tilos dohányozni.
• Why: Nem kell removes an obligation; it does not create a prohibition.

Leaving a verbal prefix attached in a neutral kell construction

• Wrong: Elmenni kell nekem. as the default neutral form for “I must leave.”
• Right: El kell mennem.
• Why: In the usual neutral pattern, the prefix moves before kell, while the infinitive follows it. The attached version can occur under special emphasis, but it is not the basic pattern to learn first.

Mixing an explicit actor with the wrong infinitive ending

• Wrong: A gyerekeknek korán kell lefeküdnie.
• Right: A gyerekeknek korán kell lefeküdniük.
• Why: The plural actor a gyerekeknek requires the third-person-plural personal infinitive ending -niuk/-niük.

Treating lehet, hogy as an infinitive construction

• Wrong: Lehet, hogy esni.
• Right: Lehet, hogy esik.
• Why: After hogy, use a full clause with a finite verb. Use an infinitive only in a different structure, such as Lehet itt várni “It is possible to wait here.”

Translating every English “can” with lehet

• Wrong: Lehet úszni when you specifically mean “I know how to swim.”
• Right: Tudok úszni.
• Why: Lehet concerns possibility or permission. Learned ability is normally expressed with tud plus an infinitive.

Usage Notes

Tilos is concise and official, so it is frequent on signs: Parkolni tilos “No parking.” The infinitive may come before tilos in this sign-like style. Nem szabad is more conversational and flexible; adults use it for regulations, warnings, and advice, while it is also common when telling children what they must not do.

Permission questions vary in tone. Szabad bejönnöm? is a clear, polite “May I come in?” Bejöhetek? uses the potential suffix -hat/-het and is a very common personal way to ask “Can I come in?” Lehet bejönni? is more impersonal and may ask about the rule rather than only the speaker’s permission.

English “should” has no single equivalent here. Kell may be too strong because it expresses necessity. Érdemes works when the action is worthwhile; kellene or colloquial kéne can express what ought to happen. Choose according to meaning rather than translating the English word mechanically.

Word order is influenced by emphasis. The patterns in this article are neutral defaults, not rigid templates. Hungarian may move the action or another element for contrast: Neked kell elmenned means “It is you who must leave.” At B1, first make the neutral patterns automatic; then learn to recognize focused alternatives.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

The modal expressions can refer to other times and degrees of certainty. Kell has the past form kellett: Tegnap dolgoznom kellett “I had to work yesterday.” The conditional kellene—often kéne in informal speech—can soften advice or express an unmet need: Többet kellene pihenned “You should rest more.” A future necessity can be expressed with context or kelleni fog: Erre még szükségünk lesz / Ezt még használnunk kell is often more natural than mechanically building a future form.

For past obligation that was not fulfilled, Hungarian uses a past conditional construction:

• El kellett volna mennem. — I should have left./I ought to have left.
• Nem kellett volna ezt mondanod. — You should not have said this.

Szabadna is a conditional form used in especially tentative permission requests: Szabadna kérdeznem valamit? “Might I ask something?” Past permission is generally expressed analytically, for example Szabad volt bemenni “It was permitted to enter.”

Lehetett means “it was possible/allowed,” while lehetne means “it would be possible” and often introduces a gentle suggestion:

• Tegnap még lehetett jelentkezni. — It was still possible to apply yesterday.
• Lehetne egy kérdésem? — Could I ask a question? (literally, “Could there be a question of mine?”)
• Ezt másképp is meg lehetne oldani. — This could also be solved another way.

Advanced learners should also distinguish these impersonal expressions from the -hat/-het potential form attached directly to a verb. Bemehetek? asks “May I go in?” with the speaker clearly marked. Be lehet menni? asks more impersonally whether going in is possible or allowed. Similarly, Meg tudom csinálni stresses ability (“I am capable of doing it”), while Meg lehet csinálni states that it can be done.

Practice Tips

1. Build five-person chains. Start with mennem kell, then change only the actor: menned kell, mennie kell, mennünk kell, menniük kell. Repeat with a regular infinitive such as olvasni.
2. Sort rules by meaning. For each real-life sign or rule, decide whether Hungarian needs nem kell (unnecessary), nem szabad/tilos (forbidden), or lehet/szabad (allowed). This prevents the most serious meaning error.
3. Practice prefixes as a unit. Turn elmenni, megvenni, and befejezni into el kell mennem, meg kell vennem, and be kell fejeznem. Say the complete pattern aloud rather than memorizing isolated endings.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Infinitive Constructions — introduces Hungarian -ni infinitives and their personal endings.
• Next step: Potential Mood (-hat/-het) — contrasts personal “can/may” forms such as bemehetek with impersonal lehet constructions.
• Further study: Subjectless Constructions — develops broader impersonal uses of kell, szabad, lehet, tilos, and érdemes.