Participles in Hungarian

Overview

Hungarian has three types of participles that bridge verbs and adjectives/nouns: the present participle (-ó/-ő), the past participle (-t/-tt used adjectivally), and the future participle (-andó/-endő). Each converts a verb into an adjective-like form that can modify nouns, and each has distinct uses and nuances.

At the CEFR B2 level, mastering participles significantly enriches expression by allowing compact, literary constructions that would otherwise require full relative clauses. Participles are especially common in formal and written Hungarian.

The present participle describes an ongoing action, the past participle describes a completed state, and the future participle expresses obligation or necessity (something that should/must be done).

How It Works

Present Participle: -ó/-ő

Formed from the third person singular indefinite stem + -ó (back) / -ő (front):

Verb	Participle	English	Example
olvas (read)	olvasó	reading	olvasó ember (a reading person)
repül (fly)	repülő	flying	repülő gép (flying machine = airplane)
ír (write)	író	writing	író ember / író (writer)
tanít (teach)	tanító	teaching	tanító (elementary teacher)

Past Participle: -t/-tt (as adjective)

Uses the same form as the past tense third person singular:

Verb	Participle	English	Example
ír (write)	írt	written	írt levél (a written letter)
főz (cook)	főzött	cooked	főzött étel (cooked food)
zár (close)	zárt	closed	zárt ajtó (a closed door)
nyit (open)	nyitott	opened	nyitott ablak (an open window)

Future Participle: -andó/-endő

Expresses obligation or necessity (to be done):

Verb	Participle	English	Example
old (solve)	megoldandó	to be solved	megoldandó feladat (a task to be solved)
fizet (pay)	fizetendő	to be paid	fizetendő összeg (amount to be paid)
elvégz (complete)	elvégzendő	to be completed	elvégzendő munka (work to be completed)

Participles as Nouns

Many participles have become independent nouns:

Participle	As noun	English
olvasó	az olvasó	the reader
tanító	a tanító	the (primary) teacher
író	az író	the writer
repülő	a repülő	the airplane

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
olvasó ember	a reading person	present
írt levél	a written letter	past
megoldandó feladat	a task to be solved	future/obligation
repülő gép	a flying machine (airplane)	present, lexicalized
zárt ajtó	a closed door	past, state
fizetendő összeg	amount to be paid	future/obligation
a tanuló diák	the studying student	present
főzött étel	cooked food	past
elolvasandó könyv	a book to be read	future/obligation
az érkező vonat	the arriving train	present

Common Mistakes

Confusing present and past participle

• Wrong: írt ember (a written person?)
• Right: író ember (a writing person)
• Why: Present participle (-ó/-ő) describes the doer of an ongoing action; past participle (-t/-tt) describes the result of a completed action on the noun.

Using future participle informally

• Wrong: Using -andó/-endő in casual speech
• Right: Reserve it for formal/written contexts
• Why: The future participle is largely restricted to official, academic, and legal language. Casual speech prefers paraphrase.

Wrong vowel harmony on present participle

• Wrong: olvaső (reading)
• Right: olvasó
• Why: Olvas has back vowels, requiring -ó (not -ő).

Usage Notes

Present participles are among the most productive word-forming mechanisms in Hungarian. Many common nouns originated as participles: repülő (airplane, from "flying"), építő (builder, from "building"), tanító (teacher, from "teaching").

The future participle (-andó/-endő) is rare in speech but common in official documents: befizetendő összeg (amount to be paid in), elvégzendő feladat (task to be completed).

Practice Tips

• Take ten common verbs and form all three participles. Use each in a noun phrase.
• Identify which participles have become common nouns in their own right.
• Practice replacing relative clauses with participles: az ember, aki olvas → az olvasó ember.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Past Tense — past participle uses the same form
• Next steps: Adverbial Participle — participles modifying verbs