Passive-like Constructions in Hungarian

Overview

Hungarian does not have a productive passive voice like English. Instead, it uses several passive-like strategies to achieve similar communicative effects: backgrounding the agent, focusing on the patient, or expressing actions without specifying who performed them. At the CEFR B2 level, understanding these alternatives is essential for reading formal texts and producing natural Hungarian.

The three main strategies are: using third person plural with indefinite agent (Megépítették a házat — They built the house / The house was built), reflexive-passive verbs in -ódik/-ődik (Az ajtó kinyílt — The door opened), and -ható/-hető adjectives (olvasható — readable). Each serves a different communicative purpose.

How It Works

Strategy 1: Third Person Plural (Indefinite Agent)

The most common passive equivalent — use third person plural when the agent is unknown or unimportant:

Hungarian	English equivalent
Megépítették a házat.	The house was built.
Ellopták a táskámat.	My bag was stolen.
Itt beszélik ezt.	This is spoken here.

Strategy 2: Reflexive-Passive (-ódik/-ődik)

Verbs with this suffix indicate the action happens to the subject without an external agent:

Active	Reflexive-passive	English
nyit (open)	nyílik	opens (by itself)
old (solve)	oldódik	resolves (itself)
tölt (fill)	töltődik	fills up
zár (close)	záródik	closes (by itself)

Hungarian	English
Az ajtó kinyílt.	The door opened.
A feladat megoldódott.	The problem resolved itself.
A pohár megtöltődött.	The glass filled up.

Strategy 3: -ható/-hető (Can Be Done)

Hungarian	English
Ez a könyv olvasható.	This book is readable.
A feladat megoldható.	The task is solvable.
A víz nem iható.	The water is not drinkable.

Strategy 4: Van + -va/-ve (Resulting State)

Hungarian	English
A levél meg van írva.	The letter is written.
Az ajtó be van zárva.	The door is closed.
Ki van kapcsolva.	It is switched off.

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
Megépítették a házat.	The house was built.	3rd plural
Az ajtó kinyílt.	The door opened.	reflexive
Ez a könyv olvasható.	This book is readable.	-ható adjective
A feladat megoldódott.	The problem resolved itself.	reflexive
Ellopták a táskámat.	My bag was stolen.	3rd plural
Meg van csinálva.	It is done.	van + -va/-ve
A víz nem iható.	The water isn't drinkable.	-ható negative
Itt nem beszélik ezt a nyelvet.	This language isn't spoken here.	3rd plural
Az ablak betörődött.	The window broke.	reflexive
Le van írva.	It is written down.	resulting state

Common Mistakes

Trying to form a passive with van + past participle

• Wrong: A ház van épített. (calque from English "is built")
• Right: A ház meg van építve. or Megépítették a házat.
• Why: Hungarian does not form passives the English way. Use one of the four strategies instead.

Using -ódik/-ődik with human agents

• Wrong: A könyv olvasódik Péter által.
• Right: Péter olvassa a könyvet. or Olvassák a könyvet.
• Why: Reflexive-passive forms imply spontaneous or natural processes, not specific human agents.

Overusing the 3rd plural strategy

• Wrong: Using megcsinálták for every passive need
• Right: Choose the appropriate strategy based on context
• Why: Each strategy has different implications: 3rd plural implies someone did it; -ódik implies it happened naturally; -ható implies capability.

Usage Notes

The third person plural strategy is the most versatile and common. It is used in news, conversation, and formal writing. The agent is simply not mentioned: Ellopták az autót. (The car was stolen.) — by whom is unspecified.

The van + -va/-ve construction is very common for describing states: Be van zárva (It is closed), Meg van oldva (It is solved). While some purists discourage it, it is universal in speech.

Practice Tips

• Transform active sentences to passive-like: Péter megépítette a házat. → Megépítették a házat. → A ház meg van építve.
• Practice -ódik/-ődik verbs: nyílik, záródik, töltődik, oldódik.
• Create -ható/-hető adjectives from common verbs: olvasható, ehető, iható, látható.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Past Tense — third person plural past is the main passive strategy