Relative Clauses in Hungarian

Vonatkozó Mellékmondatok

This article is part of the Hungarian grammar tree on Settemila Lingue.

Overview

Relative clauses in Hungarian use a set of relative pronouns that systematically correspond to their antecedents: aki (who, for people), ami (which, for things), ahol (where), amikor (when), and ahogy (how). A distinctive feature of Hungarian relative clauses is the correlative pronoun system — the main clause often contains a demonstrative pronoun (az, azt, ott) that "previews" the relative clause.

At the CEFR B1 level, learners should master the basic relative pronouns, understand the correlative structure, and know that relative pronouns take case suffixes just like nouns. Hungarian relative clauses are always separated from the main clause by a comma.

The system is logical and regular, but the correlative pronoun requirement is unfamiliar to English speakers and requires conscious practice.

How It Works

Basic Relative Pronouns

Pronoun	Used for	Example
aki	people	Az ember, aki jön. (The person who is coming.)
ami	things	A könyv, amit olvasok. (The book that I'm reading.)
ahol	place	A ház, ahol lakom. (The house where I live.)
amikor	time	A nap, amikor jöttél. (The day when you came.)
ahogy	manner	Ahogy mondtam... (As I said...)

Correlative Pronoun System

The main clause contains a demonstrative that points to the relative clause:

With correlative	Without	English
Az a könyv, amit keresek.	A könyv, amit keresek.	The book (that) I'm looking for.
Ott lakom, ahol te.	—	I live where you do.
Azt csinálom, amit akarok.	—	I do what I want.

Case on Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns take the case required by their role in the relative clause:

Role in clause	Form	Example
Subject	aki/ami	Az ember, aki jön.
Object (ACC)	akit/amit	Az ember, akit látok.
Dative	akinek/aminek	Az ember, akinek adtam.
With (INST)	akivel/amivel	Az ember, akivel beszéltem.
In (INESS)	akiben/amiben	A ház, amiben lakom.

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
Az ember, aki jön.	The person who is coming.	subject relative
A könyv, amit olvasok.	The book (that) I'm reading.	object relative
A ház, ahol lakom.	The house where I live.	place relative
Az a könyv, amit keresek.	That's the book I'm looking for.	with correlative
Akivel beszéltem, ő tudja.	The one I spoke with, he knows.	instrumental relative
Amit mondtál, igaz.	What you said is true.	free relative
A nap, amikor megérkeztél.	The day when you arrived.	temporal relative
Az ember, akinek adtam.	The person to whom I gave it.	dative relative
Ahogy mondtam...	As I said...	manner relative
Azt csinálom, amit akarok.	I do what I want.	correlative + relative

Common Mistakes

Using aki for things

Wrong: *A könyv, akit olvasok.*
Right: *A könyv, amit olvasok.*
Why: Aki is exclusively for people. Things use ami.

Forgetting the case on the relative pronoun

Wrong: Az ember, aki látok. (the person who I see)
Right: Az ember, akit látok.
Why: The relative pronoun must carry the case it has within the relative clause. Here it's the object (accusative), so akit.

Omitting the comma

Wrong: Az ember aki jön
Right: Az ember, aki jön.
Why: Hungarian always separates relative clauses with a comma.

Forgetting correlative pronouns

Wrong: Keresem, amit mondtál. (can be correct but sometimes incomplete)
Right: Azt keresem, amit mondtál. (I'm looking for what you said.)
Why: The correlative (azt) makes the sentence structure explicit. While sometimes optional, it is preferred for clarity.

Usage Notes

The correlative system (az...aki, azt...amit, ott...ahol) is a core feature of Hungarian clause linking. It is particularly important in sentences where the relative clause is not adjacent to its antecedent.

In casual speech, amelyik (which one) is sometimes replaced by ami for things, though amelyik is more precise.

Practice Tips

Practice transforming two simple sentences into a relative clause: Látom az embert. Az ember jön. → Látom az embert, aki jön.
Drill case forms of relative pronouns: aki, akit, akinek, akivel, akiben, akiről, akihez.
Practice with correlatives: Az(t)..., ami(t)... patterns.