The infinitive
The Hungarian infinitive ends in -ni — the to X form:
- fut → futni (to run) · olvas → olvasni (to read) · lefordít → lefordítani (to translate)
Verbs whose stem ends in two consonants or a long vowel + t insert a linking vowel: ért → érteni, tanít → tanítani, mond → mondani.
With auxiliaries
Section titled “With auxiliaries”The infinitive pairs with helper verbs — the same pattern as the future with fog:
- akar (wants): El akarok menni. — I want to leave.
- tud (can): Nem tudok úszni. — I can’t swim.
- szeret (likes) / szeretne (would like): Szeretek olvasni. — I like reading. · Szeretnék kérdezni valamit. — I’d like to ask something.
- próbál (tries): Próbálom megérteni. — I’m trying to understand it.
Note the coverb behavior: neutral sentences sandwich the auxiliary (El akarok menni), focus/negation pushes the coverb back (Nem akarok elmenni).
The conjugated infinitive
Section titled “The conjugated infinitive”With impersonal predicates — kell (must), szabad (allowed), lehet (possible), sikerül (succeeds) — the infinitive itself takes personal endings to say who:
| Pronoun | látni → |
|---|---|
| én | látnom |
| te | látnod |
| ő | látnia |
| mi | látnunk |
| ti | látnotok |
| ők | látniuk |
Látnom kell!
I have to see it!
Mennem kell.
I have to go.
Nem szabad dohányoznod itt.
You're not allowed to smoke here.
The dative pronoun can double it for clarity or emphasis: Nekem kell megcsinálnom? — Do I have to do it? In casual speech the plain infinitive also occurs (Mennem kell → Mennem kell / colloquially El kell menjek in some regions) — recognize, don’t imitate yet.
szokott — habits
Section titled “szokott — habits”A past-tense-only verb expressing present habit, always with an infinitive:
Reggelente kávét szoktam inni.
I usually drink coffee in the mornings.
Szoktál sportolni?
Do you (habitually) do sports?
See also: expressing need builds on the conjugated infinitive.