المعنى
Asking for identification of a person.
خلفية ثقافية
In apartment buildings, people often use the intercom (kaputelefon). When the buzzer rings, you pick up the phone and say 'Halló, ki az?' or simply 'Igen?'. In villages, 'Ki az?' is often shouted from a window or across a fence. It's a way of monitoring the neighborhood and starting a conversation. When knocking on an office door, 'Ki az?' is a standard prompt for the visitor to identify themselves before being told 'Szabad!' (Come in). During the socialist era, 'Ki az?' was a phrase of caution. Today, it is used more casually, but the habit of identifying visitors through the door remains.
The 'Key' Rule
Always use 'Ki' for people. Think of a 'Key' opening a door to a person.
No 'Van'
Don't say 'Ki az van?'. The verb 'is' is invisible in Hungarian for this phrase.
المعنى
Asking for identification of a person.
The 'Key' Rule
Always use 'Ki' for people. Think of a 'Key' opening a door to a person.
No 'Van'
Don't say 'Ki az van?'. The verb 'is' is invisible in Hungarian for this phrase.
Pluralize Both
If you see two people, don't forget to change both words: 'Kik azok?'.
Intonation Matters
Rise the pitch on the word 'Ki' to make it sound like a natural question.
اختبر نفسك
Fill in the missing word to ask 'Who is that?'
___ az?
'Ki' is used for people, 'Mi' for things.
Which phrase is correct for asking about a group of people?
Asking about multiple people:
Both 'Ki' and 'az' must be pluralized to 'Kik' and 'azok'.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: Someone knocks on your door.
'Ki az?' is the standard response to a knock.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kopp-kopp! B: ___ A: Én vagyok, Anna.
This is the most natural way to ask who is knocking.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
بنك التمارين
4 تمارين___ az?
'Ki' is used for people, 'Mi' for things.
Asking about multiple people:
Both 'Ki' and 'az' must be pluralized to 'Kik' and 'azok'.
Situation: Someone knocks on your door.
'Ki az?' is the standard response to a knock.
A: Kopp-kopp! B: ___ A: Én vagyok, Anna.
This is the most natural way to ask who is knocking.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةUsually no. For animals, Hungarians use 'Mi az?' (What is it?), unless the pet is treated very much like a person, then 'Ki az?' might be used jokingly.
No, it is neutral. However, shouting it very loudly through a door might sound a bit aggressive. A calm tone makes it perfectly polite.
'Ki az?' refers to someone further away or behind a door. 'Ki ez?' refers to someone right next to you or in a photo you are holding.
You can say '[Your Name] vagyok' (I am [Name]) or 'Én vagyok' (It's me).
Hungarian uses a zero-copula in the 3rd person singular present tense for definitions and identifications.
It's mostly a spoken phrase. In a letter, you would use more specific language like 'Ki az az illető, akiről szó van?' (Who is the individual in question?).
Always use a question mark in writing to indicate the rising intonation.
If you hear a noise and aren't sure, 'Mi az?' is safer. If you suspect it's a person, use 'Ki az?'.
No. Hungarian has no grammatical gender. 'Ki az?' works for men, women, and non-binary individuals.
In the past tense, you MUST use the verb: 'Ki volt az?'.
عبارات ذات صلة
Ki ez?
similarWho is this?
Mi az?
contrastWhat is it?
Kik azok?
builds onWho are they?
Ki beszél?
specialized formWho is speaking?
Kicsoda?
similarWho exactly?
