B2 Verb Forms 1 min read ふつう

Assimilation of the -j Suffix

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

When a verb stem ends in s, sz, z, or dz, the suffix -j assimilates, turning into a double consonant.

  • If the stem ends in 's', the 'j' becomes 'ss' (e.g., mos + j -> mosson).
  • If the stem ends in 'sz', the 'j' becomes 'ssz' (e.g., olvas + j -> olvasson).
  • If the stem ends in 'z', the 'j' becomes 'zz' (e.g., néz + j -> nézzen).
Stem (s/sz/z/dz) + j ➔ Stem + (ss/ssz/zz/ddz)

Imperative Assimilation Table

Stem Ending Result Example
mos
j
ss
mosson
olvas
j
ssz
olvasson
néz
j
zz
nézzen
húz
j
zz
húzzon
választ
j
ssz
válasszon
edz
j
ddz
edzzen

Meanings

This rule describes the phonological change that occurs when the imperative or subjunctive marker '-j' is attached to verb stems ending in sibilants or affricates.

1

Imperative/Subjunctive

Used to express commands, requests, or wishes.

“Olvasson egy könyvet!”

“Nézze meg a filmet!”

Reference Table

Reference table for Assimilation of the -j Suffix
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Stem + doubled consonant
Olvasson!
Negative
Ne + Stem + doubled consonant
Ne olvasson!
Question
Stem + doubled consonant + ?
Olvasson?
Short Answer
Igen/Nem + verb
Igen, olvasson.
1st Person
Stem + -junk/-jünk
Mossunk!
2nd Person
Stem + -j/-jál
Moss!
3rd Person
Stem + -jon/-jen
Mosson!

フォーマル度スペクトル

フォーマル
Mossa el az edényeket.

Mossa el az edényeket. (Kitchen)

ニュートラル
Mossa el az edényeket.

Mossa el az edényeket. (Kitchen)

カジュアル
Mosd el az edényeket.

Mosd el az edényeket. (Kitchen)

スラング
Mosd már el a cuccot!

Mosd már el a cuccot! (Kitchen)

The Sibilant Assimilation Map

Stem Ending

Sibilants

  • s ss
  • sz ssz
  • z zz

Assimilation vs. Non-Assimilation

Sibilant Stem
mos wash
Non-Sibilant Stem
ír write

Do I double the consonant?

1

Does the stem end in s, sz, z, or dz?

YES
Double the consonant
NO
Add -j

レベル別の例文

1

Mossa meg a kezét!

Wash your hands!

2

Olvasson egy könyvet.

Read a book.

3

Nézze meg ezt!

Look at this!

4

Húzza ki a széket.

Pull out the chair.

1

Ne mossa ki a ruhát!

Don't wash the clothes!

2

Kérdezze meg a tanárt.

Ask the teacher.

3

Válasszon egy színt.

Choose a color.

4

Húzza meg a kötelet.

Pull the rope.

1

Azt szeretném, hogy olvasson többet.

I would like him to read more.

2

Nézze meg a dokumentumot, mielőtt aláírja.

Look at the document before you sign it.

3

Válasszon olyan megoldást, ami mindenkinek jó.

Choose a solution that is good for everyone.

4

Ne kérdezze meg, mi történt.

Don't ask what happened.

1

A főnök azt kérte, hogy mindenki nézze át a jelentést.

The boss asked everyone to review the report.

2

Fontos, hogy mindenki válasszon egy témát a prezentációhoz.

It is important that everyone chooses a topic for the presentation.

3

Húzza meg a csavart, de ne túl erősen.

Tighten the screw, but not too hard.

4

A szabály az, hogy mindenki mossa el a saját tányérányát.

The rule is that everyone must wash their own dishes.

1

Bár ne kérdezze meg, mégis elmondom.

Even if you don't ask, I will tell you.

2

Válasszon bölcsen, mert a döntés végleges.

Choose wisely, because the decision is final.

3

Nézze el nekem ezt a hibát.

Forgive me for this mistake.

4

Húzza meg a határt a munka és a magánélet között.

Draw the line between work and private life.

1

A törvény előírja, hogy mindenki mossa le a járművét.

The law mandates that everyone wash their vehicle.

2

Válasszon olyan utat, amely a legkevésbé kockázatos.

Choose a path that is the least risky.

3

Nézze át a részleteket, mielőtt ítéletet mond.

Review the details before passing judgment.

4

Húzza meg a vészféket, ha veszélyt észlel.

Pull the emergency brake if you detect danger.

間違えやすい

Assimilation of the -j Suffix Causative -at/-et

Learners confuse the causative suffix with the imperative suffix.

Assimilation of the -j Suffix Plural Imperative -junk/-jünk

Learners try to double the consonant in the 1st person plural.

Assimilation of the -j Suffix Standard Imperative

Learners double consonants for verbs that don't end in sibilants.

よくある間違い

mosjon

mosson

Failed to assimilate sibilant.

nézjon

nézzen

Failed to assimilate z.

olvasjon

olvasson

Failed to assimilate sz.

húzjon

húzzon

Failed to assimilate z.

választjon

válasszon

Incorrectly kept j after st.

edzjon

edzzen

Failed to assimilate dz.

mossonn

mosson

Over-doubled the consonant.

olvasszon

olvasson

Mixed up s and sz.

nézzon

nézzen

Used wrong vowel in suffix.

húzzjon

húzzon

Added j after doubling.

választasson

válasszon

Confused causative with imperative.

nézzenek

nézzenek

Correct, but failed to apply to plural.

olvassanak

olvassanak

Vowel harmony error.

moszson

mosson

Incorrect sibilant choice.

文型パターン

___ meg a ___!

Ne ___ meg a ___!

Fontos, hogy mindenki ___ a ___.

A főnök azt kérte, hogy ___ a ___.

Real World Usage

Social Media common

Nézze meg a legújabb videónkat!

Texting very common

Olvasd el a linket.

Job Interview common

Válasszon egyet a lehetőségek közül.

Travel common

Húzza meg a bőröndöt.

Food Delivery occasional

Kérdezze meg a futárt.

Office constant

Nézze át a dokumentumot.

💡

Listen for the length

When you hear a native speaker, listen to how long they hold the consonant. That's the assimilation.
⚠️

Don't over-double

Only double the final consonant of the stem. Don't add an extra 'j' afterwards.
🎯

Check the stem

Always identify the stem first. If it doesn't end in a sibilant, don't use this rule.
💬

Politeness matters

In Hungarian, the 3rd person imperative is very polite. Use it for requests.

Smart Tips

Double the 's' instead of adding 'j'.

mos + j mosson

Double the 'sz' to 'ssz'.

olvas + j olvasson

Double the 'z' to 'zz'.

néz + j nézzen

Double the 'dz' to 'ddz'.

edz + j edzzen

発音

mos-son

Gemination

Hold the consonant sound for twice as long as a single consonant.

ol-vas-son

Sibilant clarity

Ensure the s/sz/z sounds are distinct before doubling.

Commanding

Mossa! ↘

Falling intonation for a firm command.

Polite Request

Mossa? ↗

Rising intonation for a polite question.

暗記しよう

記憶術

Sibilants are 'hissing' sounds. When they meet the 'j', they get angry and double up to push it away.

視覚的連想

Imagine a snake (s) hissing at a letter 'j'. The snake gets so big and angry that it turns into two snakes (ss).

Rhyme

When the stem ends in a hiss, double the consonant, don't miss!

Story

Imagine a chef named 'Mos'. He is washing dishes. He tries to add a 'j' to his name, but the 's' is too strong. The 'j' disappears, and now there are two 's's. He is now 'Mosson' the dishwasher.

Word Web

mossonolvassonnézzenhúzzonválasszonedzzen

チャレンジ

Write down 5 verbs ending in 'z' and conjugate them in the 3rd person imperative in 60 seconds.

文化メモ

People often use the imperative for polite suggestions in cafes.

More formal address is common, so the 3rd person imperative is used frequently.

The imperative is often shortened or used with particles.

The imperative -j suffix is a Proto-Uralic inheritance, while the assimilation is a later development in Hungarian phonology.

会話のきっかけ

Mit olvasson a gyerek?

Melyik filmet nézze meg a vendég?

Hogyan válasszon a főnök?

Miért húzza meg a csavart?

日記のテーマ

Write a list of 5 things your boss should do today.
Describe a situation where you had to give instructions to someone.
Write a formal letter of complaint using imperative forms.
Discuss the importance of clear instructions in a professional setting.

よくある間違い

Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解

Test Yourself

Fill in the correct imperative form.

A gyerek (mos) ___ meg a kezét.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mosson
Sibilant 's' requires doubling.
Choose the correct form. 選択問題

___ meg a könyvet!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Olvasson
Sibilant 'sz' requires doubling.
Correct the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Nézjon meg a filmet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nézzen
Sibilant 'z' requires doubling.
Transform to imperative. Sentence Transformation

Ő választ egyet. (Imperative)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Válasszon egyet.
Sibilant 'st' requires doubling.
Match the verb to its imperative. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mosson, nézzen, olvasson
Correct assimilation for each.
Choose the correct negative form. 選択問題

Ne ___ meg a csavart!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: húzzon
Sibilant 'z' requires doubling.
Fill in the correct form.

A tanár azt kéri, hogy mindenki ___ ki a feladatot.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: edzzen
Sibilant 'dz' requires doubling.
Correct the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Ne mossonn meg a ruhát.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ne mossa meg
Wait, 'mossa' is the correct form for 'mos'.

Score: /8

練習問題

8 exercises
Fill in the correct imperative form.

A gyerek (mos) ___ meg a kezét.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mosson
Sibilant 's' requires doubling.
Choose the correct form. 選択問題

___ meg a könyvet!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Olvasson
Sibilant 'sz' requires doubling.
Correct the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Nézjon meg a filmet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nézzen
Sibilant 'z' requires doubling.
Transform to imperative. Sentence Transformation

Ő választ egyet. (Imperative)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Válasszon egyet.
Sibilant 'st' requires doubling.
Match the verb to its imperative. Match Pairs

Match: mos, néz, olvas

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mosson, nézzen, olvasson
Correct assimilation for each.
Choose the correct negative form. 選択問題

Ne ___ meg a csavart!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: húzzon
Sibilant 'z' requires doubling.
Fill in the correct form.

A tanár azt kéri, hogy mindenki ___ ki a feladatot.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: edzzen
Sibilant 'dz' requires doubling.
Correct the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Ne mossonn meg a ruhát.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ne mossa meg
Wait, 'mossa' is the correct form for 'mos'.

Score: /8

よくある質問 (8)

It assimilates into the preceding consonant to avoid awkward clusters.

No, only those ending in s, sz, z, or dz.

No, it is mandatory for correct Hungarian.

Check the last letter of the stem.

Yes, it is standard in all registers.

All 's' endings in Hungarian are sibilants.

No, they are different grammatical structures.

Conjugate sibilant-ending verbs in the imperative.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

German low

Imperative forms

Hungarian uses gemination; German uses inflectional endings.

Spanish low

Imperative (Mandato)

Spanish uses vowel changes; Hungarian uses consonant assimilation.

French low

Impératif

French relies on pronoun placement; Hungarian relies on stem-final phonology.

Japanese low

Imperative (Meireikei)

Japanese is agglutinative but uses vowel shifts; Hungarian uses consonant gemination.

Arabic low

Imperative (Amr)

Arabic uses root-pattern morphology; Hungarian uses suffixation.

Chinese none

Imperative (Commands)

Chinese is analytic; Hungarian is agglutinative.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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