In Hungarian, kell is a very common and useful word that expresses necessity or obligation. It's often translated as 'must' or 'need to' in English.
A key difference from English verbs is that kell doesn't change based on who is doing the 'musting' or 'needing'. Instead, the person or thing that needs to do something is usually indicated with the dative case (ending in -nak/-nek) or by context.
For example, if I need to go, you might say Nekem mennem kell. If you need to eat, it could be Neked enned kell. The verb kell itself remains constant.
It's an essential word for expressing basic needs and requirements in Hungarian.
When using "kell" for obligation or necessity, it doesn't change based on the person doing the action. The person who "must" do something is in the dative case (ending in -nak/-nek, or just the pronoun nekem/neked/neki, etc.). For example, "Nekem kell mennem" means "I must go." The verb that follows "kell" is typically in the infinitive form, often with the personal infinitive ending (-nom, -nod, -nia, etc.) matching the person in the dative case.
It can also be used impersonally, meaning "it is necessary." For instance, "Kell eső" means "Rain is needed." In this case, there's no specific person who needs to do something; it's a general necessity.
Example phrases:
- Nekem kell tanulnom. (I must study. / I need to study.)
- Neked kell segítened. (You must help. / You need to help.)
- Kell egy új autó. (A new car is needed. / We need a new car.)
kell em 30 segundos
- kell expresses necessity
- often translates to 'must' or 'need to'
- used impersonally
§ What 'kell' means
- Hungarian Word
- kell
- Pronunciation
- [kɛll]
- Definition
- Must; need
When you're learning Hungarian, 'kell' is a super important word. It expresses necessity or obligation, similar to 'must' or 'need' in English. The cool thing is, it's pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. It doesn't change based on who needs to do something, which simplifies things a lot compared to English verbs!
§ Basic uses of 'kell'
'Kell' can be used in a few different ways, but the most common is to say that someone 'needs to do something' or 'must do something'.
- When followed by a verb in its infinitive form (-ni ending), it means 'must do' or 'needs to do'.
- When followed by a noun, it means 'something is needed' or 'I need something'.
§ 'Kell' with verbs
This is the most frequent use. You'll use 'kell' and then the verb in its infinitive form. The infinitive form in Hungarian usually ends in '-ni'.
Nekem korán kell kelnem.
- Translation hint
- I need to get up early. (literally: To me early must get up-infinitive)
El kell mennünk.
- Translation hint
- We must go. (literally: Away must go-infinitive-we)
Notice how the 'who' (I, we) is shown by the dative case pronoun (nekem, nekünk) or simply implied by the context. 'Kell' itself stays the same. Very handy!
§ 'Kell' with nouns (for needing things)
You can also use 'kell' to say that you need a particular thing (a noun).
Pénz kell nekem.
- Translation hint
- I need money. (literally: Money needs to me)
Egy kávé kell?
- Translation hint
- Do you need a coffee? (literally: A coffee needs?)
Again, 'kell' doesn't change. The person who needs the item is indicated by the dative pronoun, or it's implied by the question or context.
§ Important grammar points and prepositions
Here are a few more tips to help you master 'kell':
- No subject pronoun before 'kell': In English, we say 'I must go'. In Hungarian, you don't use 'én' (I) directly before 'kell'. Instead, the dative pronoun (nekem) does the job of telling you 'who'.
- Word order: While Hungarian word order is quite flexible, for 'kell' constructions, you'll often see the dative pronoun at the beginning, followed by 'kell', then the infinitive verb or the noun. However, it's not a strict rule.
Holnap kell dolgoznunk.
- Translation hint
- We must work tomorrow. (literally: Tomorrow must work-infinitive-we)
Here, 'nekünk' (to us) is implied by the '-unk' ending on 'dolgozni' (to work), specifically 'dolgoznunk'. This is another way Hungarian handles subjects, by attaching personal suffixes to infinitives when used with 'kell'.
So, to sum it up: 'kell' is your go-to word for expressing necessity. Remember the dative pronouns and the infinitive verb form, and you'll be expressing 'must' and 'need' like a pro in no time!
Expressões idiomáticas
"kell neki"
he/she needs (it)
Kell neki egy új kabát. (He needs a new coat.)
neutral"nem kell"
no need, don't need
Nem kell aggódnod. (You don't need to worry.)
neutral"mit kell csinálni?"
what needs to be done? / what should I do?
Mit kell csinálni, hogy ezt megértsem? (What should I do to understand this?)
neutral"ez nem kell"
I don't want this / this is not necessary
Ez nem kell, köszönöm. (I don't want this, thank you.)
neutral"nem kell mondanod"
you don't have to say / no need to tell me
Nem kell mondanod, tudom. (You don't have to tell me, I know.)
neutral"annyi kell"
that's all that's needed / that's enough
Annyi kell, és kész vagyunk. (That's all that's needed and we're done.)
neutral"neked is kell?"
do you also need it?
Neked is kell menned? (Do you also need to go?)
neutral"kellene"
should, would need (conditional)
Kellene ennünk valamit. (We should eat something.)
neutral"mi kell hozzá?"
what do you need for it? / what does it take?
Mi kell hozzá, hogy sikeres legyél? (What does it take to be successful?)
neutral"kell egy kis idő"
it takes a little time / I need a little time
Kell egy kis idő, mire megérkeznek. (It takes a little time until they arrive.)
neutralTeste-se 18 perguntas
Nekem ___ mennem dolgozni holnap.
In Hungarian, 'kell' means 'must' or 'need to'. Here, it expresses a present necessity.
A gyerekeknek ___ tanulniuk a vizsgára.
The verb 'kell' is impersonal and does not change with the subject. The personal ending (-iuk) is added to the infinitive verb 'tanulni' (tanulniuk).
___ nekünk venni egy új autót?
'Kell' is used here to form a question about necessity.
Nem ___ aggódnod. Minden rendben lesz.
In negative sentences, 'nem kell' means 'don't have to' or 'no need to'.
Mit ___ tennem, hogy jobb legyek?
This question asks what one needs to do. 'Kell' is the correct choice for expressing necessity.
Holnap korán ___ kelnem, mert van egy fontos találkozóm.
'Kell' expresses a future necessity or obligation in this context.
You need to go to the doctor if you don't feel well.
You must learn the words for the exam.
You don't need to worry, everything will be fine.
Read this aloud:
Mit kell tenned ma?
Focus: Mit kell tenned
Você disse:
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Read this aloud:
Sietned kell, hogy elérd a buszt.
Focus: Sietned kell
Você disse:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Nem kell dolgoznod holnap.
Focus: Nem kell dolgoznod
Você disse:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Melyik mondat fejezi ki, hogy valakinek szüksége van valamire, de nem feltétlenül kötelező?
A 'kell' ige használható szükséglet kifejezésére (valamire 'szükség van'), és nem csak kötelezettségre. Itt a cipőre való igényt jelenti.
Válaszd ki azt a mondatot, amelyik a 'kell' ige használatával a leginkább egy sürgős kötelezettséget fejez ki!
Az 'azonnal' szóval együtt a 'kell' ige itt egy nagyon sürgős és elengedhetetlen feladatot jelöl.
Melyik mondatban van helytelenül használva a 'kell' ige?
A 'kell' ige nem használható időtartam kifejezésére, mint például 'két napig kell tölteni'. Helyesen: 'A telefont két napig kell tölteni.' vagy 'Két napig kell tölteni a telefont.' (ha a tárgy már előtte említve van). Itt a 'tölteni' igével együtt kellene állnia, de a mondat szerkezete nem megfelelő. Az első mondat helyes, de archaikusabb, ritkábban használt forma.
A 'Nem kell dolgoznom ma' mondat azt jelenti, hogy 'Nem szabad ma dolgoznom'.
A 'Nem kell dolgoznom ma' azt jelenti, hogy 'Nincs szükségem rá, hogy ma dolgozzam', vagy 'Nem kötelező ma dolgoznom'. A 'Nem szabad ma dolgoznom' tiltást fejez ki.
A 'kell' ige után az igét mindig főnévi igenévként (infinitívusz) használjuk (pl. menni, enni, olvasni).
Igen, a 'kell' ige után az ige mindig főnévi igenév alakban áll, például: 'Kell mennem', 'Kell enni', 'Kell olvasni'.
A 'kell' ige mindig személytelen, azaz nincs alanya.
Bár gyakran személytelenül használatos ('Kell menni'), de lehet alanya is, mint például: 'Nekem kell mennem' (én vagyok az alany) vagy 'Anna kell, hogy jöjjön' (Anna az alany).
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Summary
Kell is a fundamental Hungarian verb meaning 'must' or 'need to,' expressing necessity or obligation.
- kell expresses necessity
- often translates to 'must' or 'need to'
- used impersonally
