When you're asking about a person, you use ki. It's like the English word "who."
For example, if someone knocks on the door, you might ask Ki az? which means "Who is that?"
It's important to remember that ki is only for people. You wouldn't use it to ask about objects.
When asking Ki? (Who?) in Hungarian, you're usually asking about a single person. For example, if you hear a knock on the door, you might ask Ki az? (Who is that?) If you want to ask about more than one person, you'd say Kik? (Who? - plural). Hungarian distinguishes between singular and plural when asking "who." This is an important distinction to remember as you progress in your Hungarian learning journey. Pay attention to the singular and plural forms of questions to ensure your grammar is correct.
§ Understanding 'Ki'
Alright, let's talk about 'ki'. It's a fundamental word in Hungarian, and it simply means 'who'. You'll use it all the time to ask about people. It's an A1 word, so it's one of the first you should master.
- DEFINITION
- Ki (noun): Who
§ Basic Questions with 'Ki'
The simplest way to use 'ki' is to ask 'Who is this?' or 'Who is that?'.
Ki ez?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- Who is this?
Ki az?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- Who is that?
You can also use it to ask about someone's identity in a more general sense.
Ki ő?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- Who is he/she?
§ 'Ki' with Verbs
When you use 'ki' with a verb, it often comes before the verb, just like in English. However, remember Hungarian word order can be flexible for emphasis, but this is a good starting point.
Ki jön?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- Who is coming?
Ki várja?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- Who is waiting for it/him/her?
§ 'Kit' - The Accusative Case
Here's where Hungarian gets a bit trickier, but it's essential. When 'who' is the direct object of a verb, it takes the accusative suffix '-t'. So, 'ki' becomes 'kit'. Think of it as 'whom' in English, though 'whom' isn't used as much anymore.
- DEFINITION
- Kit: Whom (direct object)
Kit látsz?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- Whom do you see? / Who do you see?
Kit szeretsz?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- Whom do you love? / Who do you love?
§ 'Kinek' - The Dative Case
When 'who' is the indirect object, meaning 'to whom' or 'for whom', it takes the dative suffix '-nek'. So, 'ki' becomes 'kinek'.
- DEFINITION
- Kinek: To whom / For whom
Kinek adtad?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- To whom did you give it?
Kinek veszed ezt?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- For whom are you buying this?
§ Other Forms of 'Ki'
Hungarian has many case endings. Here are a few more common ones you might encounter with 'ki':
- Kivel? (With whom?) - 'ki' + '-vel' (instrumental/comitative)
Kivel mész?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- With whom are you going?
- Kiről? (About whom?) - 'ki' + '-ről' (delative)
Kiről beszélsz?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- About whom are you talking?
- Kihez? (To whom? - direction) - 'ki' + '-hez' (allative)
Kihez mentél?
- TRANSLATION HINT
- To whom did you go?
§ Summary of 'Ki' Forms
Here's a quick overview of the essential forms:
- Ki: Who (subject)
- Kit: Whom (direct object)
- Kinek: To whom, For whom (indirect object)
As you progress, you'll encounter more endings, but these three are your foundation. Keep practicing, and you'll get the hang of it!
Exemplos por nível
Ki van ott?
Who is there?
Ki a kedvenc énekesed?
Who is your favorite singer?
Nem tudom, ki hívott.
I don't know who called.
Ki fog segíteni nekem?
Who will help me?
Ki jön velünk a moziba?
Who is coming with us to the cinema?
Kérdezd meg, ki a tulajdonos.
Ask who the owner is.
Ki mondta ezt?
Who said this?
Ez a gyerek, ki tegnap eltévedt.
This is the child who got lost yesterday.
Colocações comuns
Frases Comuns
Ki vagy te?
Who are you?
Ki ő?
Who is he/she?
Ki az?
Who is that?
Ki jön?
Who is coming?
Kivel mész?
Who are you going with?
Ki tudja?
Who knows?
Ki volt ott?
Who was there?
Ki segít?
Who helps?
Ki beszél?
Who is talking?
Kinek adtad?
Who did you give it to?
Padrões gramaticais
Padrões de frases
Ki a ____?
Ki a tanár? (Who is the teacher?)
Ki az? (singular)
Ki az? (Who is that?)
Kik azok? (plural)
Kik azok? (Who are those?)
Ki vagy te?
Ki vagy te? (Who are you?)
Ki ő?
Ki ő? (Who is he/she?)
Ki a barátod?
Ki a barátod? (Who is your friend?)
Ki az új diák?
Ki az új diák? (Who is the new student?)
Ki jön velünk?
Ki jön velünk? (Who is coming with us?)
Dicas
Basic question word
Ki is the most common way to ask 'Who?' in Hungarian. Think of it as a direct equivalent to the English word.
Subject of a sentence
When 'ki' is the subject of the sentence, it stands alone. For example, 'Ki van ott?' means 'Who is there?'
No plural form for 'ki'
Unlike English 'who' which can sometimes imply plural, 'ki' itself does not change for plural. If you want to ask 'Who all?' you might use 'Kik?' but that's a different form for later.
Use with verbs
You'll often hear 'ki' directly before a verb. For instance, 'Ki jön?' means 'Who is coming?'
Distinguish from 'mi'
Make sure not to confuse 'ki' (who) with 'mi' (what). This is a common beginner mistake. Practice using both.
Formal vs. informal
In Hungarian, there isn't a direct formal/informal equivalent of 'ki' like there might be for 'you'. 'Ki' works in all situations.
Pronunciation tip
The 'i' in 'ki' is pronounced like the 'ee' in 'see'. It's a short, clear sound.
Answer with a name
If someone asks 'Ki az?', (Who is that?) you can simply answer with a name, e.g., 'Péter'.
Practice asking questions
A great way to learn 'ki' is to practice asking simple questions about people you know. 'Ki ő?' (Who is he/she?).
Listen for 'ki'
When listening to Hungarian, pay attention to when native speakers use 'ki'. You'll notice it's very frequent in conversations.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Think of a 'key' (ki) that unlocks the answer to 'who' is there. Key sounds like ki.
Associação visual
Imagine a detective holding a magnifying glass, asking 'Ki?' (Who?) as they look for clues. The magnifying glass is shaped like the letter 'K' and the detective's eye looks like 'i'.
Word Web
Desafio
Try to identify people around you and ask 'Ki az?' (Who is that?) or 'Ki van ott?' (Who is there?) when you hear a sound or see someone new.
Teste-se 18 perguntas
A csoportban ___ a legmagasabb?
Here, 'ki' is used as the subject asking about who is the tallest.
Nem tudom, ___ jön el a buliba.
'Ki' is the correct form to ask 'who' is coming to the party.
___ volt az, aki tegnap felhívott?
This sentence asks 'who' called yesterday, so 'ki' is appropriate.
A szobában ___ ül az asztalnál?
Here, we're asking 'who' is sitting at the table, requiring 'ki'.
___ a kedvenc énekesed?
To ask 'who' is your favorite singer, 'ki' is the correct interrogative pronoun.
A filmben ___ a főszereplő?
This question asks 'who' is the main character, so 'ki' is the correct choice.
Imagine you are at a networking event in Budapest. You meet a new person and want to find out more about them. Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) introducing yourself and asking questions to get to know them better, specifically focusing on who they are and what they do. Use 'ki' and related question words appropriately.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Szia! Én Anna vagyok, és nagyon örülök, hogy megismerhetlek. Te ki vagy, és mivel foglalkozol? Honnan jöttél ide? Remélem, jól érzed magad az eseményen.
You are organizing a surprise birthday party for a friend. Write an email to another friend, asking for their help. In your email, mention who else you've already invited or are planning to invite, and ask for suggestions on who else might be a good addition to the guest list. Ensure you use 'ki' in your questions.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Szia Péter! Képzeld, meglepetés bulit szervezek Marcinak a születésnapjára. Már beszéltem Anettel és Zolival is, ők is benne vannak. Szerinted még ki jöhetne el? Gondolsz valakire, aki még örülne a meghívásnak?
You are a journalist writing a short report about a local community project. You need to gather information about the people involved. Write three distinct questions using 'ki' that you would ask different members of the community to understand their roles and motivations.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
1. Ki a projekt vezetője, és mi a legfőbb célja? 2. A résztvevők közül ki felelős a pénzügyekért? 3. Ön szerint ki profitál a leginkább ebből a kezdeményezésből a közösségben?
Ki volt a kulcsfigura a múzeumi gyűjtemény gazdagításában?
Read this passage:
A múzeum kurátora egy interjúban mesélt arról, hogy ki volt az az ember, aki a legtöbbet tette a gyűjteményért. Elmondása szerint egy magángyűjtő, akinek a nevét nem hozták nyilvánosságra, volt a kulcsfigura. Ő finanszírozta a restaurálások nagy részét, és több ritka műtárgyat is a múzeumnak adományozott. A kurátor kiemelte, hogy nélküle a gyűjtemény nem lenne ilyen gazdag és teljes.
Ki volt a kulcsfigura a múzeumi gyűjtemény gazdagításában?
A szöveg szerint 'egy magángyűjtő, akinek a nevét nem hozták nyilvánosságra, volt a kulcsfigura' a gyűjteményért.
A szöveg szerint 'egy magángyűjtő, akinek a nevét nem hozták nyilvánosságra, volt a kulcsfigura' a gyűjteményért.
Kinek ajánlotta Kovács Gábor a győzelmét?
Read this passage:
Egy helyi újság cikkében arról számoltak be, hogy ki nyerte meg az idei városi maratont. Kiderült, hogy egy amatőr futó, Kovács Gábor érte el a legjobb időt, megelőzve több tapasztalt sportolót is. A cikkben megemlítették, hogy Gábor a győzelmét édesanyjának ajánlotta, aki mindig támogatta őt a felkészülésben. Azt is leírták, hogy ki szervezte a versenyt idén.
Kinek ajánlotta Kovács Gábor a győzelmét?
A szöveg egyértelműen kimondja, hogy 'Gábor a győzelmét édesanyjának ajánlotta'.
A szöveg egyértelműen kimondja, hogy 'Gábor a győzelmét édesanyjának ajánlotta'.
Mi volt az egyik feladat a céges tréningen?
Read this passage:
A legutóbbi céges tréningen a résztvevőknek be kellett mutatkozniuk, és el kellett mondaniuk, hogy ki a példaképük a szakmájukban. Sokan neves kutatókat és innovátorokat neveztek meg, de volt, aki a saját mentorát vagy egy inspiráló kollégáját emelte ki. A tréner végül arra kérte a csoportot, hogy gondolják át, ők maguk ki szeretnének lenni 5 év múlva.
Mi volt az egyik feladat a céges tréningen?
A passage szerint 'a résztvevőknek be kellett mutatkozniuk, és el kellett mondaniuk, hogy ki a példaképük a szakmájukban'.
A passage szerint 'a résztvevőknek be kellett mutatkozniuk, és el kellett mondaniuk, hogy ki a példaképük a szakmájukban'.
This sentence asks about the person who directed the entire project. 'Ki' introduces the question about the subject.
This sentence questions the identity of the person who solved such a complex problem. 'Ki' initiates the inquiry.
This sentence asks who is responsible for a decision with far-reaching consequences. 'Ki' serves as the interrogative pronoun.
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
Basic question word
Ki is the most common way to ask 'Who?' in Hungarian. Think of it as a direct equivalent to the English word.
Subject of a sentence
When 'ki' is the subject of the sentence, it stands alone. For example, 'Ki van ott?' means 'Who is there?'
No plural form for 'ki'
Unlike English 'who' which can sometimes imply plural, 'ki' itself does not change for plural. If you want to ask 'Who all?' you might use 'Kik?' but that's a different form for later.
Use with verbs
You'll often hear 'ki' directly before a verb. For instance, 'Ki jön?' means 'Who is coming?'
