Consonant Changes at the Joins
Hungarian Grammar 1
Chapter 5 · Consonant Changes at the Joins
🔀 Consonant Changes at the Joins — Hangváltozások a toldalékoknál
Vowels harmonise; consonants assimilate, which means that where a suffix meets a stem one consonant can take over the sound of the other. The changes are regular and you already met the commonest one: kéz + -val is kézzel, not kézval. This chapter gives you the rules, and the one that you will need again in Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 7: the j of the definite verb endings.
1. The v of -val / -vel
Harmony still chooses back (-val) or front (-vel), as in Hungarian Grammar 1, chapters 2 and 3. Assimilation then changes the v to the last consonant of the stem.
| Stem | Meaning | Ends in | Result with -val / -vel |
|---|---|---|---|
| ház | house | z | házzal (not házval) |
| kéz | hand | z | kézzel |
| kert | garden | t | kerttel |
| barát | friend | t | baráttal |
| tanár | teacher | r | tanárral |
| ember | person | r | emberrel |
| asztal | table | l | asztallal |
| film | film | m | filmmel |
| könyv | book | v | könyvvel (v + v, no change) |
| nő | woman | vowel | nővel (the v stays) |
| autó | car | vowel | autóval |
2. Digraphs are doubled by writing the first letter twice
A stem that ends in a two-letter consonant (sz, cs, gy, ny, zs) gets the long version of that sound, and Hungarian spelling writes a long digraph by doubling the first letter: sz becomes ssz, cs becomes ccs, gy becomes ggy, ny becomes nny, and zs becomes zzs.
| Stem | Meaning | Ends in | Result | Why it is written this way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| busz | bus | sz | buszszal → busszal | sz + sz = ssz |
| kulcs | key | cs | kulcscsal → kulccsal | cs + cs = ccs |
| hegy | mountain | gy | hegygyel → heggyel | gy + gy = ggy |
| lány | girl | ny | lánynyal → lánnyal | ny + ny = nny |
| garázs | garage | zs | garázszsal → garázzsal | zs + zs = zzs |
3. -vá / -vé (becoming)
The 'translative' suffix -vá / -vé (the thing something turns into) follows the same assimilation as -val/-vel: tanárrá, orvossá, mérnökké, kertté; after a vowel it keeps its v: fiúvá. It appears with verbs like válik (becomes) and tesz (makes into).
| Stem | Result | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| tanár | tanárrá | Tanárrá akar válni. She wants to become a teacher. |
| orvos | orvossá | Orvossá lett. He became a doctor. |
| mérnök | mérnökké | Mérnökké lesz. He will become an engineer. |
| fiú | fiúvá | Fiúvá vált. He turned into a boy. |
4. The j of the definite endings
The definite endings of the verb -ja, -juk, -jük, -ják, -játok (Hungarian Grammar 1, chapter 7) begin with j. When the verb stem ends in s, sz or z, the j changes into a copy of that sound, which is again written double. Back verbs have a j in the 3rd person (-ja, -ják); front verbs use -i and -ik there, which have no j, but their 1st person plural -jük does, so it assimilates too: néz + -jük = nézzük.
| Verb | Meaning | he/she (it) | we | they |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| olvas | read | olvassa | olvassuk | olvassák |
| mos | wash | mossa | mossuk | mossák |
| hoz | bring | hozza | hozzuk | hozzák |
| néz | watch (front) | nézi | nézzük | nézik |
| lát | see | látja | látjuk | látják |
| ad | give | adja | adjuk | adják |
The last two rows show the other case: the j stays when the stem ends in t, d and most other consonants.
5. Voicing in speech: the spelling keeps the stem
In ordinary speech a voiceless consonant before a voiced one is often pronounced voiced (approximately). The spelling does not follow it, so you do not need to change what you write; you only need to know that you may hear it. Examples: képből (out of the picture) sounds roughly like kébből, and két gyerek (two children) like kéd gyerek. Spelling stays képből and két gyerek; this is one reason Hungarian spelling is described as 'etymological'. Hungarian Alphabet 1, chapter 11 gave you the voiced and voiceless pairs.
🗣️ In Use — Használatban
The rule in real sentences. Read each exchange aloud and spot the pattern.
① Who with? How?
② Who reads it?
📋 Quick Reference — Gyorstábla
| Where | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -val / -vel | v copies the last consonant | házzal · kerttel · emberrel |
| -val / -vel after a vowel | v stays | nővel · autóval |
| -val / -vel after a digraph | the first letter doubles | busszal · kulccsal · lánnyal |
| -val / -vel after a double letter | never three | tollal |
| -vá / -vé | same as -val | tanárrá · mérnökké |
| j of -ja / -juk / -ják | copies s, sz, z | olvassa · hozzuk |
| j after t, d, other consonants | stays | látja · adjuk |
✏️ Try It Yourself — Gyakorlás
Say the answer first, then click to check.
1. ház + -val / -vel
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házzal. The v becomes z.
2. kéz + -val / -vel
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kézzel. Front stem, v becomes z.
3. kert + -val / -vel
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kerttel. Front stem, v becomes t.
4. busz + -val / -vel
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busszal. Digraph sz is doubled to ssz.
5. tanár + -val / -vel
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tanárral. Back stem, v becomes r.
6. lány + -val / -vel
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lánnyal. Digraph ny is doubled to nny.
7. kulcs + -val / -vel
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kulccsal. Digraph cs is doubled to ccs.
8. nő + -val / -vel
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nővel. After a vowel the v stays, and ő is front.
9. olvas + -ja (he/she reads it)
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olvassa. The j becomes s, written double.
10. hoz + -juk (we bring it)
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hozzuk. The j becomes z, written double.