Where To?
Hungarian Grammar 2
Chapter 5 · Where To? Into, Onto, Toward
➡️ Where To — Hova?
The second row of the grid answers Hova? (Where to?). It has three cases: -ba / -be (into), -ra / -re (onto) and -hoz / -hez / -höz (to, towards). The rule is the one you learned in Chapter 4: whatever place took a static case there takes the matching "to" case here. This chapter shows the match and adds the verbs that need these cases.
1. The forms
| Case | Back | Front | Front, rounded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illative (into) | -ba | -be | -be |
| Sublative (onto) | -ra | -re | -re |
| Allative (to, towards) | -hoz | -hez | -höz |
All three begin with a consonant, so a final a or e lengthens before them, just as before -ban in Chapter 4: fa → fába, fára, fához.
| Stem | Into | Onto | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| ház | házba | házra | házhoz |
| kert | kertbe | kertre | kerthez |
| tükör | tükörbe | tükörre | tükörhöz |
| fa | fába | fára | fához |
| autó | autóba | autóra | autóhoz |
2. The match with Chapter 4
Take the pairs from Chapter 4 and move them one row down the grid. The same sorting rules apply: enclosed space, surface, and person.
| Place | Where? (Chapter 4) | Where to? (this chapter) |
|---|---|---|
| house | házban | házba |
| school | iskolában | iskolába |
| bag | táskában | táskába |
| Vienna | Bécsben | Bécsbe |
| France | Franciaországban | Franciaországba |
| Győr | Győrben | Győrbe |
| table | asztalon | asztalra |
| street | utcán | utcára |
| bus | buszon | buszra |
| university | egyetemen | egyetemre |
| post office | postán | postára |
| Budapest | Budapesten | Budapestre |
| Hungary | Magyarországon | Magyarországra |
| Szeged | Szegeden | Szegedre |
| my friend | a barátomnál | a barátomhoz |
| the doctor | az orvosnál | az orvoshoz |
| the entrance | a bejáratnál | a bejárathoz |
3. Verbs that use the "to" cases
Movement: going, coming, travelling
| Hungarian | English |
|---|---|
| Az iskolába megyek. | I'm going to school. |
| Budapestre utazom. | I'm travelling to Budapest. |
| A barátomhoz jövök. | I'm coming to my friend's. |
| Szegedre érkezünk. | We arrive in Szeged. |
| Felszállok a vonatra. | I get on the train. |
Placing: putting something somewhere
A verb that moves an object into place (tesz put, rak place, tölt pour, vesz take out of the box) takes the "to" case for the destination. The static verb van takes the case from Chapter 4. Compare the pair:
| Static (Chapter 4) | Moving (this chapter) |
|---|---|
| A telefon az asztalon van. The phone is on the table. | A telefont az asztalra teszem. I put the phone on the table. |
| A kábel a szekrényben van. The cable is in the cupboard. | A kábelt a szekrénybe rakom. I put the cable in the cupboard. |
| Nálad van a kulcs. You have the key. | Hozzád viszem a kulcsot. I'm taking the key to you. |
Beyond movement: -ra / -re for "for" and "by"
The sublative has uses far from places. After a time word it means by or for a deadline, and after a noun it often means for a purpose.
| Hungarian | English |
|---|---|
| Szombatra kész lesz. | It will be ready by Saturday. |
| Kávéra hívlak. | I'm inviting you for a coffee. |
| Vacsorára maradsz? | Are you staying for dinner? |
4. The pronoun forms
As in Chapter 4, the personal pronouns have their own forms with these cases.
| Person | Into | Onto | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | belém | rám | hozzám |
| you (sg) | beléd | rád | hozzád |
| he, she | belé | rá | hozzá |
| we | belénk | ránk | hozzánk |
| you (pl) | belétek | rátok | hozzátok |
| they | beléjük | rájuk | hozzájuk |
| Hungarian | English |
|---|---|
| Hozzám jössz szombaton? | Are you coming to my place on Saturday? |
| Mit szólsz hozzá? | What do you say to that? |
| Rád gondolok. | I'm thinking of you. |
The question words are Hova? (where to), Mibe? (into what), Mire? (onto what) and Kihez? (to whom). A few adverbs need no case: ide (to here), oda (to there) and haza (home, to one's home). They are the "to" partners of itt, ott, otthon from Chapter 4.
🗣️ In Use — Használatban
The "to" cases in short exchanges.
① Errands
② Where does it go?
③ Plans
📋 Quick Reference — Gyorstábla
| Case | Use for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ba / -be | into enclosed spaces; places that take -ban / -ben | a szobába · Bécsbe |
| -ra / -re | onto surfaces, streets, transport, institutions, events; places that take -on / -en / -ön; "by", "for" | az asztalra · az egyetemre · szombatra |
| -hoz / -hez / -höz | to a person's place or a spot; places that take -nál / -nél | a barátomhoz · a bejárathoz |
| Pronouns | belém · rám · hozzám (and so on) | Hozzám jössz? |
| Adverbs | ide · oda · haza | Haza megyek. |
✏️ Try It Yourself — Gyakorlás
Say the answer first, then click to check.
1. "Into the house": ház + the "into" case.
Show answer
házba.
2. "Into the garden": kert + the "into" case.
Show answer
kertbe.
3. "Onto the table": asztal + the "onto" case.
Show answer
asztalra.
4. "Onto the tree": fa + the "onto" case.
Show answer
fára. The final a lengthens before a consonant ending.
5. "To Budapest."
Show answer
Budapestre. Budapest took -en in Chapter 4, so it takes -re here.
6. "To Hungary."
Show answer
Magyarországra.
7. "To France."
Show answer
Franciaországba.
8. "To the doctor's": az orvos + the "to" case.
Show answer
az orvoshoz.
9. Say "to me" and "onto it".
Show answer
hozzám and rá.
10. Fix the sentence: Megyek az egyetembe (I'm going to university).
Show answer
Megyek az egyetemre. University takes the surface case (egyetemen in Chapter 4), so the "to" form is -re.