The Verb Prefix Map

Hungarian Grammar 4

Chapter 1 · The Verb Prefix Map

🧭 Verb Prefixes — Az igekötők

Hungarian Grammar 1 gave you harmony and the two conjugations, Hungarian Grammar 2 the cases, and Hungarian Grammar 3 the tenses and moods. This course closes the grammar track with three things that decide whether a sentence sounds Hungarian: verb prefixes, participles and word order. Prefixes come first, because they change what a verb means and they are the part of word order that learners trip on most. This chapter is the map; Chapters 2 to 4 fill it in.

The rule in one box A verb prefix (igekötő) is a small word that attaches to the front of a verb and changes its meaning: megy (goes) → bemegy (goes in), kimegy (goes out), elmegy (goes away). In a plain statement the prefix is written together with the verb and takes the stress. In several other sentence types it splits off and stands after the verb: Kimegyek (I go out) but Nem megyek ki (I am not going out). The prefix is never a separate noun-like word; it always belongs to its verb.

1. What a prefix does

English does this with small words after the verb: go in, go out, go away, give back, write down. Hungarian puts the same kind of word in front of the verb and writes it as part of it. Take one verb and watch the meaning move.

Verb	With a prefix	Meaning
megy (goes)	bemegy	goes in
megy	kimegy	goes out
megy	felmegy	goes up
megy	lemegy	goes down
megy	átmegy	goes across, crosses
megy	elmegy	goes away, leaves

A prefix does one of two jobs, and many verbs do both. It can add a direction (in, out, up, down), or it can add a shade of meaning that is not a direction at all, most often that the action is finished (olvas reads → elolvas reads through). Chapter 2 is about that second job.

2. The ten main prefixes

Ten prefixes do most of the work. Learn them as five pairs of opposites and as a set of directions.

Prefix	Basic idea	Opposite	Examples
be-	in, into	ki-	bemegy goes in · bead hands in · bekapcsol switches on
ki-	out	be-	kimegy goes out · kiad gives out, rents out · kikapcsol switches off
fel-	up	le-	felmegy goes up · felkel gets up · feltölt uploads, fills up
le-	down	fel-	lemegy goes down · leül sits down · letölt downloads
el-	away, off; also "through to the end"	vissza- (for "away")	elmegy goes away · elad sells · elolvas reads through
vissza-	back	el-	visszajön comes back · visszaad gives back · visszahív calls back
át-	across, over, through	(none)	átmegy crosses · átad hands over · átír rewrites
rá-	onto, on top	(none)	rátesz puts on · ráír writes on it · ráül sits on
össze-	together	(szét-, apart)	összead adds up · összegyűjt collects · összejön gets together
meg-	no direction; mostly "done, completed"	(none)	megír writes (finishes) · megvesz buys · megáll stops

Watch out: meg- is the odd one out The other nine all point somewhere. meg- does not: it mainly says "the action is completed". It is also the commonest prefix of all, which is why Chapter 2 gives it its own section. There are more prefixes beyond these ten (haza- home, szét- apart, hozzá- to, tovább- onward); Chapter 3 lists them.

3. One verb, many directions

The verb jön (comes) shows the system compactly: the same stem with each prefix gives a complete set of movements. Examples in the past, which keeps the prefix attached.

Form	Example	English
bejön	Bejött a szobába.	He/she came into the room.
kijön	Kijött a házból.	He/she came out of the house.
feljön	Feljött a hegyre.	He/she came up the hill.
lejön	Lejött a lépcsőn.	He/she came down the stairs.
átjön	Átjött a hídon.	He/she came across the bridge.
eljön	Eljött a buliba.	He/she came along to the party.
visszajön	Visszajött Edinburgh-ba.	He/she came back to Edinburgh.
összejön	Összejöttek vasárnap.	They got together on Sunday.

4. Direction and meaning together

Some prefix verbs keep their direction and some drift away from it. Compare vesz (takes):

Verb	Literal sense	What it commonly means
levesz	takes down	takes down, takes off (a coat): Leveszem a kabátot.
felvesz	takes up	puts on (clothes), picks up, hires, records
kivesz	takes out	takes out, and also rents (a flat): Kivettem egy lakást.
elvesz	takes away	takes away, takes from someone
visszavesz	takes back	takes back
megvesz	(no direction)	buys: Megvettem a jegyet.

The first, second and fourth rows keep a clear direction; felvesz and kivesz show the drift. Chapter 3 treats these idiomatic meanings. For now the working habit is: learn the prefix verb as its own dictionary entry, not as a prefix plus a verb you "add up".

5. Prefixes and the cases you already know

A directional prefix usually agrees with the case ending of the place word. This is the Grammar 2 system (Hungarian Grammar 2, chapters 5 and 6) showing up a second time, and it lets you predict which prefix to use.

Prefix	Matches	Example
be-	into: -ba / -be	Bemegyek az irodába. · I go into the office.
ki-	out of: -ból / -ből	Kimegyek az irodából. · I go out of the office.
fel-	onto, up: -ra / -re	Felmegyünk a Calton Hillre. · We go up Calton Hill.
le-	off, down from: -ról / -ről	Lemegyek a hegyről. · I go down from the hill.
el-	away from: -tól / -től	Elmegyek tőled. · I am going away from you.

The same information twice, on purpose The sentence Bemegyek az irodába says "in" twice: once in be-, once in -ba. That is not a mistake and not wasted; it is how Hungarian makes direction clear. You can often leave the case out when the place is obvious (Bemegyek. "I go in."), but you cannot drop the prefix and keep the direction: Megyek az irodába is possible but vaguer.

6. A look ahead: the prefix as a separate word

Chapter 4 has the full rules for when the prefix leaves the verb. For now, notice the two positions, because you will meet both from the first example.

Sentence type	Prefix	Example
plain statement	attached, before the verb	Kimegyek. · I go out.
negation	after the verb, as a separate word	Nem megyek ki. · I am not going out.
positive command	after the verb	Menj ki! · Go out!
infinitive	attached to the infinitive	kimenni · to go out

The prefix is always the same word; only its place changes. If you remember one thing from this section, remember that the dictionary form carries the prefix attached, so a verb is looked up under kimegy, not under megy.

7. IT and everyday pairs worth learning now

Prefix pairs are easiest to learn as opposites. These are common in the support desk and at home.

One way	The other way	English
bekapcsol	kikapcsol	switch on · switch off
letölt	feltölt	download · upload
bejelentkezik	kijelentkezik	log in · log out
felkel	lefekszik	get up · go to bed
bemegy	kimegy	go in · go out
elad	megvesz	sell · buy

🗣️ In Use — Használatban

The prefixes at work in three short exchanges. The prefix stays attached to the verb in every statement; the two commands show the split to come in Chapter 4.

① On the support desk

A: Letöltötted a frissítést? Have you downloaded the update?

B: Igen, letöltöttem. Most feltelepítem. Yes, I have. I'm installing it now.

A: Jó. Utána kikapcsolom a gépet. Good. Then I'll switch the machine off.

② A walk in Edinburgh

A: Felmegyünk a Calton Hillre? Shall we go up Calton Hill?

B: Felmegyünk, aztán lemegyünk a Princes Streetre. Yes, and then we'll go down to Princes Street.

③ At the door

A: Bejöhetek? May I come in?

B: Igen, gyere be! Yes, come in!

📋 Quick Reference — Gyorstábla

Idea	Rule	Example
What a prefix is	a small word in front of a verb that changes its meaning	megy → bemegy
Spelling	attached to the verb in a plain statement	Kimegyek.
Direction pairs	be/ki · fel/le · el/vissza	bemegy / kimegy
Other directions	át- across · rá- onto · össze- together	átmegy · rátesz · összead
No direction	meg-: completion	megír · megvesz
Prefix and case	the prefix often agrees with the case ending	be- + -ba
Splitting	negation and commands put the prefix after the verb	Nem megyek ki. · Menj ki!
Dictionary	the prefix verb is its own entry	kivesz (rents)

✏️ Try It Yourself — Gyakorlás

Say the answer first, then click to check.

1. Give the opposite of bemegy.

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kimegy (goes out).

2. Give the opposite of felmegy.

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lemegy (goes down).

3. Give the opposite of letölt (download).

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feltölt (upload).

4. Say "I go in" in one word.

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Bemegyek.

5. Say "He comes back" in one word.

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Visszajön.

6. Which prefix goes with "into the office" (az irodába)?

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be-, which matches -ba: bemegyek az irodába.

7. Which prefix mainly says "completed" rather than giving a direction?

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meg-, as in megír and megvesz.

8. "I give the book back." Use ad and the right prefix.

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Visszaadom a könyvet. The object is definite, so the verb takes the definite ending.

9. Does elad mean "gives away" or "sells"?

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"Sells." el- plus ad has drifted from its literal sense, so learn it as its own verb.

10. Say "I write the number down" with ír and the prefix for "down".

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Leírom a számot. The object is definite.

Coming up in Chapter 2: Prefixes and Aspect. Completed against ongoing action (olvas, elolvas, megír), the prefix with the past and the future, and the verbs whose prefix is "empty".