Prefix Meanings

Hungarian Grammar 4

Chapter 3 · Prefix Meanings

🔀 Same Verb, New Meaning — Ugyanaz az ige, más jelentés

Chapter 1 gave you the map of directions and Chapter 2 gave you completed action. This chapter is about what happens when a prefix takes a verb somewhere you could not have guessed. It ends with a learner's list of forty prefix verbs that are worth knowing by heart.

The rule in one box A prefix verb has three possible levels of meaning: literal (the verb plus a direction: kimegy, goes out), completing (the same action finished: megír), and idiomatic (a new meaning of its own: átmegy a vizsgán, passes the exam). Guess the literal meaning first, then check the dictionary. Learn every idiomatic verb as a separate word, with an example sentence.

1. One verb, many prefixes

Three verbs that show the range. Each row keeps the verb and swaps the prefix.

áll — stands

Form	Meaning	Example
megáll	stops	A busz megáll. · The bus stops.
feláll	stands up	Felállok a székről. · I stand up from the chair.
leáll	stops, shuts down (a machine)	A szerver leállt. · The server has stopped.
beáll	steps in, joins	Beállok a sorba. · I join the queue.
kiáll	stands out, steps forward	Kiáll a kapuból. · He steps out of the goal.
átáll	switches over	Átállunk az új rendszerre. · We switch to the new system.

néz — looks

Form	Meaning	Example
megnéz	looks at, watches, goes to see	Megnézem a filmet. · I'll watch the film.
benéz	looks in, drops in	Benézek hozzád. · I'll look in on you.
felnéz	looks up; looks up to someone	Felnézek az égre. · I look up at the sky.
lenéz	looks down; looks down on someone	Lenéz a hegyről. · He looks down from the hill.
átnéz	looks over, checks through	Átnézem a naplót. · I'll look through the log.
elnéz	overlooks; forgives a slip	Elnézést! · Excuse me! (literally "overlooking")

ad — gives

Form	Meaning	Example
megad	gives; pays; states (an address)	Megadom a címet. · I'll give the address.
kiad	issues, publishes; lets, rents out	Kiadják a könyvet. · They publish the book.
bead	hands in, submits	Beadom a kérelmet. · I submit the application.
elad	sells	Eladom a kocsit. · I'm selling the car.
átad	hands over	Átadom a kulcsot. · I hand over the key.
visszaad	gives back	Visszaadom a könyvet. · I give the book back.
felad	gives up; posts (a letter); sets (a task)	Feladom a levelet. · I post the letter.
lead	hands in, delivers; also loses (weight)	Leadom a munkát. · I hand in the work.
összead	adds up	Összeadom a számokat. · I add up the numbers.

Watch out: the parts do not add up elad is "sells", while "buys" is megvesz, a different verb altogether. el- plus ad gives "sells", not "gives away". Learn the meaning with the verb instead of working it out from the parts.

2. Idioms you cannot guess

The verb megy (goes) shows how far a prefix can travel. The literal ones are in Chapter 1; here are the ones that have wandered.

Form	Literal	Idiom
átmegy	goes across	passes (an exam): Átment a vizsgán. · He/she passed the exam.
elmegy	goes away	goes (to an event, and is there): Elmegyek a koncertre. · I'm going to the concert.
összemegy	goes together	shrinks (cloth): Összement a pulóver. · The jumper shrank.
kimegy	goes out	also "goes out of fashion": Kiment a divatból. · It went out of fashion.

More verbs whose meaning has to be learned as a unit:

Form	Parts	Meaning
megért	meg + ért	understands
elhisz	el + hisz	believes (what someone says)
kitalál	ki + talál	invents; guesses
felhív	fel + hív	rings up, phones
elfelejt	el + felejt	forgets
elkap	el + kap	catches

3. Other and longer prefixes

Beyond the ten of Chapter 1 there are more prefixes, including a set of longer ones that come from words ending in -á / -é (the "to" form of a postposition, Hungarian Grammar 2, chapter 9).

Prefix	Idea	Examples
haza-	home	hazamegy goes home
szét-	apart	szétszed takes apart
tovább-	onward	továbbmegy goes on
újra-	again	újraindít restarts · újrakezd starts again
elő-	forth, in front	előad performs, presents a talk
hozzá-	to, towards	hozzáad adds to · hozzászól comments
alá-	under	aláír signs
utána-	after, behind	utánanéz looks up, checks

Watch out: "double prefixes" A verb normally takes one prefix at a time. The longer prefixes above are single prefixes that look like two syllables, not two stacked prefixes, and they behave like meg- and ki-: attached in a plain statement, split off in negation. The past of újraindít keeps the prefix attached too: Újraindítottam a szervert. (I restarted the server.)

4. A learner's list of forty

Forty prefix verbs that come up again and again. Learn them in their groups; each is its own dictionary entry.

Prefix	Verbs
meg-	megért understands · megtalál finds · megkap receives · megkér asks (someone to do something) · megvár waits for · megmutat shows · megkérdez asks (a question) · megérkezik arrives
el-	elfelejt forgets · elmond tells · elvisz takes away · elintéz arranges, sorts out · elkezd begins · elkap catches · elhisz believes · elindul sets off
fel-	felhív rings up · felkel gets up · felvesz puts on, picks up · felad gives up, posts · felszáll boards, gets on
le-	leszáll gets off · leül sits down · lefekszik goes to bed · leír writes down · letölt downloads
ki-	kinyit opens · kitalál invents, guesses · kiválaszt chooses · kiad publishes, rents out
be-	becsuk shuts · bevisz takes in · beír enters, writes in · bejelentkezik logs in
át-	átvesz takes over, receives · átszáll changes (trains) · átnéz looks over, checks
vissza-, össze-, hozzá-	visszahív calls back · összehasonlít compares · hozzászól comments

How to learn them Do not learn the prefix and the verb separately. Write each verb on a card with its prefix attached and an example sentence, one that uses it with a definite object (Megtaláltam a kulcsot.), because the completed meaning needs it. Ten a week, in the groups above, covers the list in a month.

🗣️ In Use — Használatban

Three exchanges with prefix verbs from the list. The two splits in ① and ② (nem vette fel, szállok le) are previews of Chapter 4.

① A phone call

A: Felhívtad Pétert? Did you ring Peter?

B: Igen, felhívtam, de nem vette fel. Yes, I did, but he didn't pick up.

② On the bus

A: Hol szállok le? Where do I get off?

B: A következő megállónál leszállsz. You'll get off at the next stop.

③ A server fault

A: Kitaláltad, mi a hiba? Have you worked out what the fault is?

B: Igen. Újraindítom a szervert, aztán átnézem a naplót. Yes. I'll restart the server, then look through the log.

📋 Quick Reference — Gyorstábla

Idea	Rule	Example
Three levels	literal · completing · idiomatic	kimegy · megír · átmegy a vizsgán
One verb, many prefixes	each combination is its own meaning	megáll · feláll · leáll
Idiom	learn as a unit, with an example	elad (sells)
Longer prefixes	one prefix of two syllables	hozzáad · aláír · utánanéz
Again	újra-	újraindít
Study habit	cards with prefix attached and a sentence	Megtaláltam a kulcsot.

✏️ Try It Yourself — Gyakorlás

Say the answer first, then click to check.

1. What does megáll mean?

Show answer

"Stops", as in A busz megáll.

2. What does feláll mean?

Show answer

"Stands up."

3. "He passed the exam." Use átmegy and a vizsgán.

Show answer

Átment a vizsgán.

4. What does aláír mean?

Show answer

"Signs", from alá- (under) and ír (writes).

5. Give the meaning of felszáll and leszáll.

Show answer

felszáll: gets on, boards. leszáll: gets off.

6. "I'll ring you" (I … you, present tense).

Show answer

Felhívlak. The -lak ending for "I … you" works with a prefix verb too.

7. Give the opposite of kinyit (opens).

Show answer

becsuk (shuts). bezár (closes, locks) is also common.

8. "I restart the server."

Show answer

Újraindítom a szervert.

9. "I add up the two numbers."

Show answer

Összeadom a két számot.

10. What do elfelejt and elhisz mean? Could you have guessed them from el-?

Show answer

elfelejt: forgets. elhisz: believes (what someone says). The prefix el- no longer means "away" here, so they have to be learned as whole words.

Coming up in Chapter 4: Prefix Position. When the prefix stays in front of the verb and when it moves behind it: negation, focus, questions, commands and the infinitive.