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Welcome to Lesson 16 of the Latinum Institute Hungarian course. Today we explore one of Hungarian’s most distinctive features: the third-person singular pronoun ő, which translates as “he,” “she,” or “it” in English. Unlike English, German, French, and most Indo-European languages, Hungarian makes no distinction between masculine and feminine in its pronouns. This remarkable characteristic reflects Hungarian’s membership in the Uralic language family, which separated from Indo-European languages thousands of years ago.
The pronoun ő (pronounced approximately like the German “ö” or the vowel in French “peu”) serves all third-person singular functions regardless of the referent’s gender. Whether speaking about a man, a woman, a child, or even an animal, Hungarian speakers use the same pronoun. This linguistic feature has interesting implications for how Hungarian speakers conceptualize gender and identity.
FAQ: What does “ő” mean in Hungarian?
The Hungarian word “ő” is the third-person singular personal pronoun, equivalent to English “he,” “she,” or “it.” Hungarian does not distinguish grammatical gender, so “ő” covers all three English pronouns. The plural form is “ők” (they).
Key characteristic: Hungarian is a pro-drop language, meaning that personal pronouns are frequently omitted because verb conjugation already indicates the subject. The pronoun ő is therefore used primarily for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.
In this lesson, you will encounter ő in various grammatical contexts: as an emphatic subject, in contrasting statements, with possessive constructions, and in different case forms. The 30 examples will demonstrate how native Hungarian speakers actually use this pronoun in natural speech and writing.
First: Hungarian has no grammatical gender—ő means “he,” “she,” and “it” equally
Second: Pronouns are often omitted in Hungarian because verb endings show the subject
Third: Use ő primarily for emphasis, contrast, or when the subject is unclear
Fourth: The accusative form is őt, the dative is neki, and possession uses az ő + noun with possessive suffix
Fifth: The plural form ők (they) follows the same gender-neutral pattern
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The following examples demonstrate ő in various contexts. Each example appears twice: Line “a” shows the Hungarian text with English glosses beneath each word; Line “b” provides pronunciation guidance in parentheses with the same glosses.
16.1a Ő he/she tanár teacher-is
16.1b Ő (ø) he/she tanár (tah-NAAR) teacher-is
16.2a Ő he/she is also itt here van is
16.2b Ő (ø) he/she is (ish) also itt (itt) here van (vahn) is
16.3a Ő he/she nem not magyar Hungarian
16.3b Ő (ø) he/she nem (nem) not magyar (MO-dyor) Hungarian
16.4a Az the ő his/her könyve book-POSS-3SG új new
16.4b Az (oz) the ő (ø) his/her könyve (KØN-yve) book-POSS-3SG új (ooy) new
16.5a Ő he/she tudja knows-DEF az the igazságot truth-ACC
16.5b Ő (ø) he/she tudja (TOOD-ya) knows-DEF az (oz) the igazságot (ee-GOZ-shaa-got) truth-ACC
16.6a Ki who ő he/she
16.6b Ki (kee) who ő (ø) he/she
16.7a Őt him/her-ACC láttam saw-1SG tegnap yesterday
16.7b Őt (øt) him/her-ACC láttam (LAAT-tom) saw-1SG tegnap (TEG-nop) yesterday
16.8a Ő he/she beszél speaks angolul English-in
16.8b Ő (ø) he/she beszél (BE-sayl) speaks angolul (ON-go-lool) English-in
16.9a Neki to-him/her-DAT adom give-1SG-DEF a the levelet letter-ACC
16.9b Neki (NE-kee) to-him/her-DAT adom (O-dom) give-1SG-DEF a (o) the levelet (LE-ve-let) letter-ACC
16.10a Ő he/she az that én I barátom friend-POSS-1SG
16.10b Ő (ø) he/she az (oz) that én (ayn) I barátom (BO-raa-tom) friend-POSS-1SG
16.11a Nélküle without-him/her nem not megy goes
16.11b Nélküle (NAYL-kü-le) without-him/her nem (nem) not megy (medj) goes
16.12a Ő he/she jól well főz cooks
16.12b Ő (ø) he/she jól (yohl) well főz (føz) cooks
16.13a Az the ő his/her háza house-POSS-3SG nagy big
16.13b Az (oz) the ő (ø) his/her háza (HAA-zo) house-POSS-3SG nagy (nodj) big
16.14a Szerinte according-to-him/her ez this igaz true
16.14b Szerinte (SE-reen-te) according-to-him/her ez (ez) this igaz (EE-goz) true
16.15a Ő he/she mindig always segít helps másoknak others-DAT
16.15b Ő (ø) he/she mindig (MEEN-deeg) always segít (SHE-geet) helps másoknak (MAA-shok-nok) others-DAT
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16.1 Ő tanár. Ő tanár. (ø TAH-naar) “He/She is a teacher.”
16.2 Ő is itt van. Ő is itt van. (ø ish itt vahn) “He/She is here too.”
16.3 Ő nem magyar. Ő nem magyar. (ø nem MO-dyor) “He/She is not Hungarian.”
16.4 Az ő könyve új. Az ő könyve új. (oz ø KØN-yve ooy) “His/Her book is new.”
16.5 Ő tudja az igazságot. Ő tudja az igazságot. (ø TOOD-ya oz ee-GOZ-shaa-got) “He/She knows the truth.”
16.6 Ki ő? Ki ő? (kee ø) “Who is he/she?”
16.7 Őt láttam tegnap. Őt láttam tegnap. (øt LAAT-tom TEG-nop) “I saw him/her yesterday.”
16.8 Ő beszél angolul. Ő beszél angolul. (ø BE-sayl ON-go-lool) “He/She speaks English.”
16.9 Neki adom a levelet. Neki adom a levelet. (NE-kee O-dom o LE-ve-let) “I give the letter to him/her.”
16.10 Ő az én barátom. Ő az én barátom. (ø oz ayn BO-raa-tom) “He/She is my friend.”
16.11 Nélküle nem megy. Nélküle nem megy. (NAYL-kü-le nem medj) “Without him/her, it doesn’t work.”
16.12 Ő jól főz. Ő jól főz. (ø yohl føz) “He/She cooks well.”
16.13 Az ő háza nagy. Az ő háza nagy. (oz ø HAA-zo nodj) “His/Her house is big.”
16.14 Szerinte ez igaz. Szerinte ez igaz. (SE-reen-te ez EE-goz) “According to him/her, this is true.”
16.15 Ő mindig segít másoknak. Ő mindig segít másoknak. (ø MEEN-deeg SHE-geet MAA-shok-nok) “He/She always helps others.”
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16.1 Ő tanár. Ő tanár. (ø TAH-naar)
16.2 Ő is itt van. Ő is itt van. (ø ish itt vahn)
16.3 Ő nem magyar. Ő nem magyar. (ø nem MO-dyor)
16.4 Az ő könyve új. Az ő könyve új. (oz ø KØN-yve ooy)
16.5 Ő tudja az igazságot. Ő tudja az igazságot. (ø TOOD-ya oz ee-GOZ-shaa-got)
16.6 Ki ő? Ki ő? (kee ø)
16.7 Őt láttam tegnap. Őt láttam tegnap. (øt LAAT-tom TEG-nop)
16.8 Ő beszél angolul. Ő beszél angolul. (ø BE-sayl ON-go-lool)
16.9 Neki adom a levelet. Neki adom a levelet. (NE-kee O-dom o LE-ve-let)
16.10 Ő az én barátom. Ő az én barátom. (ø oz ayn BO-raa-tom)
16.11 Nélküle nem megy. Nélküle nem megy. (NAYL-kü-le nem medj)
16.12 Ő jól főz. Ő jól főz. (ø yohl føz)
16.13 Az ő háza nagy. Az ő háza nagy. (oz ø HAA-zo nodj)
16.14 Szerinte ez igaz. Szerinte ez igaz. (SE-reen-te ez EE-goz)
16.15 Ő mindig segít másoknak. Ő mindig segít másoknak. (ø MEEN-deeg SHE-geet MAA-shok-nok)
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These are the grammar rules for ő (he/she/it):
The Gender-Neutral System
Hungarian’s lack of grammatical gender extends throughout the entire language. There are no masculine or feminine nouns, no gendered adjective agreements, and no distinction in pronouns. The single pronoun ő covers English “he,” “she,” and even “it” when referring to animate beings. For inanimate objects, Hungarian typically uses demonstratives (ez/az - this/that) rather than pronouns.
Pro-Drop Nature
Hungarian is a pro-drop (null-subject) language. This means that because verb conjugations already indicate person and number, explicit pronouns are often unnecessary. Compare the following sentences, both of which are grammatically correct and natural:
Beszél magyarul. (speaks Hungarian-in) = “He/She speaks Hungarian.” Ő beszél magyarul. (he/she speaks Hungarian-in) = “HE/SHE speaks Hungarian.” (emphatic)
The first sentence, without the pronoun, is the unmarked, neutral way to express this thought. The second sentence, with ő, emphasizes or contrasts the subject.
When to Use Ő
Use the explicit pronoun ő in the following situations: for emphasis when you want to stress the subject, for contrast when distinguishing one person from another, for clarity when the context might otherwise be ambiguous, and in formal or written contexts where precision matters.
Case Forms of Ő
Hungarian is an agglutinative language with extensive case marking. The third-person singular pronoun takes various forms depending on its grammatical function.
Nominative (subject): ő - Ő beszél. (He/She speaks.)
Accusative (direct object): őt - Látom őt. (I see him/her.)
Dative (indirect object): neki - Neki adom. (I give it to him/her.)
Instrumental: vele - Vele megyek. (I go with him/her.)
Causal-final: érte - Érte dolgozom. (I work for him/her.)
Translative: őbelé - Őbelé ütközött. (He bumped into him/her.)
The postpositional forms combine the pronoun stem with various suffixes: nélküle (without him/her), mellette (beside him/her), utána (after him/her), előtte (before him/her), mögötte (behind him/her), felette (above him/her), alatta (below him/her), szerinte (according to him/her), miatta (because of him/her).
Possessive Constructions
When indicating possession, Hungarian uses the definite article + ő + noun with possessive suffix: az ő könyve (his/her book), az ő háza (his/her house), az ő barátja (his/her friend).
Note that the possessive suffix on the noun (-a/-e/-ja/-je) already indicates third-person possession. The inclusion of “az ő” before the noun adds emphasis or clarity but is often omitted in casual speech: A könyve itt van. (His/Her book is here.)
Common Mistakes
English speakers often overuse ő because they are accustomed to always including subject pronouns. In Hungarian, this sounds overly emphatic or even aggressive. Trust the verb conjugation to carry the information about the subject.
Another common error is translating “it” as ő for inanimate objects. Hungarian prefers demonstratives (ez/az) or simply drops the pronoun for objects. “Ő” is primarily used for people and animals.
Finally, learners sometimes forget that formal pronouns (ön, maga) function grammatically as third person, using the same verb conjugations as ő even though they mean “you.”
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Usage Differences in Formal and Informal Contexts
In informal Hungarian speech, ő is used sparingly—only when emphasis or contrast is needed. In formal writing, academic texts, and legal documents, pronouns appear more frequently for precision and clarity. Literary Hungarian often employs ő for stylistic purposes, to create rhythm or emphasis in prose and poetry.
The Absence of Gender
The gender-neutral nature of Hungarian pronouns has interesting cultural implications. Hungarian speakers must rely entirely on context, names, or explicit description to indicate a person’s gender. This differs fundamentally from the worldview embedded in gendered languages.
Historically, this feature attracted attention from feminist linguists and language reformers. While English-speaking countries debate gender-neutral pronouns, Hungarian has used one for over a thousand years. However, Hungarian culture and society are not necessarily more or less gender-equal as a result—language structure and social attitudes do not always correlate.
Regional Variations
Standard Hungarian (based on the Budapest dialect) is remarkably uniform across Hungary due to centralized media and education. The pronoun system shows little regional variation, though some dialects may have slightly different pronunciations of the vowel ő.
Hungarian-speaking communities in Romania (Transylvania), Slovakia, Serbia (Vojvodina), and Ukraine maintain the same pronoun system, though their Hungarian may show influences from surrounding languages in vocabulary and intonation.
Idiomatic Expressions
Ő maga (literally “he/she self”) - An emphatic form meaning “he/she himself/herself”
Az ő dolga (literally “his/her matter”) - “That’s his/her business” or “That’s up to him/her”
Legyen ő bárki (literally “let-be he/she anyone”) - “Whoever he/she may be”
Ő se jobb (literally “he/she neither better”) - “He/She is no better”
Historical Development
The pronoun ő derives from Proto-Uralic, the ancestor language of Hungarian, Finnish, and Estonian. The lack of grammatical gender in these languages represents an ancient feature, not a modern simplification. This connects Hungarian speakers linguistically to the Uralic peoples of northern Russia, Finland, and Estonia—a relationship that predates Hungarian arrival in the Carpathian Basin around 896 CE.
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The following excerpt comes from Sándor Petőfi’s immortal poem “Szeptember végén” (End of September), written in 1847. Petőfi (1823-1849) is Hungary’s national poet, whose revolutionary verse and tragic death in battle made him a symbol of Hungarian identity. This poem, written during his honeymoon, meditates on love, mortality, and eternal devotion.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Elhull falls-away a the virág flower eliramlik rushes-away az the élet life
Elhull (EL-hooll) falls-away a (o) the virág (VEE-raag) flower eliramlik (e-LEE-rom-leek) rushes-away az (oz) the élet (AY-let) life
Ülj sit-IMP hitvesem spouse-POSS-1SG ülj sit-IMP az the ölembe lap-POSS-1SG-into ide here
Ülj (ülj) sit-IMP hitvesem (HEET-ve-shem) spouse-POSS-1SG ülj (ülj) sit-IMP az (oz) the ölembe (Ø-lem-be) lap-POSS-1SG-into ide (EE-de) here
Ki who most now fejedet head-POSS-2SG-ACC kebelemre bosom-POSS-1SG-onto tevéd placed-2SG le down
Ki (kee) who most (mosht) now fejedet (FE-ye-det) head-POSS-2SG-ACC kebelemre (KE-be-lem-re) bosom-POSS-1SG-onto tevéd (te-VAYD) placed-2SG le (le) down
Holnap tomorrow nem not omolsz-e fall-2SG-Q sírom grave-POSS-1SG fölibe above-POSS-3SG
Holnap (HOL-nop) tomorrow nem (nem) not omolsz-e (O-molz-e) fall-2SG-Q sírom (SHEE-rom) grave-POSS-1SG fölibe (FØ-lee-be) above-POSS-3SG
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Elhull a virág, eliramlik az élet... Ülj, hitvesem, ülj az ölembe ide! Ki most fejedet kebelemre tevéd le, Holnap nem omolsz-e sírom fölibe?
“The flower falls, life rushes away... Sit, my spouse, sit here in my lap! You who now lay your head upon my breast, Tomorrow will you not fall upon my grave?”
F-C: Original Text Only
Elhull a virág, eliramlik az élet... (el-HOOLL o VEE-raag, e-LEE-rom-leek oz AY-let) Ülj, hitvesem, ülj az ölembe ide! (ülj HEET-ve-shem, ülj oz Ø-lem-be EE-de) Ki most fejedet kebelemre tevéd le, (kee mosht FE-ye-det KE-be-lem-re te-VAYD le) Holnap nem omolsz-e sírom fölibe? (HOL-nop nem O-molz-e SHEE-rom FØ-lee-be)
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
This stanza showcases several important Hungarian grammatical features. The possessive constructions are prominent: hitvesem (my spouse), ölembe (into my lap), fejedet (your head), kebelemre (onto my bosom), sírom (my grave). Each possessive noun carries a suffix indicating both the possessed item and the possessor.
The verb “tevéd” is an archaic second-person singular past tense form. Modern Hungarian would use “tetted.” This literary register gives the poem elevated dignity.
The construction “nem omolsz-e” demonstrates the Hungarian question particle -e, which attaches to the verb to form yes/no questions. The literal structure is “not fall-you-QUESTION” = “will you not fall?”
Note that while the pronoun “ő” does not appear explicitly in this stanza, the third-person possessive suffix in “fölibe” (above it, i.e., above the grave) demonstrates how Hungarian handles third-person reference through suffixation rather than pronouns.
F-E: Literary Commentary
Petőfi wrote “Szeptember végén” during his honeymoon with Júlia Szendrey in September 1847. The poem’s meditation on mortality proved tragically prophetic—Petőfi died in battle less than two years later during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-49. Kosztolányi Dezső, one of Hungary’s greatest twentieth-century writers, called the line “Elhull a virág, eliramlik az élet” (The flower falls, life rushes away) the most beautiful line in Hungarian poetry.
The poem belongs to Petőfi’s “hitvesi költészet” (spousal poetry), a genre he developed celebrating married love. The intimate address to his wife using the second person throughout the poem creates a sense of private conversation overheard—the reader becomes witness to the poet’s deepest fears and devotions.
Source: Petőfi Sándor, “Szeptember végén,” Koltó, September 1847.
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The following dialogue demonstrates natural pronoun usage in a workplace setting. Notice how ő appears only when emphasis or contrast requires it—most sentences rely on verb conjugation to indicate the subject.
16.16a Ki who ő he/she ott there az the ablak window mellett beside
16.16b Ki (kee) who ő (ø) he/she ott (ott) there az (oz) the ablak (OB-lok) window mellett (MEL-lett) beside
16.17a Ő he/she az the új new kolléga colleague Péter Peter
16.17b Ő (ø) he/she az (oz) the új (ooy) new kolléga (KOL-lay-go) colleague Péter (PAY-ter) Peter
16.18a Őt him-ACC még yet nem not ismerem know-1SG
16.18b Őt (øt) him-ACC még (mayg) yet nem (nem) not ismerem (EESH-me-rem) know-1SG
16.19a Ő he/she tegnap yesterday kezdett started-3SG dolgozni to-work itt here
16.19b Ő (ø) he/she tegnap (TEG-nop) yesterday kezdett (KEZ-dett) started-3SG dolgozni (DOL-goz-nee) to-work itt (itt) here
16.20a Honnan from-where jött came-3SG ő he/she
16.20b Honnan (HON-non) from-where jött (yøtt) came-3SG ő (ø) he/she
16.21a Ő he/she Debrecenből Debrecen-from érkezett arrived-3SG
16.21b Ő (ø) he/she Debrecenből (DEB-re-tsen-bøl) Debrecen-from érkezett (AYR-ke-zett) arrived-3SG
16.22a Az the ő his irodája office-POSS-3SG a the harmadik third emeleten floor-on van is
16.22b Az (oz) the ő (ø) his irodája (EE-ro-daa-yo) office-POSS-3SG a (o) the harmadik (HOR-mo-deek) third emeleten (E-me-le-ten) floor-on van (vahn) is
16.23a Vele with-him kell must beszélnem to-speak-1SG-POSS a the projektről project-about
16.23b Vele (VE-le) with-him kell (kell) must beszélnem (BE-sayl-nem) to-speak-1SG-POSS a (o) the projektről (PRO-yekt-røl) project-about
16.24a Ő he/she már already tudja knows-DEF a the részleteket details-ACC
16.24b Ő (ø) he/she már (maar) already tudja (TOOD-yo) knows-DEF a (o) the részleteket (RAYS-le-te-ket) details-ACC
16.25a Nélküle without-him nem not tudunk can-1PL dönteni to-decide
16.25b Nélküle (NAYL-kü-le) without-him nem (nem) not tudunk (TOO-doonk) can-1PL dönteni (DØN-te-nee) to-decide
16.26a Ő he/she nagyon very tapasztalt experienced mérnök engineer
16.26b Ő (ø) he/she nagyon (NO-dyon) very tapasztalt (TO-pos-tolt) experienced mérnök (MAYR-nøk) engineer
16.27a Szerinte according-to-him a the terv plan jó good
16.27b Szerinte (SE-reen-te) according-to-him a (o) the terv (terv) plan jó (yoh) good
16.28a De but ő he/she is also lát sees problémákat problems-ACC
16.28b De (de) but ő (ø) he/she is (eesh) also lát (laat) sees problémákat (prob-LAY-maa-kot) problems-ACC
16.29a Neki to-him-DAT kérdései questions-POSS-3SG-PL vannak are a the költségvetésről budget-about
16.29b Neki (NE-kee) to-him-DAT kérdései (KAYR-day-shey) questions-POSS-3SG-PL vannak (VON-nok) are a (o) the költségvetésről (KØLT-shayg-ve-taysh-røl) budget-about
16.30a Ő he/she és and én I holnap tomorrow találkozunk meet-1PL a the főnökkel boss-with
16.30b Ő (ø) he/she és (aysh) and én (ayn) I holnap (HOL-nop) tomorrow találkozunk (TO-laal-ko-zoonk) meet-1PL a (o) the főnökkel (FØ-nøk-kel) boss-with
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16.16 Ki ő ott az ablak mellett? Ki ő ott az ablak mellett? (kee ø ott oz OB-lok MEL-lett) “Who is he/she there by the window?”
16.17 Ő az új kolléga, Péter. Ő az új kolléga, Péter. (ø oz ooy KOL-lay-go PAY-ter) “He is the new colleague, Péter.”
16.18 Őt még nem ismerem. Őt még nem ismerem. (øt mayg nem EESH-me-rem) “I don’t know him yet.”
16.19 Ő tegnap kezdett dolgozni itt. Ő tegnap kezdett dolgozni itt. (ø TEG-nop KEZ-dett DOL-goz-nee itt) “He started working here yesterday.”
16.20 Honnan jött ő? Honnan jött ő? (HON-non yøtt ø) “Where did he come from?”
16.21 Ő Debrecenből érkezett. Ő Debrecenből érkezett. (ø DEB-re-tsen-bøl AYR-ke-zett) “He arrived from Debrecen.”
16.22 Az ő irodája a harmadik emeleten van. Az ő irodája a harmadik emeleten van. (oz ø EE-ro-daa-yo o HOR-mo-deek E-me-le-ten vahn) “His office is on the third floor.”
16.23 Vele kell beszélnem a projektről. Vele kell beszélnem a projektről. (VE-le kell BE-sayl-nem o PRO-yekt-røl) “I need to speak with him about the project.”
16.24 Ő már tudja a részleteket. Ő már tudja a részleteket. (ø maar TOOD-yo o RAYS-le-te-ket) “He already knows the details.”
16.25 Nélküle nem tudunk dönteni. Nélküle nem tudunk dönteni. (NAYL-kü-le nem TOO-doonk DØN-te-nee) “Without him, we can’t decide.”
16.26 Ő nagyon tapasztalt mérnök. Ő nagyon tapasztalt mérnök. (ø NO-dyon TO-pos-tolt MAYR-nøk) “He is a very experienced engineer.”
16.27 Szerinte a terv jó. Szerinte a terv jó. (SE-reen-te o terv yoh) “According to him, the plan is good.”
16.28 De ő is lát problémákat. De ő is lát problémákat. (de ø eesh laat prob-LAY-maa-kot) “But he also sees problems.”
16.29 Neki kérdései vannak a költségvetésről. Neki kérdései vannak a költségvetésről. (NE-kee KAYR-day-shey VON-nok o KØLT-shayg-ve-taysh-røl) “He has questions about the budget.”
16.30 Ő és én holnap találkozunk a főnökkel. Ő és én holnap találkozunk a főnökkel. (ø aysh ayn HOL-nop TO-laal-ko-zoonk o FØ-nøk-kel) “He and I will meet with the boss tomorrow.”
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16.16 Ki ő ott az ablak mellett? Ki ő ott az ablak mellett? (kee ø ott oz OB-lok MEL-lett)
16.17 Ő az új kolléga, Péter. Ő az új kolléga, Péter. (ø oz ooy KOL-lay-go PAY-ter)
16.18 Őt még nem ismerem. Őt még nem ismerem. (øt mayg nem EESH-me-rem)
16.19 Ő tegnap kezdett dolgozni itt. Ő tegnap kezdett dolgozni itt. (ø TEG-nop KEZ-dett DOL-goz-nee itt)
16.20 Honnan jött ő? Honnan jött ő? (HON-non yøtt ø)
16.21 Ő Debrecenből érkezett. Ő Debrecenből érkezett. (ø DEB-re-tsen-bøl AYR-ke-zett)
16.22 Az ő irodája a harmadik emeleten van. Az ő irodája a harmadik emeleten van. (oz ø EE-ro-daa-yo o HOR-mo-deek E-me-le-ten vahn)
16.23 Vele kell beszélnem a projektről. Vele kell beszélnem a projektről. (VE-le kell BE-sayl-nem o PRO-yekt-røl)
16.24 Ő már tudja a részleteket. Ő már tudja a részleteket. (ø maar TOOD-yo o RAYS-le-te-ket)
16.25 Nélküle nem tudunk dönteni. Nélküle nem tudunk dönteni. (NAYL-kü-le nem TOO-doonk DØN-te-nee)
16.26 Ő nagyon tapasztalt mérnök. Ő nagyon tapasztalt mérnök. (ø NO-dyon TO-pos-tolt MAYR-nøk)
16.27 Szerinte a terv jó. Szerinte a terv jó. (SE-reen-te o terv yoh)
16.28 De ő is lát problémákat. De ő is lát problémákat. (de ø eesh laat prob-LAY-maa-kot)
16.29 Neki kérdései vannak a költségvetésről. Neki kérdései vannak a költségvetésről. (NE-kee KAYR-day-shey VON-nok o KØLT-shayg-ve-taysh-røl)
16.30 Ő és én holnap találkozunk a főnökkel. Ő és én holnap találkozunk a főnökkel. (ø aysh ayn HOL-nop TO-laal-ko-zoonk o FØ-nøk-kel)
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Pronoun Usage in Dialogue
This dialogue demonstrates the natural distribution of explicit pronouns in conversational Hungarian. Notice that ő appears in the following contexts.
Emphatic identification: “Ki ő?” (Who is he?) and “Ő az új kolléga” (HE is the new colleague) use the pronoun because the identity of the person is the main point.
Contrastive emphasis: “De ő is lát problémákat” (But HE ALSO sees problems) uses the pronoun to emphasize that this person, in addition to others, perceives issues.
Coordination: “Ő és én” (He and I) requires the explicit pronoun because multiple subjects are being coordinated.
Indirect forms without explicit ő
Several sentences use forms derived from the third-person pronoun without stating “ő” directly. “Vele” (with him), “nélküle” (without him), “szerinte” (according to him), and “neki” (to him) all contain the third-person reference built into the suffix or postposition. These constructions are extremely common in Hungarian and demonstrate how the language embeds pronoun information into word forms.
Definite vs. Indefinite Conjugation
Note the verb “tudja” (knows) in “Ő már tudja a részleteket.” The -ja ending indicates definite conjugation, used because the object (”a részleteket” - the details) is definite. Compare with “tudunk” (we can) in “Nélküle nem tudunk dönteni,” which uses indefinite conjugation because “dönteni” (to decide) is an infinitive, not a definite object.
The Locative System
Hungarian expresses location and direction through suffixes: “Debrecenből” (from Debrecen) uses the elative suffix -ból/-ből indicating motion from inside; “emeleten” (on the floor) uses the superessive suffix -on/-en/-ön indicating position on a surface; “irodája” (his office) combines the possessive suffix -ja with the root “iroda.”
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The Vowel Ő
The Hungarian letter ő represents a long, rounded front vowel. It is similar to the German “ö” (as in “schön”) or the French “eu” (as in “peu”), but held longer. To produce this sound, round your lips as if saying “oo,” but position your tongue as if saying “ay.” The result is a rounded front vowel that does not exist in English.
In IPA notation: /øː/ (long close-mid front rounded vowel)
Vowel Length Matters
Hungarian distinguishes between short and long vowels, indicated by acute accents (á, é, í, ó, ú) or double acute accents (ő, ű). The pronoun ő has a long vowel. Compare with the short version ö, which appears in words like “öt” (five) or “könyv” (book). Mispronouncing the length can change meaning or sound unnatural.
Common Pronunciation Errors
English speakers often pronounce ő as the English “oh” sound. This is incorrect—Hungarian “ó” exists separately and sounds like English “oh.” The ő sound requires lip rounding with front tongue position.
Another error is dropping the vowel length, pronouncing the long ő as short ö. In the pronoun, the long vowel is essential.
Stress Patterns
Hungarian stress always falls on the first syllable of a word. In the single-syllable pronoun ő, this is automatic. In compound forms like “nélküle” (without him/her), stress falls on “NÉL-küle.”
Audio Reference
For authentic pronunciation, search for Hungarian language learning resources featuring native speakers. The Hungarian section of Forvo.com provides crowdsourced pronunciations of individual words, including “ő” and related forms.
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Continue Your Journey
Lesson 17 will introduce “with” (preposition), exploring Hungarian’s postpositional system and instrumental case. The interplay between English prepositions and Hungarian postpositions represents one of the most interesting structural differences between these languages.
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✓ Lesson 16 Hungarian complete
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