-ál

See also: Appendix:Variations of "al"

Hungarian

Etymology

-á- + -l

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [aːl]

Suffix

-ál

1. (verb-forming suffix) Same as -l with the -á- linking vowel. Used for integrating loanwords into Hungarian.

   telefon (“telephone”) → telefonál (“to telephone”)

2. (frequentative suffix) Appended to a verb to form a verb to express repetitive action.

   dob (“to throw”) → dobál (“to throw one after the other”)

3. (noun-forming suffix, archaic) Appended to a verb to form a noun.

   fon (“to weave”) → fonál (“thread”)

4. (personal suffix) Used in the second-person singular indefinite form of verbs. It appears in past tense as -tál, in conditional mood present as -nál and in subjunctive mood present as -jál.

   tud (“to know”)

   Tudtál erről? ― Did you know about this?

   Tudnál segíteni? ― Could you help?

   Azt akarta, hogy tudjál róla. ― He wanted you to know about it.

Usage notes

• (verb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -l is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-. Final long vowels may shorten, e.g. ű → ü.

  -ol is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -al is added to other back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -el is added to unrounded (and some rounded) front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -öl is added to most rounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ál is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

Note: Certain words take another, synonymous suffix, -z/-oz/-az/-ez/-öz/-áz or -zik/-ozik/-azik/-ezik/-özik.

• (frequentative suffix) Variants:

  -ál is added to back vowel verbs

  -él is added to front vowel verbs

• (archaic noun suffix) Variants:

  -ál is added to back vowel verbs

  -él is added to front vowel verbs

  See also the suffix variants -al/-el.

Derived terms

Hungarian verbs suffixed with -ál

Hungarian nouns suffixed with -ál

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes