-ják
Hungarian
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
-ja (third-person singular suffix) + -k (plural suffix)
Suffix
-ják
- (personal suffix) Used to form the third-person plural present tense of verbs (indicative mood, definite conjugation).
- hall (“to hear”) → Nem hallják, amit mondasz. - They can't hear what you are saying.
Usage notes
- See harmonic variants in the table below.
Present tense definite – personal endings
| Person | Back vowel | Front vowel | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| unrounded | rounded | |||
| én | 1st person singular | -om | -em | -öm |
| te | 2nd person singular | -od | -ed | -öd |
| ő maga ön |
3rd person singular or formal 2nd person singular |
-ja | -i | |
| mi | 1st person plural | -juk | -jük | |
| ti | 2nd person plural | -játok | -itek | |
| ők maguk önök |
3rd person plural or formal 2nd person plural |
-ják | -ik | |
| See also: present-tense indefinite-object suffixes and second-person-object suffixes for informal addressing. | ||||
Etymology 2
-j (subjunctive / imperative suffix) + -ák (personal suffix)
Suffix
-ják
- (personal suffix) Used to form the third-person plural subjunctive/imperative of verbs (definite conjugation).
- ír (“to write”) → Hova írják a nevüket a gyerekek? - Where should the children write their names?
- Írják le a nevüket! - Write down your name! (formally addressing multiple persons)
Usage notes
- See harmonic variants in the table below.
Subjunctive/imperative definite – personal endings
| Person | Back vowel |
Front vowel | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| én | 1st person singular | -jam | -jem | |
| te | 2nd person singular | -d | ||
| long form | -jad | -jed | ||
| ő maga / ön |
3rd person singular | -ja | -je | |
| mi | 1st person plural | -juk | -jük | |
| ti | 2nd person plural | -játok | -jétek | |
| ők maguk / önök |
3rd person plural | -ják | -jék | |
| See also: present-tense indefinite-object suffixes and second-person-object suffixes for informal addressing. | ||||
| Verb ending | Assimilation rules of -j | |||
| s sz z dz |
The -j assimilates to the verb ending: keres → keress metsz → metssz hoz → hozz edz → eddz (No change in the short -d form of 2nd-person singular definite: keresd, metszd, hozd, edzd.) | |||
| st szt |
The -t is removed, the -j assimilates to the -s, -sz: fest → fess fáraszt → fárassz Short -d forms: fesd, fáraszd. | |||
| long vowel + t or consonant + t |
The -j becomes -s: segít → segíts bont → bonts Exceptions: bocsát → bocsáss, lát → láss Short -d forms: segítsd, bontsd; lásd, bocsásd. | |||
| short vowel + t | Both the stem-final -t and the -j become -s: mutat → mutass, szeret → szeress Short -d forms: mutasd, szeresd. | |||