Appendix:Hungarian prefixes
Contents
Co-VerbsEdit
Hungarian verbal prefixes often function as bound morphemes. They are more precisely referred to as verb particles or co-verbs which change the meaning or aspect of a verb.
- When fel- indicating an "upward motion" is used with hív "to call" it produces felhív denoting to "call up someone"
- Felhívod Mártát? - Are you going to call Marta?
In a number of syntactical settings related to focus and emphasis, co-verbs get separated from the verb and are placed either before or after it within the sentence. Some examples of grammatical setting of co-verb displacement are:
- The verb is preceded by an interrogative:
- Mikor hívod fel Mártát? - When are you going to call Marta?
- Simple negation of the verb:
- Nem hívod fel Mártát? - Aren't you calling Marta?
- In the use of the imperative:
- Hívd fel Mártát! - You must call Marta!
- In some infinitive constructions:
- Fel kell hívni Mártát. - It is necessary to call Marta.
Another example: meg- adds a perfective aspect to the verb modifying its meaning to indicate that the action of the verb has or will proceed until its ultimate conclusion.