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Hungarian Instrumental case: -val -vel


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Latin Name English role Endings Demonstrative Pronouns Personal Pronouns
Instrumental with
  • -val
  • -vel
Vowel harmony
  • ezzel (or evvel)
  • azzal (or avval)
  • ezekkel
  • azokkal
  • velem
  • veled
  • vele / Önnel
  • velünk
  • veletek
  • velük / Önökkel

This case is use exactly like the English with.

The most important thing about this case is the gemmination of a final consonant. This means that you don not just put the -val/-vel ending onto the word: you must gemminate the final consonant. The -v- in -val/-vel changes into last consonant of the word. The -val/-vel comes after other endings, so the last consonant may actually come from another ending.

Take care with gemination because it may mean that you do not recognise a word as having had a the instrumental case applied. Learn to recognise -(2 consoncants)el and -(2 consonants)el at the end of words.


ember person.
Én lakom két emberrel I live with two people. (see
plural)
vaj butter.
kenyér vajjal bread with butter (sentence fragment).

For words ending in a vowel, the -v- remains and the vowel may lengthen

kutya dog.
Én sétálok a kutyával I walk/stroll with the dog.

The -val/-vel comes after other endings, so the last consonant may actually come from another ending. barát friend.; barátom my friend (see possession)
én beszélek a barátommal I speak with my friend
én lakom emberekkel I live with people. (see plural)

Note, however, that Hungarians use the instrumental case where we in English would use another preposition such as to or by.

Utazom villamossal I travel with (by) tram.
Beszélek vele I speak with (to) him.

Note that when the last consonant of a word is a diglyph then the first gylph of the letter doubles.

busz busz
Utazom busszal I travel with (by) bus.

As with so many other cases, when a definite article is used, the -val/-vel applies to the noun and the article.

Én beszélek azzal a lánnyal I speak with that girl
Én beszélek ezzel a fiúval I speak with this boy

When two pieces of information used, perhaps with a two-part question or a question and answer, both parts are put into the instrumental case.

Mivel utazol? Busszal? How do you travel (with what do you travel)? By (with) bus?
Kivel beszélsz? Daniellel. With (to) whom do you speak? With (to) Daniel.

When two pieces of information used, perhaps with a two-part question or a question and answer, both parts are put into the instrumental case.

Mivel utazol? Busszal? How do you travel (with what do you travel)? By (with) bus?
Kivel beszélsz? Daniellel. With (to) whom do you speak? With (to) Daniel.



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