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Making adjectives from nouns with -s


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Adjectives that express a lasting quality are created from nouns using -os, -es, -ös or -as. These adjectives are quite different from those adjectives formed using -i.

The -os or -es endings have the role similar to adding -y in English.


Some examples.

  • vicc (a) joke
  • vicces jokey, funny
  • hiba (an) error
  • hibás faulty (lengthen the -a as usual)
  • rend (an) order
  • rendes in order, orderly

Not all uses of this ending correspond directly to a -y ending. Some make adjectives that correspond to English words without the typical -y ending. Here are some examples:

  • kép picture, photo
  • képes picture- (adjective)
  • képeslap picture-postcard
  • külföld abroad (noun)
  • külföld abroad (noun)
  • külföldi foreign (adjective)
  • külföldies outlandish

Adjectives of numerals

The -os/es/ös/as ending, when applied to numbers, will make adjectives of number. This is approximately equivalent of us saying "the number twenty bus".

The ending can be applied not only to cardinal numbers but to numeric question words. This gives us:

  • hány? how many?
  • hányas? of which number?

For example

  • hányas busszal jössz? on which number bus are you coming?
  • a húszas busszal jövök? I am coming on the number twenty
  • jön az ötös bussz the number five bus is coming
  • hányas emeleten laksz? on which (number) floor do you live?
  • a kettesen on number two (i.e. on the second floor)
  • mondj egy hatost és egy kilencest say the numbers six and nine

Number Adjective Note
hány? hányas?  
egy egyes  
kettő kettes We drop the last vowel
három hármas Note the choice of link vowel
négy négyes  
öt ötös Note the choice of link vowel
hat hatos  
hét hetes  Note how the first vowel shortens
nyolc nyolcos  
kilenc kilences  
tíz tízes The long í does not shorten, unlike when making teen cardinal numbers
száz százas This also means "a one-hundred Forint note"

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