deci-

From Latin deci(mus) (“tenth”), from decem (“ten”).

deci- + méter (“meter”) → deciméter (“decimeter”)


centi-

centi- + méter (“meter”) → centiméter (“centimeter”)


milli-

milli- + méter (“meter”) → milliméter (“millimeter”)


nano-

From Latin nānus (“dwarf”), from Ancient Greek νᾶνος (nânos).


auto-

From Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”).


meg-

May be related to Erzya мекев (mekev, “back, backwards”).

fordul (“to turn”) → megfordul (“to turn around, to turn back”)

jön (“to come”) → megjön (“to come back, get back, return”)

A verbal prefix with the following meanings:

(original meaning, now rare) back, backwards

keres (“to look for”) → megkeres (“to locate, look for it until it is found”)

talál (“to find accidentally, to come across”) → megtalál (“to find (after purposefully searching)”)

néz (“to look at, for an indefinite time, as an ongoing activity”) → megnéz (“to give it a [thorough] look, assess its quality, form an opinion, etc.”)

hallgat (“to listen”, or: “to keep quiet”) → meghallgat (“to listen till the end attentively and comprehend, give it some thought”)

vár (“to wait”) → megvár (“to wait until something happens, someone arrives or gets ready”)

It adds a perfective aspect to the verb in all tenses (a definite endpoint when the action can be considered completed).

hízik (“to get fatter [than before]”) → meghízik (“to get fat”) (compare also elhízik (“to get obese”))

hosszabbít (“to make longer, lengthen”) → meghosszabbít (“to make it [sufficiently] long”)

Not infrequently it can be rendered with the positive degree of an adjective rather than the comparative, expressing an absolute measure instead of a relative one:

szeret (“to love”) → megszeret (“to come to like, to become attached to, to become fond of”)

lát (“to see”) → meglát (“to catch sight of”)

tud (“to know”) → megtud (“to learn, find out”)

It expresses the beginning of an action (inchoative aspect).

lő (“to shoot”) → meglő (“to shoot and wound”) (compare also lelő (“to shoot and kill”))

csúszik (“to slip, slide”) → megcsúszik (“to slip but avoid falling”) (compare also elcsúszik (“to slip and fall, possibly getting injured”))

It may express a half-perfective aspect:

szól (“to say something”) → megszól (“to backbite, badmouth, to say bad things about someone behind the person's back”)

It sometimes changes the meaning of the verb in other ways.


kilo-

kilo- + méter (“meter”) → kilométer (“kilometer”)


mega-

From Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great, large, mighty”).

der

International System of Units
International System of Units#English

mega- (in the International System of Units and other metric systems of units, multiplying the unit to which it is attached by one million (10⁶.))


hexa-

From Ancient Greek ἑξα- (hexa-), from ἕξ (héx, “six”).

hexa- (forming compound words with the sense of "six")


anti-

From Ancient Greek ἀντί (antí, “against”).


penta-

Borrowed from Ancient Greek πέντε (pénte, “five”).


hetero-

From Ancient Greek ἕτερος (héteros, “other, another, different”).


tele-

From Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle, “at a distance, far off, far away, far from”).

ház (“house”) → teleház (“telecenter”)


tele-

pakol (“to pack”) → telepakol (“to fill up something fully with something”)

firkál (“to scribble”) → telefirkál (“to scribble all over, to fill the available space completely with scribble”)

(verbal prefix) to the brim, fully, over an entire extent


re-

indicates a return to previous state, back


deka-

deka- + gramm (“gram”) → dekagramm (“decagram”)


neo-

From Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “new, young”).


em-

The first element of a few compound pronouns and adverbs. The compounds were formed by syntagmatic fusion, the role of the prefix is emphasis.


ki-

megy (“to go”) → kimegy (“to exit, to go out”)

(verbal prefix) It indicates actions with outward direction or actions aiming fulfillment.

alszik (“to sleep”) → kialussza magát (“to get enough sleep”)

úszik (“to swim”) → kiússza magát (“to have enough swim”)

beszél (“to speak”) → kibeszéli magát (“to say everything that weighs on one’s mind”)

to one's heart's content
to one's heart's content

construed with magát and definite conjugation of originally intransitive verbs: to one's heart's content, as much as one wants or needs


föl-

föl- + megy (“to walk”) → fölmegy (“to walk up”)

(verbal prefix) Alternative form of fel-, originally indicating actions with upward direction.


le-

esik (“to fall”) → leesik (“to fall down”)

ül (“to sit”) → leül (“to sit down”)

néz (“to look”) → lenéz (“to look down at (someone/something); to look down on (someone), to hold someone in contempt”)

vezet (“to drive”) → levezet (“to drive down to (a town, a destination); to deduce something”)

beszél (“to talk”) → lebeszél (“to dissuade”)

(verbal prefix) Indicates actions with downward direction, either figuratively or literally.

zár (“to lock”) → lezár (“to lock up”)

fordít (“to translate”) → lefordít (“to (completely, thoroughly) translate”)

vezet (“to lead”) → levezet (“to conduct (a meeting, a trial, etc.)”)

fizet (“to pay”) → lefizet (“to pay off; to bribe”)

beszél (“to talk”) → lebeszél (“to exhaust (something, usually one's phone credit) by talking”)

vásárol (“to buy”) → levásárol (“to claim (a coupon, etc.) and use up”)

dolgozik (“to work”) → ledolgoz (“to work off (extra pounds); to work until one has the necessary amount of work hours because of substitutions, shift changes, holidays, etc.”)

ül (“to sit”) → leül (“to convert financial penalty into time spent in jail instead of paying”)

(verbal prefix) Indicates the repeated or continuous performance of an action until something's depleted, exhausted, etc.


el-

megy (“to go, to walk”) → elmegy (“to go away”)

vet (“to throw, to cast”) → elvet (“to dismiss, to rule out, to throw out (a plan or a possible solution)”)

néz (“to look”) → elnéz (“to excuse, to forgive, to look the other way”)

(verbal prefix) indicates actions whose direction is pointing away from the speaker, either literally or figuratively

ír (“to write”) → elír (“to misspell”)

számol (“to calculate”) → elszámol (“to miscalculate”)

néz (“to look”) → elnéz (“to overlook”)

(verbal prefix) indicates the unsuccessful or inaccurate completion of an action

lop (“to steal something”) → ellop (“to steal something from someone”)

zár (“to lock”) → elzár (“to lock away, to store something securely”)

(verbal prefix) indicates separation, deprivation, etc.

alszik (“to sleep”) → elalszik (“to fall asleep”)

éget (“to burn”) → eléget (“to burn away, to destroy completely by burning”)

játszik (“to act”) → eljátszik (“to act out”)

fogy (“to decrease, to diminish (in size, quantity, etc.)”) → elfogy (“to get used up”)

(verbal prefix) indicates completeness or perfection

áll (“to stand”) → eláll (“of food: to remain fresh, not to get spoiled”)

van (“to be, to exist”) → elvan (“to entertain/amuse oneself”)

néz (“to look”) → elnéz (“to observe something, to watch”)

játszik (“to play”) → eljátszik (“to play for a long time”)

(verbal prefix) indicates continuity over a long period of time


al-

From Proto-Uralic *ëla. Cognates include Finnish ala-.

építmény (“structure”) → alépítmény (“substructure”)

világ (“world”) → alvilág (“underworld”)

elnök (“president”) → alelnök (“vice president”)

vice, deputy (used with a rank of a person in office)


tizen-

tizen- + hat (“six”) → tizenhat (“sixteen”)


elektro-

From Latin electrum, from Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron, “amber”) (a natural resin, which - when rubbed - produces static electricity).


mikro-

From Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”).


be-

be- + megy (“to go”) → bemegy (“to go into”)

(verbal prefix) in (it indicates actions with inward direction)


ide-

ide- + ír (“to write”) → ideír (“to write here”)


rá-

rá- + beszél (“to speak”) → rábeszél (“to talk someone into doing something”)


fel-

fel- + megy (“to walk”) → felmegy (“to walk up”)

(verbal prefix) up (indicates actions with upward direction)


oda-

oda- + talál (“to find”) → odatalál (“to find one's way to”)


szét-

szét- + esik (“to fall”) → szétesik (“to fall apart”)

szét- + néz (“to look”) → szétnéz (“to look around/about”)


át-

át- + megy (“to go”) → átmegy (“to go across”)


vissza-

vissza- + megy (“to go”) → visszamegy (“to go back”)


össze-

össze- + rak (“to place”) → összerak (“to assemble, to put together”)


gyógy-

Back-formation from gyógyít and gyógyul, created during the Hungarian language reform, which took place in the 18th–19th centuries.

hu-langref

curative, medicinal, remedial, therapeutic, officinal (used in compound words and derivations only)


kontra-

(music) contra- (a deeper voice, both human and instrument)


agyon-

From agy (“brain”) + -on (superessive suffix), literally “on [the] brain”.

affix

agyon- + lő (“to shoot”) → agyonlő (“to shoot dead”)

agyon- + üt (“to hit”) → agyonüt (“to strike dead”)

(verbal prefix) Attached to verbs to indicate a deadly physical force: to death.

agyon- + un (“to be bored of”) → agyonunja magát (“to be bored to death”)

agyon- + dicsér (“to praise”) → agyondicsér (“to praise to the skies”)

(verbal prefix, informal) Attached to verbs to express exaggeration: to an excessive degree.


félre-

félre- + ért (“to understand”) → félreért (“to misunderstand”)

félre- + áll (“to stand”) → félreáll (“to step aside”)


újjá-

újjá- + születik (“to be born”) → újjászületik (“to be reborn”)


ellen-

ellen- + áll (“to stand”) → ellenáll (“to resist”)


elő-

elő- + fizet (“to pay”) → előfizet (“to subscribe”)

(verbal prefix) in front of, to the front, forward (in space) or before, in advance (in time)

elő- + szó (“word”) → előszó (“foreword”)


kripto-

From Ancient Greek κρυπτός (kruptós, “hidden, secret”).

der

(sciences) crypto- (hidden, invisible, secret)


hozzá-

hozzá- + ír (“to write”) → hozzáír (“to add by writing”)


abba-

abba- + hagy (“to let, leave, allow”) → abbahagy (“to stop, cease, discontinue”)

Abbahagyta az iskolát.

(verbal prefix) Indicates an action that is no longer continued.


ön-

From the ö- stem of a Proto-Finno-Ugric third-person singular pronoun (present-day ő), with the obsolete pronoun suffix -n.

ön- + életrajz (“biography”) → önéletrajz (“autobiography”)


poli-

From Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many, much”).


alá-

alá- + becsül (“to value”) → alábecsül (“to undervalue, underestimate”)


bel-

Back-formation from belső (“interior”). Created during the Hungarian language reform, which took place in the 18th–19th centuries.

hu-langref

bel- + város (“city”) → belváros (“city centre”)

(noun prefix) interior, internal, domestic


alag-

alag- + út (“road”) → alagút (“tunnel”)


tév-

mis-, de-. The derived words are related to falsehood, confusion, mixing up things, etc.


viszont-

Cognate of vissza (“back”); see more at viszont.

viszont- + szeret (“to love”) → viszontszeret (“to love back, to return the love one received”)

(verbal prefix) in return, repaying, reciprocating something

viszont- + lát (“to see”) → viszontlát (“to see again, to meet again”)


huszon-

twenty- (used to form cardinal numbers starting with twenty; only used in compound words)


vala-

hogy (“how”) → valahogy (“somehow”)

hol (“where”) → valahol (“somewhere”)

ki (“who”) → valaki (“someone”)

mikor (“when”) → valamikor (“sometime, at an unspecified time”)

interrogative pronoun
interrogative pronoun

(pronoun prefix) some- (attached to interrogative pronouns)


cito-

From Latin cytus, from Ancient Greek κύτος (kútos, “container, receptacle”).


piro-

Borrowed from Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr, “fire”).


egybe-

From egy (“one”) + -be (illative suffix).

egybe- + ír (“to write”) → egybeír (“to write as one word”)


körül-

néz (“to look”) → körülnéz (“to look around”)

ír (“to write”) → körülír (“to describe, to paraphrase, to circumscribe”)

(verbal prefix) circum-, around. It indicates an action around something (also figuratively).


létre-

From the inflected noun létre, from lét (“being, existence”) + -re (“onto”, case suffix).

affix

hoz (“to bring”) → létrehoz (“to create, bring about, establish, found something”)

hív (“to invite”) → létrehív (“to create, initiate, originate something”) (literary)

jön (“to come”) → létrejön (“to be established, set up, to be arrived at, struck up”)

(verbal prefix) into being, into existence (only used with the following three verbs:)


pót-

Back-formation from pótol by splitting the verb ending -ol. Created during the Hungarian language reform, which took place in the 18th–19th centuries.

pót- + kerék (“wheel”) → pótkerék (“spare tire”)

(noun prefix) spare, additional, supplementary, substitute


bele-

bele- + szeret (“to love”) → beleszeret (“to fall in love with ……”)

bele- + mászik (“to climb”) → belemászik (“to climb in[to] ……”)


túl-

the derived terms of túl as an adverb and as a postposition

él (“to live”) → túlél (“to survive”)

(verbal prefix) over; beyond something, farther

súly (“weight”) → túlsúly (“overweight”)

excessive, excess, over- (greater than the usual)

túlvilág

túlóra

túlérzékeny

túlbuzgó


né-

hol (“where”) → néhol (“at some places”)

mely (“which”) → némely (“some specific ones, a few of them”)

hány (“how many”) → néhány (“a few”)

interrogative pronoun
interrogative pronoun#English

(pronoun prefix) some- (a certain, an unspecified or unknown; attached to some interrogative pronouns)


egyen-

egyen- + ruha (“dress”) → egyenruha (“uniform”)


helyre-

From hely (“place”) + -re (“onto, on”, case suffix).

helyre- + tesz (“to put”) → helyretesz (“to put in its place again”)

(verbal prefix) putting something back to its original place

helyre- + állít (“to place”) → helyreállít (“to restore”)

(verbal prefix) restoring to a normal state


magán

Superseded spelling of magán- (“private[ly]”).


kül-

kül- + város (“city”) → külváros (“suburb”)

kül- + föld (“land”) → külföld (“foreign countries”)

(noun prefix) external, foreign, outside of something


haza-

From haz, an older form of ház (“house, home”) + -a.

haza- + megy (“to go”) → hazamegy (“to go home”)

(verbal prefix) home (it indicates one's home or country)


makro-

From Ancient Greek μακρός (makrós, “long”).


szembe-

Lexicalization of szem (“eye, field of vision”) + -be (into)

af

szembe- + néz (“to look”) → szembenéz (“to face up to something; to look someone straight in the eye”)

(verbal prefix) opposite of something, in the face of something


végig-

From vég (“end”) + -ig (“until, up to”, case suffix), literally “until the end”.

affix

végig- + megy (“to walk”) → végigmegy (“to walk from the beginning of something to its end”)

végig- + beszél (“to talk”) → végigbeszél (“to talk through a time interval, from the beginning to its end)”)

(verbal prefix) It expresses that the action takes place from the beginning of something to its end. This can refer to both place and time.


újra-

újra- + kezd (“to start, to begin”) → újrakezd (“to restart (a process)”)


utána-

megy (“to go”) → utánamegy (“to go after”)

(verbal prefix) It can have the following meanings:

It can have the following meanings:
after someone or something

rendel (“to order”) → utánarendel (“to reorder”)

re-, to do something subsequently, afterwards

csinál (“to do”) → utánacsinál (“to do something after someone”)

It can have the following meanings:
to imitate someone or something

számol (“to count”) → utánaszámol (“to recount”)

to repeat something in order to verify it

jár (“to go, walk”) → utánajár (“to investigate, look into something”)

to do something in order to fix or settle it


leg-

zöld (“green”) → zöldebb (“greener”) → legzöldebb (“greenest”)

(superlative-forming prefix) -est, most, -most. Forms the superlative mostly from comparative adjectives, forms already suffixed with -(a/e/o)bb (altogether functioning like a circumfix); occasionally from the lemma itself.


tovább-

tovább- + ad (“to give”) → továbbad (“to pass on”)

tovább- + fejleszt (“to develop”) → továbbfejleszt (“to improve, to upgrade”)


össz-

össz- + létszám (“number of participants”) → összlétszám (“total number of participants”)

össz- + hang (“voice”) → összhang (“harmony”)


alul-

alul- + fizet (“to pay”) → alulfizet (“to underpay”)


am-

Probably from a (demonstrative pronoun) + -m (pronoun-forming suffix). It cannot be attested as an independent term. A direct derivation from ám is less likely.

af

The first element of a few compound pronouns and adverbs. The compounds were formed by syntactic adhesion, the role of the prefix is emphasis, juxtaposition.


együtt-

Use of adverb együtt (“together, with, in the company of”) as a verbal prefix.

működik (“function”) → együttműködik (“cooperate”)


előre-

előre- + fut (“to run”) → előrefut (“to run ahead/forward”)

(verbal prefix) ahead, forward (it indicates a forward movement compared to a previous position, both in space and time)


ketté-

ketté- + tör (“to break”) → kettétör (“to sunder, to break into two separate parts”)

(verbal prefix) asunder (into two separate parts or pieces)


kölcsön-

kölcsön- + kér (“to ask”) → kölcsönkér (“to borrow”)


körbe-

From kör (“circle”) + -be (“in”, case suffix).

affix

körbe- + telefonál (“to phone”) → körbetelefonál (“to call several people in a row to find out something”)

(verbal prefix) in circle, surrounding someone or something


mellé-

mellé- + ír (“to write”) → melléír (“to write something next to something”)

(verbal prefix) next to one side of someone or something

mellé- + üt (“to hit”) → melléüt (“to mishit”)

(verbal prefix) aside, off, mis-, missing the target


keresztül-

keresztül- + folyik (“to flow”) → keresztülfolyik (“to flow through”)

keresztül- + megy (“to go”) → keresztülmegy (“to cross”)


hátra-

hátra- + néz (“to look”) → hátranéz (“to look back”)

hátra- + marad (“to stay”) → hátramarad (“to fall behind”)


neki-

neki- + megy (“to go”) → nekimegy (“to bump against something”)

(verbal prefix) moving towards someone or something (and reaching it)

neki- + készül (“to prepare”) → nekikészül (“to get ready to do something”)

(verbal prefix) acting toward a certain direction

neki- + búsul (“to feel sad”) → nekibúsul (“to give way to sadness”)

(verbal prefix) giving oneself over to certain emotions


elé-

elé- + ír (“to write”) → eléír (“to write something before something”)


fenn-

fenn- + marad (“to stay”) → fennmarad (“to survive, remain; to float (on the surface)”)


fölül-

fölül- + ír (“to write”) → fölülír (“to overwrite”)

(verbal prefix) Alternative form of felül-.


felül-

felül- + ír (“to write”) → felülír (“to overwrite”)


gör-

From the same stem as gördül (“to roll”), gördít (“to roll”), görget (“to roll”).

gör- + korcsolya (“skate”) → görkorcsolya (“roller skate”)


leges-

leg- (prefix to form the superlative of adjectives) + -es (adjective-forming suffix)

af

zöld (“green”) → zöldebb (“greener”) → legzöldebb (“greenest”) → legeslegzöldebb (“the very greenest”)

(exaggerative-forming prefix) the very ……-est. Used with superlative adjectives to create the exaggerated form.


közbe-

Lexicalization of köz (“gap, interval”) + -be (“in”, case suffix).

affix

közbe- + jön (“to come”) → közbejön (“to intervene, to come up”)


kontakt-

(noun prefix) contact (a prefix relating to touching, as of objects or surfaces)


ál-

false, fake, sham, phoney, make-believe, bogus, pseudo-, counterfeit


ugyan-

the same (person/thing/way/kind/place/size/amount/etc.) as…


akár-

(csak added after the pronoun)


bár-

(csak added after the pronoun)


mű-

especially those with the noun sense of mű like műsor

mű- + anyag (“material”) → műanyag (“plastic”, literally “artificial material”)

mű- + hold (“moon”) → műhold (“satellite”, literally “artificial moon”)

mű- + út (“road”) → műút (“main road, highway”, literally “artificial road”)

mű- + fog (“tooth”) → műfog (“denture, false/artificial tooth”)

mű- + könny (“tear”) → műkönnyek (“crocodile tears”, literally “false tears”)

artificial, man-made, false, mock (not genuine)

mű- + egyetem (“university”) → műegyetem (“technical university”)

mű- + szó (“word”) → műszó (“technical term”)

mű- + nyelv (“language”) → műnyelv (“technical jargon”) (dated)

mű- + bútor (“furniture”) → műbútor (“furniture of fine craftsmanship”)

mű- + emlék (“relic, memento”) → műemlék (“historic monument”)

artistic, (sometimes) historic (related to a product of human creativity)

mű- + dal (“song”) → műdal (“song by a known author”)

mű- + mese (“tale”) → műmese (“tale by a known author”)

literary (created by a known author, as opposed to being folk-derived)


alább-

alább- + hagy (“to let, leave, allow”) → alábbhagy (“to subside”)

(verbal prefix) Indicates action continuing on a lower level.


röp-

röppálya

flying, flight (usually forms words based on German)

röpdolgozat

ad-hoc, impromptu, short (indicates an activity with a short duration)


belé-

(dialectal, verbal prefix) Alternative form of bele-.


déd-

Borrowed from a Slavic language, from Proto-Slavic *dědъ.

anya (“mother”) — nagyanya (“grandmother”) — dédnagyanya (“great-grandmother”)

great-grand (indicates a family relationship to the third degree)


közre-

fog (“to hold”) → közrefog (“to flank, straddle”)

(verbal prefix) surrounding (someone or something) in between

működik (“to operate”) → közreműködik (“to cooperate in, contribute to”)

(verbal prefix) taking part in (something)

bocsát (“to let”) → közrebocsát (“to publish”)

(verbal prefix) releasing (something) to the public


kultúr-

kultúr- + harc (“battle”) → kultúrharc (“culture war”)


immun-

immuno- (relating to the immune systems and processes in a living organism)


rajta-

csíp (“to pinch”) → rajtacsíp (“to catch [red-handed]”)

felejt (“to forget”) → rajtafelejt (“to leave something on [e.g. the cooker] out of forgetfulness”)

kap (“to grab, to catch”) → rajtakap (“to catch [red-handed]”)

üt (“to hit”) → rajtaüt (“to ambush, to raid”)

veszt (“to lose”) → rajtaveszt (“to come to grief, to come off badly”)

the other compounds below are mostly uncommon today

(verbal prefix, rare) on it (often figuratively)


farmako-

From Ancient Greek φάρμακον (phármakon, “drug”).

der

pharmaco- (of or relating to medication)


fönn-

fönn- + marad (“to stay”) → fönnmarad (“to survive, remain; to float (on the surface)”)

(verbal prefix) Alternative form of fenn-: up, above


félbe-

From fél (“half”) + -be (“in”, case suffix), literally “in half”.

affix

félbe- + hagy (“to let, leave, allow”) → félbehagy (“to stop, cease, discontinue”)

(verbal prefix) It indicates an action that is left unfinished.


széjjel-

Lexicalization of szél (“edge, side”) + -l (ablative suffix): *szélel > széllel > széllyel > széjjel.

szét-

synonymous with and more common than széjjel-

esik (“to fall”) → széjjelesik (“to fall apart”)

néz (“to look”) → széjjelnéz (“to look around/about”)

fut (“to run”) → széjjelfut (“to run into every direction, scatter”)

(verbal prefix) into every direction (from somewhere)


magán-

Lexicalization of maga (“oneself”) + -n (adverb-forming suffix).

af

magán

superseded spelling or misspelling when written separately


külön-

külön- + ír (“to write”) → különír (“to write separately”)


pszeudo-

From Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false, lying”).


tova-

száll (“to fly”) → tovaszáll (“to fly away”)


agrár-

Borrowed from German Agrar, from Latin agrarius.


holt-

holt- + részeg (“drunk”) → holtrészeg (“blind drunk”, literally “totally drunk”)

holt- + verseny (“race, competition”) → holtverseny (“dead heat, draw, tie”, literally “equal race”)

equal (moving equally, without any difference)

holt- + tér (“area, space”) → holttér (“blind spot”, literally “unusable space”)


véd-

Calque of German Schutz-, based on the Hungarian verb véd (“to protect”) in present-participle sense (compare gyógy-, jár-, lát-). Some of its compounds were coined based on Hungarian compounds already coined.

(archaic in most compounds) protective, safety


szint-

(literary) Synonym of ugyan- (“the same (person/thing/way/kind/place/size/amount/etc.) as…”)