Better Hungarian

Quasi-auxiliary verbs are verbs that express possibility and/or necessity. These verbs modify the voice, tense, or mood of another verb.

In Hungarian, we have the following quasi-auxiliary verbs:

Hungarian	English	Hungarian	English
akar	to want	bír	to be able to, to stand/endure
fog	will (to express future tense)	kell	must/have to
kellene	should	kezd	to begin
lehet	may (to express permission or potential/possibility)	szeretne	would like to
szokott	used to	testzik	to like
tud	can, be able to	tud	can, be able to
szabad	to be free (to)	szokás	(it is the) custom/habit
kíván	to wish	szándékozik	to intend
mer	to dare	talál	to happen (to)
óhajt	to long (for)

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Quasi-Auxiliary Verbs in Sentences

In sentences, quasi-auxiliary verbs like this fill the conjugated verb position. The preverb position is filled by a verbal complement or a modifier of the infinitive verb. If the infinitive has no verbal complement or modifier, then it fills the preverb position itself.

If the infinitive has a coverb attached, that coverb will fill the preverb position just before the auxiliary verb, thus separating it from its infinitive.

Le tudod faragni a pénzösszeget? (Can you cut down on spending?)

Preverb	Verb	X
Le	tudod	faragni a pénzösszeget

Fel fogod ébreszteni (őt)? (Will you wake xir up?)

Preverb	Verb	X
Fel	fogod	ébreszteni (őt)

Fel kell mennem Pécsre. (I have to go to Pécs)

Preverb	Verb	X
Fel	kell	mennem Pécsre

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No Coverb

If the infinitive has no coverb, then the preverb position will be filled by any modifying adverb, adverbial, or verbal complement.

A feleségemnek sokat kell ennie. (My wife has to eat a lot)

Topic	Preverb	Verb	X
A feleségemnek	sokat	kell	ennie

Dalt akarok énekelni. (I want to sing a song)

Preverb	Verb	X
Dalt	akarok	énekelni

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No Modifiers

If the infinitive has no verbal complements or modifiers either, then it will fill the preverb position itself.

Utazni akarok. (I want to travel)

Preverb	Verb
Utazni	akarok

Vasárnap úszni szokott. (Xe usually swims on Sunday)

Topic	Preverb	Verb
Vasárnap	úszni	szokott

Neki holnap pihenni lehet. (Xe can rest tomorrow)

Topic	Preverb	Verb
(Neki) holnap	pihenni	lehet