Word order of adverbs (Hungarian)

(Adv1) & Adv2 & Adv4

Adv1: The adverb precedes the first transitive argument; for example, AdvSVO for SVO sentences, AdvSOV for SOV sentences, etc.

Adv2: The adverb follows the first transitive argument and precedes the second; for example, SAdvVO for SVO sentences, SAdvOV for SOV sentences, etc.

Adv4: The adverb follows the third transitive argument; for example, SVOAdv for SVO sentences, SOVAdv for SOV sentences, etc.


(1) a tanárnő dolgozat-ok-at javít.

the teacher test-pl-acc correct.prs.3sg

‘The teacher is correcting the tests.’


(2) a tanárnő itt / mindig / *ingyen dolgozat-ok-at javít.

the teacher here / always / for_free test-pl-acc correct.prs.3sg

‘The teacher is always/now/*for free correcting the tests.’


(3) a tanárnő dolgozat-ok-at javít itt / mindig / ingyen.

the teacher test-pl-acc correct.prs.3sg here / always / for_free

‘The teacher is (always) correcting the tests (here/ for free).


(4) itt / mindig / ingyen a tanárnő javít dolgozat-ok-at.

here always for_free the teacher correct.prs.3sg test-pl-acc

‘The teacher is (always) correcting the tests (here/ for free).


(5) a tanárnő ingyen javít-ja a dolgozat-ok-at.

the teacher for_free correct-prs.obj.3sg the test-pl-acc

‘The teacher is correcting the tests for free.’


(6) itt / mindig / ingyen a tanárnő javít-ja a dolgozat-ok-at.

here always for_free the teacher correct.prs.obj.3sg the test-pl-acc

‘The teacher is (always) correcting the tests (here/ for free).


(7) a tanárnő javít-ja itt / mindig / ingyen a dolgozat-ok-at.

the teacher correct.prs.obj.3sg here always for_free the test-pl-acc

‘The teacher is (always) correcting the tests (here/ for free).


In Hungarian, the position of the adverbial in relation to the basic word order (SOV) is rather flexible. Spatial and temporal adverbials (e.g. itt ‘here’, mindig ‘always’) usually follow the subject and precede the object and the verb in neutral sentences (2). Causal adverbials cannot appear in this position. Adverbials can be put at the end of the sentence, after the verb (3), or at the beginning of the sentence (4). In both cases, they have an emphatic function. Causal modifiers (5) appear next to the determinate verb form in corresponding neutral sentences with SVO word order. If the verb form is determinate and the word order is SVO, the adverbials can also be put at the end of the sentence (6), or between the verb and the object (7) (cf. Kenesei et al. 1998: 176, 179‒181).

Author: 

Nikolett F. Gulyás