Alapszámnév

Alapszámnév, in Hungarian grammar, refers to cardinal numbers. These are the words used to count quantities, such as one, two, three, etc. In Hungarian, alapszámnév are fundamental building blocks of the language, essential for expressing quantity, age, time, and much more.

The basic Hungarian cardinal numbers include words like egy (one), kettő (two), három (three), négy (four), öt (five), hat (six), hét (seven), nyolc (eight), kilenc (nine), and tíz (ten). Larger numbers are formed by combining these basic units. For instance, tizenegy means eleven (ten-one), húsz means twenty, and száz means one hundred.

Unlike some languages, Hungarian cardinal numbers do not change their form based on gender or number. The word for "one," egy, remains the same whether referring to a singular masculine, feminine, or neuter noun. This simplifies their usage in sentence construction.

Alapszámnév can function as various parts of speech in a sentence. They can act as determiners, specifying the quantity of a noun. For example, "két alma" (two apples) shows "kettő" modifying "alma." They can also stand alone as pronouns, representing a number. "Hányan vannak?" (How many are there?) "Öten." (Five.) demonstrates this. Furthermore, they can be used adverbially, indicating frequency or manner.

Understanding and correctly using alapszámnév is crucial for anyone learning Hungarian, as they are indispensable for everyday communication.