Tudnál

Tudnál is a Hungarian verb form used as the second person singular conditional of the verb tudni, which means to know or to be able. In practice, tudnál functions to express possibility or to phrase a polite request, roughly translating to “could you” or “would you be able to.” It is commonly used in everyday spoken Hungarian to ask for something in a courteous way.

Grammatically, tudnál is the informal second person singular conditional form. The formal alternative when addressing someone respectfully is tudna, and with plural or formal address you would typically use tudnának or tudnátok depending on the subject. Tudnál is almost always followed by an infinitive, forming questions or requests such as tudnál segíteni? (“could you help?”) or tudnál mondani egy példát? (“could you give an example?”).

Usage notes:

- Tudnál egy példát adni? is a typical, non-formal request in conversation.

- The formal counterpart, Tudna segíteni?, is appropriate in professional or respectful contexts.

- While primarily used in requests, tudnál can also appear in hypothetical or conditional statements about capability.

Etymology and lexical status:

Tudnál is not a separate lexical item; it is a conjugated form of the irregular verb tudni. As with other Hungarian verb forms, it reflects mood, person, and number, and its primary function is to modify the meaning of an accompanying infinitive in polite or conditional contexts.