hangolniuk

Hangolniuk is a Hungarian verb form that appears when the infinitive hangolni ("to tune") is suffixed with the third-person plural pronoun -uk, producing hangolniuk. It is typically described in grammars as a non-finite form used to express an action performed on a plural object, with the object pronoun integrated into the infinitive. The form illustrates how Hungarian can attach clitic-like pronouns to non-finite verb forms.

Formation and function

Hangolniuk is built from the root hangol- plus the infinitive ending -ni and the attached pronoun suffix -uk. The resulting form functions as a bound non-finite clause element and requires a governing finite verb or matrix clause. In modern standard usage, explicit pronoun attachment to infinitives is uncommon, and hangolniuk is mostly encountered in linguistic descriptions, dialectal speech, or historical texts as an example of cliticization patterns in Hungarian.

Usage notes

Because hangolniuk carries an object-centered meaning inside a non-finite clause, it typically appears in constructions where the action is described in relation to a plural direct object and is embedded under a finite predicate expressing obligation, necessity, or perception. In many everyday sentences Hungarian speakers would instead use a finite verb form or a different syntactic strategy rather than this bound infinitive.

Example

A tanár azt mondta, hogy hangolniuk kell a hangszereket. Translation: The teacher said that they must tune the instruments. This illustrates hangolniuk used within a subordinate clause expressing obligation.

See also

hangolni, hangolás, Hungarian inflection and pronoun attachment, non-finite verb forms.