kérj

Kérj is the second-person singular imperative form of the Hungarian verb kérni, meaning to ask or to request. It is used to address someone informally (te) and to urge them to make a request, seek information, or obtain something from another person. The imperative has several related forms: kérjen is the formal singular (Ön); kérjetek is the informal plural (ti); kérjenek is the formal plural (Önök); and kérjünk is the first-person plural (we let us ask). The negative imperative is ne kérj.

In usage, kérj introduces a direct exhortation to act. It is commonly found in everyday speech, advice, and requests where the speaker wants the listener to perform a task or seek something on their own. The form adapts to politeness and number through the corresponding person and mood forms of kérni. For example, kérj segítséget means “ask for help” (informal, singular), while kérjenek segítséget means “please ask for help” directed at a group in a polite register.

Related forms include the infinitive kérni (to ask), the noun kérés (a request), and various derived phrases. The word functions primarily as a grammatical mood marker rather than as a standalone lexical item, since its meaning is supplied by the verb kérni in context.

See also: kérni, kérés, kérdés. Examples: Kérj segítséget! (Ask for help!), Kérjetek időt a döntésre. (Take time to decide.), Kérjenek tőlem tanácsot. (Ask me for advice.)