válhatsz

Valhatsz is a Hungarian verb form that expresses potential: it means you can become or you may become something. It is used to indicate a future possibility dependent on conditions, effort, or circumstances. The form carries a sense of possibility rather than certainty and is commonly found in advice, aspirational statements, or forecasts.

Meaning and usage

Valhatsz is used when speaking about what you could become in the future. It can modify adjectives or nouns in predicative position, for example: válhatsz jó szakemberré (you can become a good professional) or ha dolgozol, válhatsz egyre jobb futóvá (if you train, you can become an increasingly better runner). The mood is similar to English can/may become.

Grammar and form

Valhatsz is the second-person singular present form used with the potential mood suffix -hat/-het, indicating possibility. It is derived from the verb válhat (to become) and combines the potential marker with the personal ending -sz.

Pronunciation

In standard Hungarian pronunciation, válhatsz is pronounced roughly as [ˈvaːl.xɒts], with a pronounced glottal fricative [h] in the middle and the long vowel in á.

Related forms

Related forms include válhat (he/she/it can become) and válni (to become, the infinitive). The suffix -hat/-het is used broadly in Hungarian to express ability or possibility across many verbs. Synonyms or near-equivalents for expressing possibility include lehetsz (you may be) in certain contexts, though lehetsz focuses more on state rather than transformation.

Etymology

The verb válhat comes from the root vál- (to become) with the modal suffix -hat/-het to express potential, plus the second-person ending -sz in válhatsz. The construction reflects Hungarian mood and modality rather than a simple tense.