zenére

Zenére is a Hungarian adverbial postposition formed from the noun zene (music) with the suffix -re. It marks that an action is performed to, or in time with, the music, functioning as an adverbial complement of manner or timing. The form answers questions such as “to the music” or “to the tune” and is used with verbs describing actions like táncolni (to dance), tapsolni (to clap), énekelni (to sing), or játszani (to play).

The suffix -re attaches after a stem that ends in a vowel, producing zenére from zene. Example sentences include: A táncosok zenére mozogtak. (The dancers moved to the music.) A gyerekek zenére tapsoltak. (The children clapped to the music.) These examples illustrate how zenére conveys accompaniment or rhythmic reference in performance or activity.

Zenére is distinct from zenéről, which means “about music” or “concerning music.” The two forms serve different grammatical functions: zenére links the action to the music that accompanies it, while zenéről introduces a topic or subject matter related to music.

In usage, zenére is common in both spoken and written Hungarian, particularly in contexts involving dance, performance, or any activity guided by musical tempo or accompaniment. It is one of several postpositional forms in Hungarian that express spatial, temporal, or instrumental relationships through noun-based suffixes.

See also: Hungarian grammar, postpositions, case suffixes, zene.