"He is not well."
Translation:Nincs jól.
18 Comments
why? What is "Nincs"?? Tell me please about this structure, because I know just that HE IS --O van
"Nincs" is the negation of "van" (instead of "nem van") and "nincsenek" is the negation of "vannak" (instead of "nem vannak").
Yes, think of "nincs" as a closed formation of the words "nem van". To say "nem van" is incorrect, you have to say "nincs". You can only use "nem van" if you break it up and place other words in-between. Nem ott van" - "is not there". Etc.
One more important thing: "Nincs" is only used in the third person. With other persons you use the two-word phrase, because the word "van" needs to be conjugated:
- (Én) nem vagyok.
- (Te) nem vagy.
- (Ő) nincs.
- (Mi) nem vagyunk.
- (Ti) nem vagytok.
- (Ők) nincsenek.
"Nincs" itself cannot be conjugated, except for putting it in plural. Present tense, singular or plural, that is all that can be done with it. For everything else, the proper conjugated form of "nem van" has to be used.
thank you for this, I finally get it now. It took me reading your text five times and trying it out on google translate as I went through it :) Another Hungarian mystery solved!
What situations should I not skip the pronoun in these kinds of phrases? I'm sure it's not 100% optional.
You keep the pronoun when you want to emphasize it for some reason. As in "And how about you? Are YOU okay? I am fine."
"És te? TE jól vagy? Én jól vagyok."
Thanks well explained, I didn't really understand it as a contraction just knew what it meant.
I don't agree, I was told that Nincs means "there isn't", to say "He is not well" it would be Ő nem jól! I don't know Duolingo, please consult a native Hungarian speaker. Nincs viz, 'fiúk nincsenek... There isn't, there aren't.
You need a "van". The word "jól" is an adverb, not an adjective. So it needs a verb: "van".
So, when he is well: "Jól VAN."
When he is not well: "Nem van jól."
Except, when you have "nem van", you MUST use "nincs" instead! Hence: "Nincs jól."
End of story.
Some people might use a different word order and say:
"Nem jól van."
Let's call it a colloquial or regional usage. Not sure what category it falls into. But it could be acceptable even here.
Which of these options is correct and which one is the best one to use?
- Ö nem jól
- Nincs jól
- Ö nincs jól
Just want to clarify because I've been saying number 1 many times and want to make sure I say it properly and not in a broken Hungarian. No local has corrected me.
Thanks!
"Ő nem jól." is incorrect, sorry. It is missing a predicate/verb. It means "He/she not well."
"Jól" is an adverb, it needs a verb.
The other two are fine. The word "nincs" is actually a verb, meaning "is not" in this case. "Ő" is optional, its use is up to context.
Some people will colloquially say this:
"(Ő) nemjól van."
"(Ő) nemjól érzi magát."
I made "nemjól" into one word, because that is kind of how it is used in this scenario. "Nemjól" as the opposite of "jól".
Just a little update. You can use
"(Ő) nem jól"
as an incomplete sentence, for example, when someone asks:
"How is she?"
Answer:
"Nem jól." - "Not well."
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Why do we say "Nics jól" instead of "Nem jól van" in this case? Is it because the second one sounds more like "He is not-well"?
Exactly. Instead, we are to negate the verb, "van". And "nem" + "van" makes "nincs".
But some renegade Hungarians defy all rules and will still say "nemjól van". As if it were one negative adjective. "He is unwell."
