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- Topic: Hungarian >
- "Én várok egy kicsit."
18 Comments
Wouldn't this be more natural in a future tense (I'll wait a little)? It does not sound quite natural to me in the present tense.
Hungarian present and future tense are identical so this sentence is still fine for "I will wait a little", I just wonder if it registers the future tense this early in the course...
I agree. That is correct in English. Some of the translations are too literal and awkward in English.
Hungarian present and future tenses are about as identical as simple future, present continuous and present simple in English... Given the right context, any of these can refer to future. Since there are less verbal structures in Hungarian, it's just somewhat more common that a present tense conjugation happens to cover futural semantics (as well).
858
Does this mean waiting for a bit of time (he's running late, but I'll wait for a bit) or a physical bit of something (I waa going to go but I'll wait for a bit of cake)? I assume the former but it seems quite a colloquial term to be learning so soon.
- 1352
It technically means both.
The term usually means to wait for a bit of time, but the verb can be used for people and objects as well:
"I'll wait for a little bit of time." = "Várok egy kicsit." / "Várok egy kis ideig."
"I'll wait for a little one (person)." = "Várok egy kicsit." / "Várok egy kicsire."
"I'll wait for a bit (of cake)." = "Várok egy kicsit." / "Várok egy kis tortát." / "Várok egy kis tortára."
Also note that for objects, the accusative case ("várni valamiT", "várok egy kis tortáT") can also mean to expect something.
"I'll wait for a little one (person)." = "Várok egy kicsit." / "Várok egy kicsire." Is this used about pregnancy? That was the only meaning I could figure out before I read the comments (good thing I did!)
- 1352
It can be used about pregnancy, or literally, waiting for someone who is little. The sentence does sound a little awkward in this version, my point was that you can use the structure (verb "várni" + accusative/sublative) for people and objects as well.
