"Peter is waiting there, to where we are going, too."
Translation:Péter ott vár ahova mi is megyünk.
15 Comments
Replace ott by az étteremben and the whole sentence is less abstract and therefore more logical
That sentence in English is wrong wrong wrong. I've reported it, but who knows...
192
it is not wrong, it is just not the usual way to say it. We wouldn't say to where, only where, but that would introduce uncertainty in hungarian sentence.
- 341
I'd suggest "Péter is waiting where we are going to as well."
But the awkward English sentence helps a lot with the construction of the correct Hungarian, I find.
"Peter is waiting there, whither we are also going." Now that sounds good even if "whither" is not much (at all in the USA) used.
..we too are going.. sounds right to me for the translation.
- 1108
Is it really wrong to swap "vár ott" for "ott var" In English, one would say "waits there" but "there waits" while sounding a little odd I'm sure would be accepted? Also while I think about it could "megyünk is" not be accepted for "mi is megünk"? There seems to be so little flexibility I'm almost scared to use this language for fear of making mistakes.
- 341
"Péter vár ott" is okay, too, if I may refer to vvsey's comment above. Instead of focusing on the place, you focus on the person here: "It is Péter whom we're waiting for at that place..."
In English it is, if not wrong, then at least pretty archaic to say "There waits Péter". Usually the subject is immediately followed by the verbal construction. So you'd go for "Péter waits there" or "There, Péter waits".
"Megyünk is" doesn't work like that. Is cannot follow a verb. What it can do is follow nouns, pronouns, adjectives, or even verbal prefixes. And it can precede a verb stem. "Mi is megyünk" could refer to both "it is also us who are going there" (referring to "mi is") and "it is also going what we do" (referring to "is megyünk"). Though the former meaning (also us) is the more natural interpretation here.
Please don't be afraid of making mistakes. Learning doesn't work well without those. If you run into trouble, keep asking. Hungarian is a wonderful language (in the truest sense of the word), and the natives and learners are happy to help you out with grasping it. :)
- 1108
Thanks for the explanation Ryagon, it's very much appreciated. And yes, I will carry on making mistakes :)
