"Az étterembe megyünk vagy a szállodába?"

Translation: Are we going into the restaurant or the hotel?

[CliveWilto]

Why is "Az étterembe bemegyünk vagy a szállodába" marked as wrong. In many other phrases both the verb and the noun show the direction and the english uses "into" the restaurant.

[Judit294350]

Because the sentence has two parts, Az étterembe has to get the focus - which means you have to split the preverb. "Az étterembe megyünk be vagy a szállodába?"

[Nab918927]

So why isn't "megyünk be" used in the sentence?

[Judit294350]

Because it isn't needed. I was responding to CliveWilto's suggestion. If it is accepted then as he wrote it, I don't think it would work.

[Nab918927]

But as CliveWilto pointed out "In many other phrases both the verb and the noun show the direction...". So why is it not needed in this sentence but in other sentences it is?

[jzsuzsi]

I usually recommend this:

Bemegyünk az étterembe

Az étterembe megyünk

So using a preverb is preferred in the verb comes first, but you can omit it if the place comes first.

[Nab918927]

Thanks.
So that leads me to wonder which should come first - the verb or the place? Is it a matter of context (what the focus is determined to be) or something else?

[Daniel640094]

Is this really the translation? Doesn't the "ba" ending mean "into" ? So shouldn't the second "to" either be omitted or also "into"?

[vvsey]

This is actually a very good translation. You are right, "-ba", and also "-be", means "into".
But different languages have different logics, too.
English says "going to a restaurant" and probably means entering (going into) that restaurant? Correct?
Hungarian actually matches the action with the text. It says "into" and it means "into".

But we can't translate everything literally. The sentences need to mean the same thing and they need to adhere to the logic of their own languages. This translation actually does a very good job at that.

[Daniel640094]

Thanks, as always a great explanation. I think there is still a distinction between into and to though. For example, if we are standing in front of the restaurant and the hotel, we might talk about going "into" the hotel or the restaurant. If we are at home, we would talk about going "to" the hotel or the restaurant. So, I would argue, the translation of this sentence depends on where the speakers are.

[vvsey]

Yes, of course, you are right. It all depends on the situation. I only wrote the most common understanding. You can also "enter" the restaurant, and you can also ask "Az étterembe megyünk BE vagy a szállodába?" - for one of those situations. There are so many options, we could write a book... :)

[Bogracs1]

Is vendeglo ever used for restaurant?

[deactivated user]

Hova mesz? megyek iskolába ( I'm going TO school) -not into school!Hol vagy? iskolában vagyok (I'm in school). Nem értem!

[Judit294350]

Simply because in English we say "to school" not "into school". You can go into the school grounds - but not the school itself.

[deactivated user]

Yes i am well aware of that : you're missing the point i am making. Tovabbi szép napot kivanok. Üdv