kell/kellene

[Ergulis]

Mit kell tennem?
Mit kellene tennem?

What is the difference? Does it mean the same?


I was also wondering how you express in Hungarian the following:

You are supposed to go shopping.
You should go shopping.

I am a begginer in Hungarian and this is my first post here in this section.
Thanks in advance.

 

[AndrasBP]

Mit kell tennem?
Mit kellene tennem?

What is the difference? Does it mean the same?

No, the meanings are not exactly the same, although they're similar.

• 'kell' means 'have to' or 'must'
• 'kellene' (informal version: kéne) means 'should'

Mit kell tennem? = What do I have to do?
Mit kellene tennem? = What should I do?

The ending -na/-ne is a conditional suffix:

• Gábor főz. = Gábor cooks / is cooking.
• Gábor főzne. Gábor would cook.

I was also wondering how you express in Hungarian the following:

You are supposed to go shopping.
You should go shopping.

I don't think you can make the distinction in Hungarian.
I would translate both as
'El kellene menned vásárolni.'

 

[Zsanna]

Welcome to the Hungarian Forum!
Lots of people would like to be beginners having this kind of a problem with Hungarian.

Agreeing with AndrasBP, I would add that depending on the context it is possible to express the difference between supposed to (1) and should . (But then "kell" still would not enter the picture.)

1. I can see quite a lot of possibilities to express this aspect (= it is expected from you/you agreed to do something) but given that it may not help you with your first question, just 2 examples for the moment:

- Nem kellene vásárolni menned/bevásárolnod?
(With a bit of a sarcasm or surprise. Meaning e.g.: Instead of playing on your coumputer, shouldn't you be away doing the shopping? I heard when mum asked you to do it this morning.)

- Arról volt szó, hogy elmégy bevásárolni/bevásárolsz.
(The first part of the sentence expresses clearly that there was such an "agreement" between you and some other people. "Kellene" is not necessary in the sentence unless the agreement involves some obligation.)

 

[NagyKiss]

- Arról volt szó, hogy elmégy bevásárolni/bevásárolsz.

Bocs a valójában ostoba kérdésemért, de miért éppen "elmégy"?
Az az elmenni ige, ugye? Akkor csak "elmész"-t írjük a "é" betűvel, de nem elmegy?

 

[AndrasBP]

A "mégy" jelentése ugyanaz, mint a "mész", csak szerintem egy ritkább, régiesebb vagy irodalmibb alak.
A témáról bővebben itt.

 

[Zsanna]

AndrasBP
Az elmegy ige (jelen idő) egyes szám harmadik személyű (= ő) ragozott alak. (Pl. Sanyi elmegy elintézni az ügyeket.)
Az elmégy (szintén jelen idejű) egyes szám második személyű (= te) alak. (Példa fentebb.)

 

[francisgranada]

Mit kell tennem?
Mit kellene tennem?

What is the difference? Does it mean the same?

Agreeing with what AndrasBP and Zsanna have already said, I'd like to add that in Czech you have almost exact correspondencies (as to the meaning):
Co mám dělat?
Co bych měl dělat?