[#DuolingoForumGems originally posted on 2016-07-28 on the Duolingo Hungarian for English speakers forum by magnetholik ] 

 

Difference between "mellett" and "-nél/-nál"?

Question by magnetholik:

Hello, dear Hungarian native speakers. I have a question about the difference between "mellett" and words with the suffix/case-ending "-nél/-nál". I know that there are some uses of the "-nél/-nál" suffix that differ greatly from the meaning of "mellett" (e.g. "pénz van nálam"), but in the general case do you feel a difference between the two?

For example, if I say "Péter a fánál van" vs. "Péter a fa mellett van" do you sense any difference in meaning?

Thank you in advance for your explanations.

Answers:
Comments [5]:

  ## Votes: 7, user: iRBiS,

  The word 'mellett' ('mell' means chest/breast, so lit. "by one's chest") is a postposition which:

  The word 'mellett' ('mell' means chest/breast, so lit. "by one's chest") is a postposition which:

• describes a clear relative position where two things or people are side-by-side
• also has a figurative meaning similar to "besides" when used as "in addition to"
• can also form adverbs: 'emellett/amellett' (compare to: "e mellett a fa mellett")

The suffix '-nál/nél' is used to make the locative case of nouns, commonly translated as "by":

• not a strict relative position, just closeby: "A fánál fordulj jobbra." means "Turn right at the tree."
• relative quality/quantity: "A fánál nagyobb." and "Nagyobb, mint a fa." both mean "Bigger than the tree."
• also has a figurative meaning similar to a different postposition: 'közben' (during). "Ebédnél" and "Ebéd közben" both mean "During lunch" or "At lunch."

  -------------------------

  ## Votes: 1, user: peter.kristof.hu, 

  There is a smack of difference between the meaning of the two words, and between their usage. Mellett = beside, next to, near by. -nál/-nél = at, and they both define a location.

  -------------------------

## Votes: 2, user: Findil, 

  "-nál/-nél" refers to a less definite location than "mellett." I'd say it means "somewhere in the close proximity of ...", while "mellett" is exactly "beside/at the side of ..."

  Often they are interchangeable, just like in your example. When you want to express or emphasise that the subject is at the *side* of someone/something, that's when you can only use "mellett".

 -------------------------

   ## Votes: 1, user: Emile-_-  

    By the way, could you please explain the difference between mellett, emellett and amellett?

  -------------------------

    ## Votes: 2, user: jzsuzsi

      "e" and "a" here are short for ez and az  (this and that)

      so:    

      mellett - next to   

      emellett - next to this     

      amellett - next to that