-jei

See also: jei, je'i, jéí, and jéì

Hungarian

Etymology

-je (possessive suffix) +‎ -i (possessive plural)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [jɛji]

Suffix

-jei

2. possessive suffix for multiple possessions:
   1. (with no noun for possessor) his, her, its ……-s (third-person singular; the pronoun ő (“s/he”) being optional for emphasis)

      kert (“garden”) → a kertjei (“his/her/its gardens”), az ő kertjei (“his/her gardens”)

      a kertjei (“his/her/its gardens”), az ő kertjei (“his/her gardens”)

   2. (with no noun for possessor, formal) your ……-s (second-person singular, grammatically resembling the third person sg.)

      a kertjei (“your [formal] gardens”), az ön kertjei, a maga kertjei (“your [formal] gardens”)

   3. construed with a noun or certain pronouns as the possessor: ……’s ……-s, ……-s of …… (third-person sg. or pl., depending on the noun or pronoun)

      az ember(nek a) kertjei ― the person’s gardens

      a gyerek(nek a) kertjei ― the child’s gardens

      az emberek(nek a) kertjei ― the people’s gardens

      a gyerekek(nek a) kertjei ― the children’s gardens

      az önök kertjei, a maguk kertjei ― your (plural, formal) gardens

      azok(nak a) kertjei ― the gardens of those

      ki(k)nek a kertjei? ― whose gardens?

Usage notes

• (possessive suffix) Variants:

  -i is added to words ending in a vowel except -i. Final -a changes to -á-; final -e changes to -é-. The latter feature distinguishes it from the -i (adjective-forming suffix), which does not lengthen the preceding -a/-e.

  -ai is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ei is added to some front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -jai is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant or the vowel -i

  -jei is added to some front-vowel words ending in a consonant or the vowel -i

  • If the possessed noun is in the plural and the possessor is expressed in English with a possessive pronoun only (rather than a noun), e.g. “their toys” (as opposed to “the children’s toys”), the -ik/-aik/-eik/-jaik/-jeik suffixes are required in Hungarian.

See also

• Category:Hungarian noun forms
• Appendix:Hungarian possessive suffixes