eszközhatározó
With, by means of
Company or the tool you use. The v- assimilates to a preceding consonant.
-val/-vel covers both senses of English ‘with’: the company you keep and the tool you use. Its v is unstable — after a consonant it vanishes and doubles that consonant instead.
Endings
-val · -vel
Instrumental · with / by means of
When not to use it
Not for ‘with’ meaning ‘having’. A man with a beard is szakállas ember — an adjective built from the noun, not -val.
Tell them apart
kutyával
with a dog
házzal
with a house
A vowel keeps the v; a consonant swallows it and doubles itself.
Notes
- After a vowel: kutyával, kávéval.
- After a consonant the v copies that consonant: házzal, könyvvel, busszal, késsel.
- Back: -val. Front: -vel.
Examples
A barátommal megyek.
I’m going with my friend.
Tollal írok.
I write with a pen.
Busszal jövök.
I come by bus.
Késsel vágom a kenyeret.
I cut the bread with a knife.
Beszélek az orvossal.
I’m speaking with the doctor.