ízlik

Hungarian

Etymology

íz (“taste, flavor”) +‎ -lik (reflexive / intransitive verb-forming suffix)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈiːzlik]
Hyphenation: íz‧lik
Rhymes: -iːzlik

Verb

ízlik

(intransitive, of food, drink) to taste good, to be to one’s taste (the one who tastes is expressed by -nak/-nek)
Hogy ízlik (neked) a sütemény? (note: neked/nektek/önnek/önöknek (“to you”) is usually omitted) ― How do you like the cake? (literally, “How does the cake appeal to you?”)

Usage notes

The subject of certain verbs is not someone who acts but a stimulus that prompts sensory or emotional feelings, like when things interest someone, matter to someone, please someone or appeal to someone. In these cases, the experiencer can take the accusative (e.g. interest) or the dative (e.g. appeal). The experiencer is expressed with the dative in the case of hiányzik (“to be missing or missed by someone”), ízlik (“to taste good”), kell (“to be needed, necessary, or required”), tetszik (“to be appealing”), and van/megvan (“to be had, to be owned by someone”).
If the experiencer is expressed with the accusative, third-person objects (him, her, it, or them) are considered definite, while first- and second-person objects (me, us, and you), indefinite. For example, the verb érdekel can take the definite form érdekli őt (“he/she is interested”, literally “it interests him/her”) or the indefinite form érdekel engem/téged/minket (“I am, you are, we are interested”, literally “it interests me, you, us”). The form érdekellek means “you are interested in me” (literally, “I interest you”). — Similar verbs include zavar (“to be bothered by”) and izgat (“to be intrigued by”).^[1]

This verb belongs among those whose subjunctive forms (as well as adverbial participle and potential) would generate a cluster of three consonants, which is hard to pronounce. To avoid it, linguistic literature usually advises inserting a vowel between the first two consonants (or in some cases, avoiding these forms altogether). However, many native speakers find it just as awkward as the triple-consonant option and shrink from using it, even refusing these forms on hearing (although people have no objection to using the same linking vowel with other verbs like oszlik or bomlik). If someone wants to avoid these forms, a synonymous verb can be used instead or the sentence can be rephrased. (Verbs that are currently categorized as not having the above forms at all are listed at Hungarian defective verbs. However, in this case there is not always a clear dividing line between uncommon and impossible.) Further reading (in Hungarian): [1] [2] [3]
In this case, the disputed subjunctive form as in Mit tegyek bele, hogy ízeljen? (“What shall I add so that you (should) enjoy it?”) may be avoided e.g. by saying …hogy kedvedre való / ízlésed szerint való legyen? (“…so that it should suit your liking?”).

Conjugation

conjugation of ízlik

Other forms	Verbal noun		Present part.	Past part.	Future part.	Adverbial participle		Causative
Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
Indicative mood	Present	Indef.	only 3rd-person forms		ízlik	only 3rd-person forms		ízlenek
		Def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Past	Indef.	―		ízlett	―		ízlettek
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Future		Future is expressed with a present-tense verb with a completion-marking prefix and/or a time adverb, or—more explicitly—with the infinitive plus the conjugated auxiliary verb fog, e.g. ízleni fog.
	Archaic Preterit	Indef.	―		ízle	―		ízlének
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Archaic Past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. ízlik vala, ízlett vala/volt.
	Archaic Future	Indef.	―		ízlend	―		ízlendenek
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
Conditional mood	Present	Indef.	―		ízlene	―		ízlenének
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. ízlett volna
Subjunctive mood	Present	Indef.	the verb has no subjunctive forms
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
	(Archaic) Past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. ízlett légyen
Infinitive	ízleni		―		ízlenie	―		ízleniük
Other forms	ízlés		ízlő	ízlett	―	ízelve (ízelvén)

potential conjugation of ízlik

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
Indicative mood	Present	Indef.	only 3rd-person forms		ízelhet	only 3rd-person forms		ízelhetnek
		Def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Past	Indef.	―		ízelhetett	―		ízelhettek
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Archaic Preterit	Indef.	―		ízlhete	―		ízlhetének
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Archaic Past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala, e.g. ízelhet vala, ízelhetett vala/volt.
	Archaic Future	Indef.	―		ízelhetend or ízlandhat	―		ízelhetendenek or ízlandhatnak
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
Conditional mood	Present	Indef.	―		ízelhetne	―		ízelhetnének
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. ízelhetett volna
Subjunctive mood	Present	Indef.	the verb has no subjunctive forms
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
	(Archaic) Past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. ízelhetett légyen
Inf.	(ízelhetni)		―		(ízelhetnie)	―		(ízelhetniük)
Positive adjective			―	Neg. adj.	―	Adv. part.	(ízelhetve / ízelhetvén)

With its uncommon first- and second-person forms, as well as its somewhat controversial subjunctive forms included: