# This closet is for clothes



## jiris

Google translate tells me it is "Ez szekrényben a ruhák". 

But I think it should be "Ez szekrény a ruhákra"   ?


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## Encolpius

Ez ruhaszekrény. Ez ruhásszekrény.


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## francisgranada

If you want to say exactly "This closet is for clothes", then "Ez a szekrény ruhákra van" sholud be the translation.
It depends on the context, but in general, it's more natural to say as Encolpius suggests (i.e. as if it were "This is a clothes-closet" in English). 

Notes:
- The artcicle _a/az_ can be used also with demonstrative pronouns, unlike in English: _ez a_ _szekrény_... (_this closet _...)
- In the Encolpius's examples the verb _van _(_is_) is omitted (obligatorily).


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## tomtombp

francisgranada said:


> If you want to say exactly "This closet is for clothes", then "Ez a szekrény ruhákra van" sholud be the translation.


The correct literal  translation is: szekrény a ruháknak or szekrény a ruhák  számára. Although both sound ok, the most natural way of calling a closet for clothing is "ruhásszekrény".


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## jiris

tomtombp said:


> The correct literal  translation is: szekrény a ruháknak or szekrény a ruhák  számára. Although both sounds ok, the most natural way of calling a closet for clothing is "ruhásszekrény".



Why ruháknak instead of ruhákra?


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## francisgranada

tomtombp said:


> The correct literal  translation is: szekrény a ruháknak or szekrény a ruhák  számára ...


I agree, especially with "számára" (I didn't want to discuss other possibilities for not to give a too complex/complicated answer). However, constructions like "ruhákra van" are commonly used, at least here (Kassa, etc.). Do you think this is only a regional phenomenon?


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## tomtombp

francisgranada said:


> constructions like "ruhákra van" are commonly used, at least here (Kassa, etc.). Do you think this is only a regional phenomenon?


Yes, I'm afraid so. I would not use it neither would I understand it

jiris: In general "for" means -nak, -nek or számára in Hungarian. This was made for you. Ez számodra készült. Ezt neked csináltam.


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## jiris

tomtombp said:


> Yes, I'm afraid so. I would not use it neither would I understand it
> 
> jiris: In general "for" means -nak, -nek or számára in Hungarian. This was made for you. Ez számodra készült. Ezt neked csináltam.



Yes I understand, I learned the basics of all of the cases today. But this is what confuses me, as I thought the dative case was used mainly for indirect objects, while the ra/re endings were used to designate (aside from movement), _purpose_, which is the case in my example...

I'll add–– I'm not looking for an explanation of all possible uses of the dative or the ra/re formation, but if anyone can offer an explanation as to why the dative is used, I would appreciate it. It doesn't make any sense to me to use the dative here, I would have thought it would be incorrect.


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## Zsanna

It is not easy to explain why exactly the _-nak/-nek_ is necessary here (it is not used only for Dative, as you could see). I can think of the expression "valaminek készült/szánták" (= made to be/meant to be) and it is possible that the verbs (készült/szánták) could just be dropped because it turns out from the context anyway.

However, you don't have to worry about that if you just mean to give a name to the object because then the best solution - as was mentioned above - is "ez ruhásszekrény". (But that depends on the context.)


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## bibax

The dative doesn't make sense to me either.

I also found "ideális szekrény ruhák tárolásá*ra*".


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## tomtombp

bibax said:


> The dative doesn't make sense to me either.
> 
> I also found "ideális szekrény ruhák tárolásá*ra*".



"Alkalmas", "szolgál", "ideális", készült, fentartott. All of them go together with -ra -re. I suspect that in most cases when they are not there they are implied. However they always need additional words like tárolás. They don't work with ruhák only. Besides, -nak -nek don't go together with any of them which is the only option when they are not used and not implied.

I still have to think about what grammatical structure this -nak -nek is. I suspect genitive? A ruháknak a szekrénye?


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## jiris

tomtombp said:


> I still have to think about what grammatical structure this -nak -nek is. I suspect genitive? A ruháknak a szekrénye?



I didn't really understand most of your post haha, but the nak/nek is Dative.


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## NagyKiss

Can a word "részére" be applied to this sentence?


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## Zsanna

jiris said:


> ... the nak/nek is Dative.


 I don't think it is here. (Explanation in no.9 above.)

NagyKiss: 





> Can a word "részére" be applied to this sentence?


I wouldn't say so, even if _számára_ and _részére _are synonyms. Both words are used in rather special circumstances (especially in official language) so the context is not really ideal for that. Also the sentence should be more complicated (than our original one here) to be able to use it.


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## francisgranada

Zsanna said:


> I don't think it is here. (Explanation in no.9 above.)


I think it _is_ dative (in the grammatical sense). Even your explanation (#9)


> "valaminek készült/szánták" (= made to be/meant to be) and it is possible that the verbs (készült/szánták) could just be dropped ... "


suggests a dative construction. 

P.S. -nak/nek can be used also to reinforce the possessive, e.g. "nekem a ruhám", but this is not the case here.


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## francisgranada

NagyKiss said:


> Can a word "részére" be applied to this sentence?


I think yes, but if no other context is given, only a simple constatation "This closet is for clothes", then "Ez ruhásszekrény" seems to be the best solution.

P.S. "Ez ruhásszekrény" may not correspond _exactly _to the original English sentence from all the possible aspects, but this is normal ...  A "one-to-one" perfect translation of short phrases/sentences without more context is often impossible, even between cognate languages as e.g. the Italian and Spanish.


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## Zsanna

I don't think there is much point in going into details about it but just think: if the dative equivalent in English is "to" (e.g. I gave it _to_ you) than everytime "to" is used should be dative? Like e.g. in "looking forward _to_ seeing you"? Obviously not... But this is beginning to lead far from the original question.


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## tomtombp

jiris said:


> I didn't really understand most of your post haha, but the nak/nek is Dative.


Don't worry, it didn't make much sense, I was just thinking loud. 


NagyKiss said:


> Can a word "részére" be applied to this sentence?


"Részére" is somewhat similar to "számára" . However, both are personifications of "ruhák" (not clearly recommended) and both are a bit formal.


Zsanna said:


> ..expression "valaminek készült/szánták" (= made to be/meant to be) and it is possible that the verbs (készült/szánták) could just be dropped


I can't tell you if it's dative or not but this is the best explanation I could think of. "Ruháknak" is the intended use of "szekrény".


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