# Mi a kedvenc ételed?



## don't know hungarian

I'm trying to figure out the phrasing for the word favorite as in asking the question what is your favorite food? I come up with different words "kedvenc" and "favorie". Am I using the proper word order? 
Mi a kedvenc ételed
Mi a kedvenc színe
Mi az a favorie-dal
ki az a kedvenc énekese?


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## bibax

Sing.
*Mi a kedvenc ételed?
Neked mi a kedvenc ételed?*

*Mi a legkedvencebb ételed?* (_*legkedvencebb*_ is superlative: the _*most favorite*_)

Plur.
*Mi a kedvenc színetek?
Nektek mi a kedvenc színetek?*

Polite form:
*Mi a kendvenc filmje?
**Önnek mi a kedvenc bora?* 
*Magának mi a kedvenc fagyija?

*About persons (ki? = who?):*
Ki a kedvenc magyar énekesed, íród, költőd, festőd, zeneszerződ,  ...?
Ki a kedvenc amerikai színésze, filmrendezője, ...?* (polite form)


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## gorilla

Right, but "legkedvencebb" is very unusual. It is used sometimes as a quick Google search shows, but it is weird. Just use "kedvenc".

"Mi a kedvenc..." - 2,000,000 hits
"Mi a legkedvencebb..." - 5,000 hits


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## bibax

It seems that *melyik* (= which) is also possible:

*(Neked) melyik a kedvenc évszakod?
*


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## tomtombp

Agree that legkedvencebb is uncommon, I have never heard it. It even sounds funny to me.

Bibax, you were right to put "neked" in parentheses, it's redundant. Agree that "melyik" also works, a bit more elegant and formal?

don't know hungarian, please note that "favorie" is not a Hungarian word.


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## bibax

tomtombp said:


> Agree that legkedvencebb is uncommon, I have never heard it. It even sounds funny to me.


It is strange as the superlative "most favourite" works well in many languages. There is even a difference in meaning.

What are your favourite books?
...
And which one is your most favourite?

Mik a kedvenc könyveid?
...


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## tomtombp

bibax said:


> It is strange as the superlative "most favourite" works well in many languages. There is even a difference in meaning.
> 
> What are your favourite books?
> ...
> And which one is your most favourite?
> 
> 
> Mik a kedvenc könyveid?
> ...


If we want to force a superlative then:
Melyik (könyv) a legnagyobb kedvenced?

But I think that "kedvenc" in Hungarian covers both "favorite" and "most favorite" in English and no superlative exists. You can imply which meaning you mean by using singular or plural. Edit: This can work in English too.

"Mik a kedvenc könyveid?" "What are your favorite books?"

"Mi/Melyik a kedvenc könyved?" "What/which is your most favorite book?" or "What/which is your favorite book?" (the second one is in singular, similarly to the Hungarian)


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## gorilla

bibax said:


> It is strange as the superlative "most favourite" works well in many languages. There is even a difference in meaning.



I don't think there is a difference in meaning between

1. What is your favorite book?
2. What is your most favorite book?

"Most favorite" sounds to me like a super-superlative, like saying "the very very best". It's more emphasis but the meaning would be the same I guess.


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## Akitlosz

Legkedvencebb is unusual, but not incorrect, correct.

Legeslegkedvencebb is more unusual, but still correct.


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## bibax

gorilla said:


> "Most favorite" sounds to me like a super-superlative, like saying "the very very best". It's more emphasis but the meaning would be the same I guess.


It is similar to *"optimális"* vs. *"legoptimálisabb"* (optimal, the most optimal). Essentially both words means "the best". However many languages (including Hungarian and Czech) commonly use the superlative. Usually you use it when somebody gives you more than one optimal possibility.

*Mi az optimális megoldás?* = What is the optimal solution?
*Mi a legoptimálisabb megoldás?* = What is the most optimal solution?

Simply: *Mi a legjobb megoldás?* = What's the best solution?


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## francisgranada

I agree with all of you ...  I.e. _legkedvencebb _is really unusual (or a bit weird  ...).  At the same time I don't think that it should be considered necessarily incorrect ... However, _kedvenc _is rather a _noun  _and not an _adjective _(eventhough no formal disticntion exists in Hungarian). Perhaps, this is the explanation of the dilemma.


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## gorilla

francisgranada said:


> However, _kedvence _is rather a _noun  _and not an _adjective _(eventhough no formal disticntion exists in Hungarian). Perhaps, this is the explanation of the dilemma.



Very good observation! The -onc/-enc/-önc suffix usually creates nouns (újonc, küldönc, udvaronc), but probably over the years kedvenc became more like an adjective but still not to the point to be naturally used in comparative and superlative.


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