Which Prefix? Meaning & Completion

Prefixes do more than show direction: they can change a verb's meaning, or show that an action is finished.

• felhív (phone) – meghív (invite)
• elkésik (be late) – lekési a vonatot (miss the train)
• aláír (sign) – átír (rewrite)
• elalszik (fall asleep, also oversleep)
• megnéz (watch, have a look at) – kinéz (look out; look: jól nézel ki)
• bekapcsol (switch on; lights also felkapcsol) – kikapcsol (switch off)
• megtalál (find) – kitalál (guess, make up)

meg often just completes the action: eszik (eat) → megeszi (eat it up), tanul (study) → megtanulja (learn it). The prefix goes after the verb in commands, after nem and after question words: Edd meg! (Eat it up!), Ki találta ki? (Who made it up?)