Preverbs (coverbs) = verbal modifiers

Prefixes attached only to verbs with the function to narrow down, make more accurate or change the meaning of the verb.

3 main (semiotic) categories

1.  they express direction or spatial relations: be-(in),ki-(out),le-(down), fel-(up), át-(across)
2.  they express the state or temporality of the action: meg-,el-(away), újra-(again)
3.  they express the relation between the verb and its object: hozzá-,vissza-,össze-,szét

NOTE! Modifiers in c.) often change the verb resulting in new, independent or phrasal verbs.

NOTE! Some coverbs can be part of more than one category depending on the verb they are attached to.

Example: vissza-(back)

vissza + menni = visszamenni (to go back) => 1 category

vissza + mondani (to say) = visszamondani (to cancel) => 3 category

All Hungarian coverbs/preverbs (igekötők) in alphabetic order