ízlik

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

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

ízlik

1. (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?”)

• 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?”).

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

• ízlik in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.