Az üveghulladék külön van.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before most consonants
• az before vowels

Since üveghulladék starts with the vowel ü, the correct form is az:

• az üveghulladék

This is similar to English a/an, but Hungarian does this with the definite article instead.

It is one compound noun.

It is made from:

• üveg = glass
• hulladék = waste, trash

So üveghulladék literally means glass-waste, i.e. glass refuse / glass recycling / glass trash depending on context.

Hungarian very often forms compounds this way, and they are normally written as one word.

Van is the 3rd person singular form of the verb lenni = to be.

So:

• van = is

In this sentence, van is used because the phrase describes a state or location-like condition: the glass waste is kept separately / is separate.

Hungarian often places van after the part carrying the main new information, which here is külön.

Külön means separately, apart, or in a separate place/group.

In this sentence, it does not just mean physically far away. It often means something is kept separate, sorted separately, or handled separately.

So in a recycling context, külön van strongly suggests:

• it is separated from other waste
• it has its own category/container/place

In this sentence, it behaves more like an adverb/predicative expression.

Compare the idea in English:

• It is separate
• It is apart
• It is kept separately

Hungarian often uses words like külön directly with van to express a state. So instead of needing a separate adjective form like English might, Hungarian can simply say:

• külön van

This is a very natural pattern.

The word order is natural and neutral for saying that the glass waste is separate.

Breakdown:

• Az üveghulladék = the topic, what we are talking about
• külön = the important statement about it
• van = is

Hungarian word order is flexible, but it is not random. It often reflects topic and focus.

Here, the sentence is basically:

• As for the glass waste, it is separate.

You could also hear other word orders in context, but they may shift the emphasis.

Usually not in this sentence.

Hungarian often omits van in the present tense when the predicate is a noun or adjective, for example:

• A ház nagy. = The house is big.
• Ő tanár. = He is a teacher.

But with expressions like külön van, where van helps express a state or placement, omitting it would not sound right in normal usage.

So:

• Az üveghulladék külön van. = correct
• Az üveghulladék külön. = generally not the normal sentence here

Normally, no. The standard form is the compound:

• üveghulladék

If you split it into üveg hulladék, it sounds unnatural or incorrect in standard usage, because Hungarian normally writes established compound nouns as one word.

So if you mean glass waste as a category, use:

• üveghulladék

No. It can refer to physical separation, but also to sorting, categorization, or storage practice.

Depending on context, it can mean things like:

• it is in a separate place
• it is sorted separately
• it is handled separately
• it is not mixed with the others

So in everyday Hungarian, especially with waste or recycling, külön van is very practical and idiomatic.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• üveg ≈ uu-veg with a front rounded vowel
• hulladék ≈ hool-la-dayk

Very roughly together:

• üveghulladék ≈ uu-vegh-hool-la-dayk

A few useful notes:

• ü is like German ü or French u in tu
• g is always a hard g
• é is a long vowel, like ay in a careful pronunciation of say, but pure and steady

Stress in Hungarian is always on the first syllable:

• Ü-veg-hul-la-dék

Yes, absolutely.

It sounds like something someone might say when explaining sorting rules or where things go:

• the glass waste is separate
• glass goes separately
• the glass is in a separate category

In very practical Hungarian, short sentences like this are common and natural.