A futó már kész.

A is the definite article, so it means the.

• a is used before words that start with a consonant
• az is used before words that start with a vowel

So:

• a futó = the runner

In Hungarian, the verb to be is usually left out in the present tense, third person singular and plural when the sentence simply links a subject to a noun or adjective.

So instead of saying something literally like The runner is ready, Hungarian says:

• A futó kész.

Adding már gives:

• A futó már kész. = The runner is already ready / The runner is ready now.

But in other persons, the verb appears:

• Kész vagyok. = I am ready.
• Kész vagy. = You are ready.

So the missing is is completely normal here.

Futó most commonly means runner in this kind of sentence.

It comes from the verb fut = to run.

The ending -ó can create a participle-like form, so futó can literally mean something like running or one who runs, depending on context. In real usage, it often becomes a regular noun:

• futó = runner

In this sentence, the most natural reading is the runner.

Már usually means already.

It often gives the sense of:

• something has happened by now
• a state has been reached
• something is true earlier than expected, or now at last

So:

• A futó kész. = The runner is ready.
• A futó már kész. = The runner is already ready / The runner is ready now.

Depending on context, English might translate már as already, now, or by now.

Kész means ready, and in some contexts it can also mean finished.

Here it is an adjective describing the subject:

• A futó már kész. = The runner is ready already / The runner is ready now.

Other examples:

• Kész vagyok. = I am ready.
• Kész a vacsora. = Dinner is ready.
• Kész a munka. = The work is finished.

So kész can refer either to being prepared or being completed, depending on the situation.

This is a natural, fairly neutral Hungarian word order.

A simple way to read it is:

• A futó = topic, what we are talking about
• már kész = what we say about the runner

So the sentence presents the runner as the topic, then says that this person is already ready.

Hungarian word order is flexible, and changing it can shift emphasis. For example:

• A futó már kész. = neutral, The runner is already ready.
• Már kész a futó. = more emphasis on already
• Kész már a futó. = can sound more marked or conversational, depending on context

So the given order is a normal, straightforward one.

Yes, in other contexts futó can have other meanings because it comes from the idea of running.

For example, Hungarian participle-based words can be used in different ways. Depending on context, futó might refer to:

• a runner
• something running
• part of a compound word

But standing alone in a sentence like A futó már kész, the most natural interpretation is the runner.

So a learner should understand it here as a noun, not as an English-style present participle.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• A ≈ short aw
• futó ≈ foo-toh
• már ≈ maar
• kész ≈ roughly kayss

A rough full pronunciation:

• aw FOO-toh maar kayss

A few helpful points:

• Hungarian stress is usually on the first syllable of each word.
• ó, á, and é are long vowels.
• sz is pronounced like English s.

So kész sounds like kayss, not like English kez.

That is also possible, but it is a slightly different structure.

• A futó már kész. = The runner is already ready.
• A futó már készen van. = also The runner is already ready, but with a more explicit expression using van

Here:

• kész = adjective
• készen = adverb-like form meaning something like in a ready state
• van = is

In many simple present-tense sentences, Hungarian strongly prefers the shorter version without van, so A futó már kész is very natural.