A kenu külső oldala nedves.

A is the Hungarian definite article, meaning the.

So:

• a kenu = the canoe
• a kenu külső oldala = the canoe’s outer side / the outer side of the canoe

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before consonant sounds
• az before vowel sounds

Since kenu starts with a consonant sound, it takes a.

Kenu means canoe. It is a loanword, and it behaves like an ordinary Hungarian noun.

In this sentence, it appears in its basic dictionary form.

Because oldala means its side or the side of it.

Breakdown:

• oldal = side
• oldala = its side

This is a possessive form. Hungarian often expresses possession directly on the possessed noun with a suffix.

So in:

• a kenu külső oldala

the structure is literally something like:

• the canoe outer side-its

Natural English equivalents are:

• the canoe’s outer side
• the outside of the canoe
• the outer side of the canoe

Because Hungarian has two common ways to express this kind of possession.

1. Unmarked possessor

   • a kenu külső oldala

2. Marked possessor

   • a kenunak a külső oldala

Both can mean roughly the same thing: the canoe’s outer side.

In your sentence, Hungarian uses the very common unmarked possessor pattern, where:

• the possessor (kenu) stays in its basic form
• the possessed noun (oldala) carries the possessive marking

So kenu does not need -nak/-nek here.

Külső is an adjective meaning:

• outer
• external
• outside (as an adjective, not as an adverb)

So:

• külső oldal = outer side
• külső oldala = its outer side

It describes oldala.

Because külső and kívül do different jobs.

• külső = an adjective: outer, external
• kívül = an adverb/postposition: outside

In this sentence, Hungarian needs an adjective to modify oldala (side), so külső is the correct choice.

Compare:

• külső oldal = outer side
• kívül = outside

So A kenu külső oldala nedves is about the canoe’s outer side, not simply the location outside.

Because in Hungarian, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense, third person singular.

So:

• A kenu külső oldala nedves. = The canoe’s outer side is wet.

Literally, Hungarian says:

• The canoe’s outer side wet.

This is normal and grammatical.

If the subject were I or you, Hungarian would use the verb:

• Nedves vagyok = I am wet
• Nedves vagy = you are wet

But with he/she/it or a noun subject in the present tense, the copula is usually left out:

• A kenu külső oldala nedves.

Nedves means wet or damp. It is an adjective.

Here it functions as the predicate adjective:

• A kenu külső oldala nedves.
• The canoe’s outer side is wet.

So nedves tells us the condition of the subject.

The sentence has a neutral, straightforward word order:

• A kenu külső oldala = subject
• nedves = predicate adjective

So the structure is:

• [Subject] + [description]

Literal order:

• The canoe outer side-its wet

This is a natural neutral Hungarian sentence.

You could also say:

• Nedves a kenu külső oldala.

That would put more emphasis on wet.

It can correspond to both, depending on context.

Very literally, it is:

• the canoe’s outer side is wet

In more natural English, you might also say:

• the outside of the canoe is wet

So the Hungarian phrasing is slightly more concrete in structure, using side, but the overall meaning can match either English version.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• külső ≈ KUEL-shuh, but with Hungarian vowels

More accurately:

• ü is a front rounded vowel, something like German ü
• s in Hungarian sounds like English sh
• ő is a long front rounded vowel, somewhat like a long version of the vowel in German schön

So:

• külső ≈ kyl-shő

If you know IPA, it is approximately:

• /ˈkylʃøː/

Sometimes, yes, but that is a looser translation.

The Hungarian sentence specifically talks about:

• the outer side / the outside surface of the canoe

So:

• The canoe is wet outside can work in context,
• but it is less precise than The outside of the canoe is wet.

The Hungarian focuses on the outer side, not just a general external situation.