A víz szivárog.

A is the Hungarian definite article, usually meaning the.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before a consonant
• az before a vowel

Since víz begins with the consonant sound v, the correct form is a víz.

Examples:

• a ház = the house
• az alma = the apple

Because szivárog is already a full verb meaning leaks / is leaking / seeps / is seeping, depending on context.

Hungarian does not build the present progressive the same way English does. A simple present verb can often cover both:

• leaks
• is leaking
• seeps
• is seeping

So A víz szivárog can mean:

• The water leaks
• The water is leaking
• The water is seeping

The exact English translation depends on context.

Szivárog is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb.

That means it matches a subject like:

• he
• she
• it
• or a noun such as a víz = the water

So:

• A víz szivárog. = The water is leaking / seeping.

In Hungarian, the verb ending often tells you the person and number, so no separate subject pronoun is needed.

Hungarian usually does not use subject pronouns unless they are needed for emphasis or contrast.

Since szivárog already shows 3rd person singular, and the subject a víz is present, there is no need to add a pronoun like it.

English:

• It is leaking.

Hungarian:

• often just Szivárog.
• or with the noun: A víz szivárog.

Hungarian tends to avoid unnecessary pronouns.

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

• A = short aw
• víz ≈ veez
• szivárog ≈ see-vaa-rog

A few important pronunciation points:

• sz is pronounced like English s in see
• Hungarian s by itself is pronounced like English sh
• í is a long ee
• á is a long open vowel, somewhat like a in father, but longer
• Stress in Hungarian normally falls on the first syllable of each word:
  • A
  • VÍZ
  • SZIvárog

So the stress pattern is roughly:

• A VÍZ SZIvárog

In Hungarian, accent marks are part of the spelling and usually show different vowel sounds or vowel length.

Here:

• í is a long i
• á is a long a

These are not optional marks. They matter for both pronunciation and meaning.

For example, vowel length can distinguish words in Hungarian, so learners should try to notice and remember it from the beginning.

Yes, you could also say Szivárog a víz, but the nuance changes slightly.

• A víz szivárog. = a neutral statement about the water
• Szivárog a víz. = more like The water is leaking with attention on the action or situation

Hungarian word order is more flexible than English word order, and it often reflects focus, emphasis, or what is new information.

So both are possible, but they are not always used in exactly the same discourse situation.

No. Víz is the subject of the sentence, so it appears in its basic dictionary form.

In Hungarian, the subject is usually unmarked:

• a víz = the water

You would add endings if the noun had another role, such as object or location, but not here.

So in this sentence:

• a víz = subject
• szivárog = verb

It can mean both, depending on context.

Common possible translations include:

• leak
• be leaking
• seep
• be seeping
• sometimes ooze through

So A víz szivárog could describe:

• water leaking from a pipe
• water seeping through a wall
• water slowly coming through some material

The exact English wording depends on the situation.

Not always. Although a is the definite article, Hungarian and English do not use articles in exactly the same way.

In many contexts, a víz will indeed be the water, especially if we mean some specific water already understood from the situation.

But depending on context, English might prefer:

• water
• the water

For example, if you are pointing out a problem in a house, A víz szivárog would very naturally be translated as The water is leaking or Water is leaking.

So the Hungarian article is real and important, but the most natural English translation may vary.

The dictionary form is szivárogni, meaning to leak / to seep.

In dictionaries, Hungarian verbs are usually listed with -ni, which is the infinitive ending.

So:

• szivárogni = to leak / to seep
• szivárog = leaks / is leaking / seeps / is seeping

Learning both forms is useful:

• dictionary form: szivárogni
• sentence form here: szivárog