A gazdi ma nincs itt.

A is the definite article, meaning the.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before most consonant sounds
• az before vowel sounds

So:

• a gazdi = the owner / the pet owner
• az ember = the person

Gazdi is a very common, affectionate everyday word for a pet’s owner, especially in contexts involving dogs or cats.

It is less neutral than tulajdonos (owner) and more personal than gazda in many situations. In pet-related speech, gazdi often sounds like the pet parent / the owner / the human.

So if this sentence is about an animal’s owner, gazdi is very natural.

Because the sentence is negative.

In Hungarian, van means is / exists, and nincs means is not / isn’t / there isn’t.

Compare:

• A gazdi itt van. = The owner is here.
• A gazdi nincs itt. = The owner is not here.

So nincs itt literally means is not here.

That is a very common point of confusion.

In Hungarian, the verb to be is often omitted in the present tense, but only in certain affirmative sentences:

• A gazdi itt. → not standard
• A gazdi itt van. → correct, because location usually uses van
• A gazdi boldog. = The owner is happy.
  Here the verb is omitted in 3rd person singular.

But in negative sentences, Hungarian does not omit it:

• A gazdi nem boldog. = The owner is not happy.
• A gazdi nincs itt. = The owner is not here.

So nincs must be there.

Itt means here.

It usually comes near the end in a simple sentence like this:

• A gazdi ma nincs itt.

This is a very natural word order for:

• topic: A gazdi
• time: ma
• predicate: nincs itt

But Hungarian word order is flexible, so itt can move for emphasis in some contexts.

Ma means today.

In Hungarian, time expressions often come before the main predicate. So:

• A gazdi ma nincs itt. = neutral, natural
• literally: The owner today is not here

This sounds normal in Hungarian and does not need a separate word like English is in the same position.

Yes. Hungarian word order is flexible, and changing it often changes emphasis rather than basic meaning.

For example:

• A gazdi ma nincs itt.
  Neutral: The owner isn’t here today.

• Ma a gazdi nincs itt.
  Emphasis on today.

• A gazdi nincs itt ma.
  Also possible, often sounding like The owner isn’t here today with slightly different rhythm or focus.

The version you were given is a very natural default sentence.

Not in normal standard Hungarian.

The natural form is:

• A gazdi ma nincs itt.

Hungarian has preferred word order patterns, and nincs itt is the usual way to say is not here. Putting itt before nincs in this sentence would sound unnatural or highly marked.

They mean the same thing.

• nincs = more common in everyday speech
• nincsen = fuller form, sometimes a bit more formal, literary, or stylistically marked

So in this sentence, A gazdi ma nincs itt is the most natural everyday version.

Sometimes, but the meaning and tone change a bit.

• gazdi = affectionate, especially for a pet owner
• gazda = owner, master, keeper, or even farmer depending on context

If you are talking about someone’s dog owner, gazdi is usually the better choice.
If you say gazda, it may sound less specifically pet-related or more formal/traditional.

A rough guide:

• a = short aw / uh
• gazdi ≈ GOZD-ee
• ma = maw
• nincs ≈ neench
• itt = eett

A more careful approximation:

• gazdi: the zs sounds like the s in measure
• nincs: the ny sound is like Spanish ñ in señor
• itt: both t sounds are pronounced clearly

So the sentence sounds roughly like:

uh GOHZH-dee maw neench eet

Yes, often.

If the context is clear, Hungarian can omit the subject:

• Ma nincs itt. = He/She isn’t here today.
• Nincs itt. = He/She isn’t here.

But if you want to clearly say the owner specifically, then A gazdi is included.