Ha a macska nyávog, akkor jutalomfalatot kér.

They work together as an if ... then ... pair.

• ha = if
• akkor = then

So Ha a macska nyávog, akkor jutalomfalatot kér is literally structured like If the cat meows, then it asks for a treat.

In English, then is often optional, and that is also true in Hungarian.

You can leave it out.

A very natural version is:

Ha a macska nyávog, jutalomfalatot kér.

Adding akkor makes the conditional relationship more explicit or slightly more emphatic. It is not wrong at all; it just sounds a bit more clearly like a formal if ... then ... structure.

A is the definite article, meaning the.

• a macska = the cat

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before consonant sounds
• az before vowel sounds

Since macska starts with a consonant, the article is a.

Because Hungarian often leaves subject pronouns out when they are clear from context.

In English, you usually need it:

• then it asks for a treat

In Hungarian, the subject is often understood, so:

• kér already means he/she/it asks

Since the subject is obviously still the cat, there is no need to add a separate pronoun.

Because the sentence is talking about a treat in a general or indefinite sense, not the treat.

Compare:

• jutalomfalatot kér = asks for a treat / asks for treats
• egy jutalomfalatot kér = asks for one treat / a treat
• a jutalomfalatot kéri = asks for the treat

So the lack of an article helps make the object indefinite.

Because it is the direct object of the verb, so it takes the accusative ending.

• base form: jutalomfalat
• object form: jutalomfalatot

The accusative in Hungarian is basically marked by -t, but a linking vowel is often added for pronunciation. So here you get -ot.

This is one of the most important patterns in Hungarian:

• könyv → könyvet
• alma → almát
• jutalomfalat → jutalomfalatot

This is about Hungarian’s indefinite and definite verb conjugation.

Here, the object is indefinite:

• jutalomfalatot kér = asks for a treat

So Hungarian uses the indefinite form:

• kér

If the object were definite, Hungarian would normally use the definite form:

• a jutalomfalatot kéri = asks for the treat

This is a very common thing for English speakers to notice, because English verbs do not change this way.

Here it means ask for.

Hungarian kér is often used when someone requests something:

• vizet kér = asks for water
• segítséget kér = asks for help
• jutalomfalatot kér = asks for a treat

So even though the basic dictionary meaning is often given as ask or request, in sentences like this the best English translation is usually ask for.

Hungarian word order is flexible, but it is not random. It depends a lot on information structure and emphasis.

Here, jutalomfalatot kér is a very natural, neutral way to say asks for a treat.

A few important points:

• Hungarian often places the object before the verb in a neutral clause.
• Changing the order can change the emphasis or make the sentence sound marked.

So for a learner, jutalomfalatot kér is the normal pattern to remember here.

It is present tense, but Hungarian present tense can cover several meanings depending on context.

So nyávog can mean:

• meows
• is meowing
• does meow

In this sentence, the most natural sense is something like:

• if the cat meows
• or when the cat meows

So it can describe either a repeated situation or a current situation, depending on context.

It is a compound noun:

• jutalom = reward
• falat = bite / morsel

So jutalomfalat is literally something like reward-bite, which in natural English is treat, especially a pet treat.

That is why this sentence sounds like something you would say about a cat or dog.

Roughly like NYAA-vog, with the stress on the first syllable.

A few helpful details:

• ny sounds like the ny in canyon or the Spanish ñ
• á is a long vowel, like aah
• Hungarian stress is normally on the first syllable

So nyávog is pronounced approximately NYAA-vog.