A fokhagyma a reszelő mellett van.

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• a = the
• fokhagyma = garlic
• a = the
• reszelő = grater
• mellett = next to / beside
• van = is

So the structure is basically:

the garlic + the grater + next to + is

Hungarian often puts the verb van (is) at the end in simple location sentences like this.

Because Hungarian uses the definite article separately before each definite noun, just like English:

• a fokhagyma = the garlic
• a reszelő = the grater

So if both nouns are definite, both usually get the article.

Also, Hungarian has two forms of the:

• a before a consonant sound
• az before a vowel sound

Since fokhagyma and reszelő both begin with consonant sounds, a is correct.

Because mellett is a postposition. Hungarian often expresses location either with:

• a case ending on the noun, or
• a postposition after the noun

Here, mellett means next to / beside, and it comes after the noun it relates to:

• a reszelő mellett = next to the grater

So instead of changing reszelő with an ending, Hungarian uses the separate word mellett.

Mellett means next to, beside, or by the side of.

It describes a position close to something, usually on one side of it.

Examples:

• az asztal mellett = next to the table
• a szék mellett = next to the chair

In your sentence:

• a reszelő mellett = next to the grater

This is a very common question.

• mellett = next to / beside (location, no movement)
• mellé = to next to / to beside (movement toward that place)

So:

• A fokhagyma a reszelő mellett van.
  = The garlic is next to the grater.
  → static position

But:

• A fokhagymát a reszelő mellé teszem.
  = I put the garlic next to the grater.
  → movement to that position

A useful shortcut:

• -tt forms often describe where something is
• -é forms often describe where something goes

In a neutral Hungarian sentence about location, the verb often comes at or near the end.

So:

• A fokhagyma a reszelő mellett van.

is a normal, neutral way to say it.

Hungarian word order is more flexible than English, but it is not random. Word order often reflects focus or emphasis.

For a basic descriptive sentence, putting van at the end is very natural.

No, not normally in this sentence.

Hungarian often drops van in the third person when you are saying what something is:

• A fokhagyma friss. = The garlic is fresh.
• Ez egy reszelő. = This is a grater.

But in location sentences, van is usually kept:

• A fokhagyma az asztalon van.
• A fokhagyma a reszelő mellett van.

So here, van is needed.

Because in this sentence:

• fokhagyma is the subject
• reszelő is followed by the postposition mellett

With postpositions like mellett, the noun usually stays in its basic dictionary form:

• a reszelő mellett
• az asztal alatt
• a szék mögött

So reszelő does not need an extra case ending here.

It can change, but different orders give different emphasis.

The neutral version is:

• A fokhagyma a reszelő mellett van.

If you change the order, you may highlight something:

• A reszelő mellett van a fokhagyma.
  = It is next to the grater that the garlic is.
  This can sound like you are answering Where is the garlic?

• A fokhagyma van a reszelő mellett.
  This strongly focuses on the garlic, as opposed to something else.

So yes, Hungarian allows flexibility, but the basic sentence you were given is the most neutral and learner-friendly pattern.

Reszelő is roughly pronounced like REH-seh-luhh, but the last vowel is important:

• ő is a long vowel
• it does not sound like English oo
• it is closer to a long rounded vowel, something like the vowel in French deux or German schön, but held longer

A rough breakdown:

• re = like reh
• sze = like seh
• lő = a long rounded vowel, something like lő

Also, Hungarian stress is almost always on the first syllable:

• RE-sze-lő

Fokhagyma is stressed on the first syllable:

• FOK-hawdj-ma is a rough guide

A few helpful points:

• gy in Hungarian is a single consonant sound, somewhat like the d+y combination in British-style duke or like a soft dy
• hagy is not pronounced like English hag
• the a in Hungarian is more open than English a in cat

You do not need perfect pronunciation immediately, but it helps to notice that gy is one unit, not g + y separately.

It usually means a specific, contextually known garlic: the garlic.

In a sentence like this, the listener normally imagines a particular piece/bulb/clove of garlic in a kitchen scene.

Hungarian, like English, can sometimes use the definite article more broadly, but in this sentence the most natural reading is definite and specific:

• the garlic is next to the grater

So if you are learning the sentence as a basic location sentence, think of a fokhagyma as the garlic.

Yes, but it is not exactly the same.

• a reszelő mellett = next to / beside the grater
• a reszelőnél = at the grater / by the grater / near the grater

So mellett is more specifically beside, while -nál/-nél is often a bit broader and can mean at, near, or by.

If you want the clearest meaning of next to, mellett is the better choice here.