A tejszín hideg.

the

Breakdown of A tejszín hideg.

• hideg: cold
• tejszín: cream used in cooking

Questions & Answers about A tejszín hideg.

Why is there no word for is in A tejszín hideg?

In Hungarian, the verb to be is usually left out in the present tense when the sentence is in the third person:

• A tejszín hideg. = The cream is cold.
• literally: The cream cold.

This is completely normal in Hungarian.

But in other persons, Hungarian does use the verb:

• Hideg vagyok. = I am cold.
• Hideg vagy. = You are cold.
• A tejszín hideg. = The cream is cold.

So the missing is is not an omission or informal shortcut; it is the standard grammar.

What does a mean here?

A is the Hungarian definite article, meaning the.

So:

• a tejszín = the cream

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a
• az

The choice depends on the sound at the beginning of the next word.

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

Since tejszín begins with t, which is a consonant, we say:

• a tejszín

not

• az tejszín

Why is it a tejszín and not just tejszín?