Az öltözőben tilos enni.

Az is the Hungarian definite article, meaning the.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

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

Since öltözőben starts with the vowel ö, the sentence uses az:

• az öltözőben = in the changing room

This is similar to English a/an, but for the.

Öltözőben means in the changing room or in the locker room.

It is built from:

• öltöző = changing room / locker room
• -ben = in

So:

• öltözőben = in the changing room

The base noun öltöző comes from the verb öltözik (to get dressed / to change clothes).

Because Hungarian often expresses location by adding a case ending to the noun instead of using a separate preposition.

Here the ending is:

• -ban / -ben = in

So:

• öltöző = changing room
• öltözőben = in the changing room

This is called the inessive case.

This is because of vowel harmony, which is very important in Hungarian.

Hungarian suffixes often have different forms depending on the vowels in the word.
Öltöző contains front vowels (ö, ő), so it takes the front-vowel form:

• -ben

Compare:

• házban = in the house
• öltözőben = in the changing room

So the sentence uses -ben because öltöző is a front-vowel word.

Tilos means forbidden, not allowed, or prohibited.

In this sentence, it works like a predicate:

• Az öltözőben tilos enni. = It is forbidden to eat in the changing room.

Hungarian commonly uses tilos + infinitive to express that something is not allowed:

• Tilos dohányozni. = Smoking is forbidden.
• Tilos bemenni. = دخول is forbidden / It is forbidden to enter.

A very natural English equivalent is often You must not... or ... is forbidden.

Yes, from an English point of view it may feel like is is missing.

In Hungarian, the present-tense verb to be is often left out in the third person when the predicate is a noun, adjective, or similar word.

So:

• tilos here already functions as the predicate
• Hungarian does not need a separate word for is

So literally the structure is something like:

• In the changing room forbidden to eat

But in natural English:

• It is forbidden to eat in the changing room.

Because after tilos, Hungarian usually uses the infinitive.

• enni = to eat
• eszik = he/she eats or is eating

So:

• tilos enni = to eat is forbidden / eating is forbidden

This is the normal construction:

• tilos + infinitive

Examples:

• Tilos futni. = Running is forbidden.
• Tilos beszélni. = Talking is forbidden.

Enni is the infinitive of the verb eszik (to eat).

This verb is a little irregular, so the forms do not look as similar as English learners might expect:

• dictionary/basic verb: eszik
• infinitive: enni

This is something you mostly just learn as a verb pair. Hungarian has several common verbs with stems that change between forms.

Yes. Hungarian word order is flexible, and different orders can sound more neutral, more emphatic, or more sign-like.

For example:

• Az öltözőben tilos enni.
• Tilos enni az öltözőben.

Both are correct.

A version starting with Tilos often sounds especially natural on signs and notices:

• Tilos enni az öltözőben. = Eating in the changing room is forbidden.

The version with Az öltözőben first puts the location in focus first:

• In the changing room, eating is forbidden.

It is very natural, especially in rules, notices, schools, gyms, workplaces, and public signs.

It sounds a bit official or rule-like, but completely normal.

In conversation, people might also say:

• Nem szabad enni az öltözőben. = You must not eat in the changing room.

Both are common, but there is a slight difference:

• tilos = more direct, more rule/sign style, forbidden
• nem szabad = often a bit softer, not allowed / must not

Öltöző usually means changing room or locker room.

Depending on context, it could refer to:

• a gym changing room
• a sports team locker room
• a fitting/changing room in a store

So the best English translation depends on the situation. In many everyday contexts, changing room or locker room both work well.

A Hungarian speaker would understand it as a general rule:

• Eating is forbidden in the changing room.
• You are not allowed to eat in the changing room.

It is impersonal: it does not name a specific person. It means the rule applies generally to anyone in that place.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• az ≈ awz
• öltözőben ≈ URL-tuh-zur-ben (very rough)
• tilos ≈ TEE-losh
• enni ≈ EN-nee

A few important points:

• ö is like the vowel in German schön or French peu
• ő is a longer version of ö
• s in Hungarian sounds like English sh
• double nn in enni is pronounced longer than a single n

So tilos is pronounced TEE-losh, not TEE-los.