Mindkettő drága: az egyik nyaklánc, a másik fülbevaló.

Both are expensive: one is a necklace, the other is an earring.

Breakdown of Mindkettő drága: az egyik nyaklánc, a másik fülbevaló.

• az: the
• drága: expensive
• mindkettő: both
• egyik: one

Questions & Answers about Mindkettő drága: az egyik nyaklánc, a másik fülbevaló.

What does mindkettő mean exactly?

Mindkettő means both or both of them.

It refers to two specific things that are already known from the context. In this sentence, it means both jewelry items are expensive.

You can think of it as being built from:

• mind = all, both
• kettő = two

So the idea is basically all two of them → both.

Why is it drága and not drágák?

Because mindkettő is treated as grammatically singular in this kind of sentence, even though its meaning involves two things.

So Hungarian says:

• Mindkettő drága. = Both are expensive.

Not:

• Mindkettő drágák.

This is one of those places where Hungarian grammar does not match English word-for-word.

Why is there no word for is/are in Mindkettő drága?