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Questions & Answers about A sajt romlandó.
Why is there no word for is in A sajt romlandó?
In Hungarian, the verb van (to be) is usually left out in the present tense, third person when the predicate is a noun or adjective.
So:
- A sajt romlandó. = The cheese / Cheese is perishable.
But in other persons, van appears:
- Romlandó vagyok. = I am perishable
- Romlandó vagy. = You are perishable
This zero-copula pattern is very common in Hungarian.
Why does the sentence start with a? Does it mean the cheese?
Yes, a is the definite article, meaning the.
However, in Hungarian, the definite article is often used for generic statements too, where English may use no article:
- A sajt romlandó. = Cheese is perishable.
- A kutya hűséges. = Dogs are loyal / The dog is a loyal animal.
So here a sajt can mean:
- the cheese in a specific context, or
- cheese in general
The context tells you which one is meant.
Why is it a sajt and not just sajt?