Ilyenkor az árnyékban ülünk.

Ilyenkor means at a time like this, in a situation like this, or sometimes simply then, depending on context.

It is made up of:

• ilyen = like this, such
• -kor = at the time of

So here it gives the idea of at times like this.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

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

Since árnyék begins with the vowel á, the correct form is az árnyékban.

It breaks down like this:

• árnyék = shadow or shade
• -ban = in

So árnyékban literally means in the shadow, but in natural English this is often in the shade.

Because they do different jobs:

• az = the
• -ban = in

Hungarian usually expresses ideas like in the shade by keeping the article separate and putting the location ending on the noun:

• az árnyékban = in the shade

So the article does not replace the case ending.

Ülünk is the 1st person plural present tense form of ülni, which means to sit.

So:

• ülni = to sit
• ülünk = we sit / we are sitting

The ending -ünk shows that the subject is we.

Because Hungarian usually leaves subject pronouns out when they are clear from the verb ending.

So:

• ülünk already means we sit
• mi ülünk would mean we sit, but with extra emphasis

The pronoun mi is only added if you want contrast or emphasis.

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Hungarian present tense often covers both:

• we sit
• we are sitting

In this sentence, because of ilyenkor, the meaning often feels more habitual or general:

• At times like this, we sit in the shade

But in the right context it could also describe what is happening now.

Hungarian word order is more flexible than English word order. It often depends on what is being emphasized.

In Ilyenkor az árnyékban ülünk:

• Ilyenkor sets the time or situation first
• az árnyékban gives the place
• ülünk comes last in a neutral, natural sentence pattern

Other word orders are possible, but they would shift the emphasis.

This is because of vowel harmony.

The suffix meaning in has two common forms:

• -ban
• -ben

Words with back vowels usually take -ban, and words with front vowels usually take -ben.

Since árnyék contains the back vowel á, the natural form is:

• árnyékban

In modern Hungarian, ly is pronounced the same as j.

So ilyenkor is pronounced roughly like:

• ee-yen-kor

Also, Hungarian stress is normally on the first syllable, so the stress is on I- in Ilyenkor.

It can mean both, depending on context.

In this sentence, the natural English meaning is shade, because the idea is that people sit somewhere protected from the sun:

• Ilyenkor az árnyékban ülünk = At times like this, we sit in the shade

So even though árnyék can literally be shadow, shade is the better translation here.