A fogorvos legfeljebb öt percig vár.

Here a means the, not a/an.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before a consonant
• az before a vowel

So:

• a fogorvos = the dentist
• az orvos = the doctor

Hungarian also has an indefinite article egy, which means a/an.

Because Hungarian very often forms compounds as a single word.

• fog = tooth
• orvos = doctor

So fogorvos literally means tooth-doctor, i.e. dentist.

This is very normal in Hungarian. Many job names and everyday nouns are built this way.

Legfeljebb means at most, no more than, or up to.

In this sentence, it sets a maximum limit:

• legfeljebb öt percig = for at most five minutes

It does not mean exactly five minutes. It means the waiting time could be less, but not more.

Because the ending -ig is doing important work here.

• öt perc = five minutes
• öt percig = for five minutes / until five minutes have passed

In duration expressions, -ig often marks how long something lasts.

Examples:

• két óráig dolgozik = he/she works for two hours
• estig maradok = I’m staying until evening

So percig is not a separate word; it is perc + -ig.

Because after a number, Hungarian usually keeps the noun in the singular form.

So:

• öt perc = five minutes
• not öt percek

This is a very important difference from English. English uses plural after most numbers, but Hungarian normally does not.

More examples:

• három könyv = three books
• tíz nap = ten days
• két ember = two people

Then you add the ending to that singular form:

• öt percig

Vár is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb vár, which means to wait.

So:

• én várok = I wait / I am waiting
• te vársz = you wait
• ő vár = he/she waits

Here A fogorvos ... vár means the dentist waits / is waiting.

Since vár is intransitive here, you do not have to worry about a direct object.

Hungarian does not have a separate progressive form like English is waiting.

The simple present tense can cover:

• habitual meaning: waits
• ongoing meaning: is waiting

The exact interpretation depends on context.

So A fogorvos ... vár can mean:

• The dentist waits ...
• The dentist is waiting ...

English makes a stronger distinction here than Hungarian does.

This sentence has a fairly neutral word order:

• A fogorvos = topic / what we are talking about
• legfeljebb öt percig = time limit
• vár = verb

Hungarian word order is flexible, but changes in order often change focus or emphasis, not the basic meaning.

For example:

• A fogorvos legfeljebb öt percig vár. = neutral
• Legfeljebb öt percig vár a fogorvos. = stronger emphasis on at most five minutes

So the sentence as given is a normal, natural way to say it.

Yes, but its position affects emphasis.

In the given sentence, legfeljebb directly modifies öt percig, which is very clear and natural:

• legfeljebb öt percig = for at most five minutes

If you move it, the sentence may still be grammatical, but the rhythm and focus change. For learners, it is safest to keep legfeljebb right before the quantity it limits.

This is a good English-speaker question.

In English, you often say:

• wait for someone
• wait for five minutes

Hungarian handles these patterns differently.

In this sentence, vár is used without an object, and the duration is expressed with -ig:

• öt percig vár = waits for five minutes

If you wanted to say waits for someone, Hungarian would usually express that person directly as an object:

• várja a beteget = he/she is waiting for the patient

So Hungarian vár does not always match English wait for word-for-word.

A rough pronunciation is:

• fogorvos ≈ fo-go-rvosh

A few helpful points:

• o is a short o
• g is always a hard g
• s in Hungarian is pronounced like English sh
• sz would be the English s, but there is no sz here

So the end of orvos sounds like vosh, not vos.

Vár is pronounced roughly like vaar.

The á is a long vowel. In Hungarian, accent marks usually show vowel quality and often vowel length too.

Compare:

• a = short
• á = longer and more open

So vár is not pronounced the same as a short var. The long vowel matters in Hungarian.

Yes, depending on context.

Hungarian present tense can sometimes refer to the future, especially when the situation is understood from context.

So A fogorvos legfeljebb öt percig vár could mean:

• The dentist waits/is waiting for at most five minutes
• or, in the right context, The dentist will wait for at most five minutes

Hungarian often relies on context rather than a special future form.