Breakdown of A vízforraló az asztalon van.
lenni
to be
asztal
the table
az
the
vízforraló
an electric kettle
Questions & Answers about A vízforraló az asztalon van.
Why are there two forms of the here: a and az?
They are the same word: the Hungarian definite article.
- a is used before words that begin with a consonant: a vízforraló
- az is used before words that begin with a vowel: az asztalon
So the difference is purely about pronunciation and flow, not meaning.
Why does asztal become asztalon?
Because Hungarian uses case endings instead of prepositions in many situations.
- asztal = table
- asztalon = on the table
The ending -on here expresses the idea of on. This is called the superessive case.
So instead of a separate word like English on, Hungarian often adds a suffix to the noun itself.
Other similar examples:
- szék → széken = on the chair
- padló → padlón = on the floor
The exact form can be -on / -en / -ön / -n, depending on the word.
Why is there a separate word van? Doesn't Hungarian often leave out is?