A hangoskönyv hosszú.

The audiobook is long.

Breakdown of A hangoskönyv hosszú.

• az: the
• hosszú: long
• hangoskönyv: an audiobook

Questions & Answers about A hangoskönyv hosszú.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

Because Hungarian often leaves out the verb to be in the 3rd person singular present tense when the predicate is an adjective or a noun.

So:

• A hangoskönyv hosszú. = The audiobook is long.

Hungarian does not need a word like is here.

You do use the verb in other tenses or persons, for example:

• A hangoskönyv hosszú volt. = The audiobook was long.
• A hangoskönyv hosszú lesz. = The audiobook will be long.
• Én fáradt vagyok. = I am tired.

So this missing is is completely normal.

What does a mean here, and when do I use a versus az?

A is the Hungarian definite article, so here it means the.

• a hangoskönyv = the audiobook

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

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

Examples:

• a hangoskönyv = the audiobook
• az alma = the apple

Since hangoskönyv begins with h, which is a consonant sound, you use a.

Is hangoskönyv really one word?