Az öntözőkanna tele van.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

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

Because öntözőkanna starts with ö, which is a vowel, the correct form is az öntözőkanna.

Compare:

• a ház = the house
• az alma = the apple

Öntözőkanna is a compound noun, and Hungarian very often writes compounds as one word.

It breaks down roughly like this:

• öntöz = to water, irrigate
• öntöző = watering / used for watering
• kanna = can, jug

So öntözőkanna is literally something like watering-can.

This is very normal in Hungarian: instead of using two separate words as English often does, Hungarian frequently combines them into one.

Because Hungarian usually writes noun compounds as a single word.

English often uses:

• watering can
• school bus
• coffee cup

Hungarian commonly makes one compound word instead:

• öntözőkanna
• iskolabusz
• kávéscsésze

So this spelling is not unusual at all; it is the standard way to write the word.

This is one of the most common things learners notice.

In Hungarian, the verb van = is is often omitted in the present tense, especially with simple noun or adjective predicates:

• A ház nagy. = The house is big.
• A fiú tanár. = The boy is a teacher.

But tele van is a fixed, very common expression meaning is full. In this construction, van stays.

So you should learn tele van together as a unit.

Examples:

• A pohár tele van. = The glass is full.
• A táska tele van. = The bag is full.
• Az öntözőkanna tele van. = The watering can is full.

Tele means full, but in Hungarian it is very commonly used in the expression tele van.

So instead of thinking of tele as a completely ordinary adjective used by itself, it is often best for learners to remember:

• tele van = is full

You will also see longer patterns such as:

• tele van vízzel = it is full of water
• tele van emberekkel = it is full of people
• tele van hibákkal = it is full of mistakes

Yes, teli also means full, and learners often encounter both tele and teli.

However, in this kind of sentence, tele van is extremely common and natural. It is the safest version to learn first.

So for this sentence, Az öntözőkanna tele van. is perfectly standard.

It is in the nominative case, which is the basic dictionary form.

Here it is the subject of the sentence:

• Az öntözőkanna = the watering can

There is no special ending on it because it is not functioning as an object or in another marked case.

Because the sentence only says that the watering can is full; it does not specify what it is full of.

If you want to say what fills it, Hungarian usually uses the instrumental ending -val / -vel:

• Az öntözőkanna tele van vízzel. = The watering can is full of water.

So:

• tele van = is full
• tele van vízzel = is full of water

The sentence as given has a neutral, natural word order:

• Az öntözőkanna tele van.

Hungarian word order is fairly flexible, but changing it usually changes the emphasis.

For example:

• Az öntözőkanna tele van. = neutral statement
• Tele van az öntözőkanna. = more emphasis on being full

So the original sentence is the best basic version for learners.

Approximate pronunciation:

• ön-tö-ző-kan-na

A few helpful points:

• Hungarian stress is normally on the first syllable, so: ÖNtözőkanna
• ö is like the vowel in German schön or French peu
• ő is the long version of ö
• double consonants like nn are pronounced longer than single ones

So pay attention especially to:

• the front rounded vowels ö, ő
• the long consonant in kanna

If you want to say The watering cans are full, you need both the plural noun and the plural form of van:

• Az öntözőkannák tele vannak.

Breakdown:

• öntözőkanna = watering can
• öntözőkannák = watering cans
• van = is
• vannak = are

So singular:

• Az öntözőkanna tele van.

Plural:

• Az öntözőkannák tele vannak.

Yes. Az is the definite article, so the sentence refers to the watering can, not just a watering can.

Compare:

• Az öntözőkanna tele van. = The watering can is full.
• Egy öntözőkanna tele van. = A watering can is full.

So az makes the noun specific or identifiable.