A hajtás mellett van a metszőolló.

That is a very common question. In Hungarian, the 3rd person present form of to be is often omitted with noun or adjective predicates:

A metszőolló éles. = The pruning shears are sharp.
Ez egy hajtás. = This is a shoot.

But with location or existence, van is normally kept:

A metszőolló az asztalon van. = The pruning shears are on the table.
A hajtás mellett van a metszőolló. = The pruning shears are next to the shoot.

So here van is needed because the sentence tells you where something is.

Mellett means next to / beside. It is a postposition, which is like a preposition in English, except it comes after the noun instead of before it.

So:

a hajtás mellett = next to the shoot

English uses prepositions: next to the shoot
Hungarian often uses postpositions: the shoot next-to

This is completely normal in Hungarian.

Hungarian can express location in more than one way.

Sometimes it uses a case ending, for example:

a házban = in the house
az asztalon = on the table

But sometimes it uses a separate postposition, like mellett, előtt, mögött, alatt.

So in this sentence, mellett is doing the job by itself, and hajtás stays in its basic form:

a hajtás mellett = next to the shoot

The subject is a metszőolló.

The phrase a hajtás mellett is just the location phrase. It tells you where the subject is.

So the structure is basically:

[Location] + van + [thing located]

In this sentence:

A hajtás mellett = next to the shoot
van = is
a metszőolló = the pruning shears

Because Hungarian treats metszőolló as a singular noun.

This is one of those places where English and Hungarian do not divide things the same way. English often uses plural-only tool words like scissors, shears, tongs, while Hungarian may use a singular noun.

So:

a metszőolló = the pruning shears
ez a metszőolló = these pruning shears / this pruning tool

If you really mean several separate tools, Hungarian can make it plural:

metszőollók = pruning shears, pruning tools

Because both noun phrases are definite.

a hajtás = the shoot
a metszőolló = the pruning shears

Hungarian uses the article separately with each noun phrase, just as English uses the separately in the shoot and the pruning shears.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

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

Since both hajtás and metszőolló begin with consonants, the article is a:

a hajtás
a metszőolló

You would use az before something like asztal:

az asztal = the table

Hungarian word order is flexible, and it often reflects topic and focus, not just grammar.

This version puts the location/reference point first:

A hajtás mellett = as for next to the shoot...
van a metszőolló = there is the pruning shears

This is natural if the shoot is already the reference point, or if the sentence answers a question like:

Mi van a hajtás mellett? = What is next to the shoot?

So the word order is not random; it helps show what the sentence is organized around.

Yes. That is also correct, but the emphasis is a little different.

A metszőolló a hajtás mellett van is more natural if the pruning shears are already the topic, and you are answering:

Hol van a metszőolló? = Where are the pruning shears?

So the two versions are both grammatical, but they fit different contexts a little better:

• A hajtás mellett van a metszőolló. → What is next to the shoot?
• A metszőolló a hajtás mellett van. → Where are the pruning shears?

That version is possible, but it gives strong focus to a metszőolló.

It can sound like:

It is the pruning shears that are next to the shoot.

So this form is often used in contrast or correction, for example if someone thought it was something else.

In neutral description, the other two versions are usually more natural.

No. Hajtás can have several meanings depending on context, such as:

• shoot, sprout
• drive
• propulsion
• transmission

But in this sentence, because metszőolló is a gardening/pruning tool, the plant meaning is the obvious one.

Context is very important with this word.

A few useful pronunciation points:

• Hungarian stress is usually on the first syllable of each word.
• sz sounds like English s.
• s by itself would sound like English sh.
• Long vowels such as á, ő, ó are held longer.

A rough pronunciation guide:

A hajtás mellett van a metszőolló
≈ uh HIGH-taash MEL-lett vun uh MET-sző-ol-loh

Very roughly:

• hajtás → HIGH-taash
• mellett → MEL-lett
• metszőolló → stress on the first syllable; sz is a plain s sound

The exact sound of ő does not exist naturally in English, but it is similar to German ö, just long.