A terv jól alakul.

• a = the
• terv = plan
• jól = well
• alakul = is developing / is taking shape / is turning out

Grammatically:

• A terv is the subject: the plan
• jól is an adverb modifying the verb: well
• alakul is the verb in 3rd person singular present: develops / is developing

So the structure is basically:

The plan + is developing + well

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a
• az

Which one you use depends on the sound that follows:

• use a before a consonant
• use az before a vowel

Since terv starts with t, a consonant, you say a terv.

Examples:

• a ház = the house
• a terv = the plan
• az asztal = the table
• az ember = the person

Because jól is the adverb form, while jó is the adjective.

• jó = good
• jól = well

In this sentence, the word describes how the plan is developing, so Hungarian uses the adverb:

• A terv jó. = The plan is good.
• A terv jól alakul. = The plan is developing well.

This is similar to English good vs well.

Alakul is a very common verb meaning something like:

• to develop
• to take shape
• to turn out
• to be coming along

In this sentence, it suggests that the plan is progressing in a favorable way.

It is often used for situations, projects, relationships, events, or general developments:

• Jól alakulnak a dolgok. = Things are going well.
• Hogy alakul a helyzet? = How is the situation developing?
• Szépen alakul a projekt. = The project is shaping up nicely.

So alakul is not just to be; it emphasizes a process or ongoing development.

Hungarian usually does not use subject pronouns unless they are needed for emphasis or contrast.

So instead of saying something like It is developing well, Hungarian simply says:

A terv jól alakul.

The verb form alakul already tells you it is 3rd person singular, so a separate pronoun is unnecessary.

Compare:

• Én megyek. = I am going.
• Te jössz. = You are coming.
• A terv alakul. = The plan is developing.

Hungarian is a pro-drop language, so leaving out subject pronouns is normal.

Yes. Alakul is present tense, 3rd person singular.

The dictionary form of a Hungarian verb is the 3rd person singular present indefinite, so alakul is also the basic form you would find in a dictionary.

Here is part of the present tense:

• én alakulok
• te alakulsz
• ő alakul

In this sentence, the subject is a terv, which is grammatically 3rd person singular, so alakul is the correct form.

Depending on context, Hungarian present tense can correspond to:

• develops
• is developing
• is coming along

This is a very good question, because learners often notice the definite article and expect a definite verb form.

Hungarian definite vs indefinite conjugation depends on the object, not the subject.

In A terv jól alakul:

• a terv is the subject
• there is no object
• alakul is intransitive here

So the verb does not use definite conjugation.

For comparison:

• Látok egy házat. = I see a house.
  Indefinite object → látok

• Látom a házat. = I see the house.
  Definite object → látom

But in:

• A terv alakul.

there is no direct object at all, so this issue does not arise.

Terv is in the nominative, which is the basic dictionary form of a noun and is normally used for the subject of the sentence.

Hungarian often leaves the nominative unmarked, so there is no special ending here.

• terv = plan
• a terv = the plan

If the noun had another role, it would often get a suffix:

• a tervet = the plan, as a direct object
• a tervben = in the plan
• a tervről = about the plan

But here it is simply the subject, so plain terv is correct.

Hungarian word order is flexible, but different orders change the focus or emphasis.

The neutral sentence is:

A terv jól alakul.

This sounds like a normal statement: the plan is going well.

Other orders are possible, for example:

• Jól alakul a terv.
  This puts more focus on jól, roughly: The plan is going well.

• A terv alakul jól.
  This is less neutral and usually needs a special context, contrast, or correction.

So yes, the order can change, but the original version is a very natural default sentence.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• jól ≈ yoal
  The j in Hungarian sounds like English y.
  The ó is a long vowel.

• alakul ≈ aw-law-kool
  The stress is on the first syllable: Alakul

A few useful pronunciation points:

• Hungarian stress is almost always on the first syllable
• j = English y
• a is more open and back than English short a
• u is like oo in food

So the whole sentence is roughly:

A terv jól alakul
≈ aw terv yoal aw-law-kool

Usually it describes a current process: the plan is developing well now.

But because alakul refers to something taking shape over time, it can also imply that the eventual outcome is likely to be good.

So it often contains both ideas:

• things are going well at the moment
• the final result seems promising

That is why English translations can vary:

• The plan is developing well.
• The plan is coming along well.
• The plan is shaping up well.
• The plan is turning out well.

The exact nuance depends on context.

Normally, no. In standard Hungarian, that would sound incomplete or unnatural in this context.

You would usually say:

• A terv jól alakul. = The plan is developing well.
• Egy terv jól alakul. = A plan is developing well.

Leaving out the article is only possible in certain special styles or constructions, not in an ordinary sentence like this one.

So for a normal statement, keep a.

No. Jó is an adjective, so it cannot directly modify the verb alakul.

You need the adverb jól to describe how the action happens:

• A terv jó. = The plan is good.
• A terv jól alakul. = The plan is developing well.

This is exactly like English:

• The plan is good.
• The plan is going well.

So in this sentence, jól is required.