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Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Ma új hónap kezdődik. - A new month starts today.

Hardcore Hungarian
/Taking an evening photography course
/Ma új hónap kezdődik.

Ma új hónap kezdődik.

Word

Ma új hónap kezdődik.

Meaning

A new month starts today.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Hungarian

Lesson

Taking an evening photography course

Breakdown of Ma új hónap kezdődik.

Questions & Answers about Ma új hónap kezdődik.

What does each word in Ma új hónap kezdődik mean?

ma = today
új = new
hónap = month
kezdődik = begins / starts

So the sentence is literally Today new month begins, which in natural English is A new month begins today or Today a new month begins.

Why is there no article before új hónap? Shouldn’t it be egy új hónap?

Not necessarily. In Hungarian, articles are often omitted where English would use a/an.

So:

Ma új hónap kezdődik. = Today a new month begins.
Ma egy új hónap kezdődik. is also possible, but egy can add a slight sense of one / a certain new month, or simply sound a bit more explicit.

In many neutral statements, Hungarian can leave out the indefinite article naturally.

Why is it kezdődik and not kezd?

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This is a very common question.

kezd is usually transitive, meaning to start something
- Kezdem a munkát. = I’m starting the work.
kezdődik is intransitive, meaning to begin / to get started
- A film kezdődik. = The film is beginning.

So in Ma új hónap kezdődik, the month itself is what begins, so kezdődik is the natural choice.

What form is kezdődik exactly?

kezdődik is:

present tense
3rd person singular
from the verb kezdődik = to begin

It agrees with the subject új hónap (a new month), which is singular.

So:

hónap = singular noun
kezdődik = begins

What is the subject of the sentence?

The subject is új hónap = a new month.

Hungarian does not always need an article for an indefinite subject, so even without egy, új hónap is still the subject.

The structure is basically:

Ma = time expression
új hónap = subject
kezdődik = verb

Why is the word order Ma új hónap kezdődik? Could it be different?

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

Ma új hónap kezdődik is a natural, neutral sentence with ma as the topic: As for today, a new month begins.

Other possible orders:

Új hónap kezdődik ma.
More like A new month begins today, with today added at the end.
Ma kezdődik az új hónap.
This puts stronger attention on the verb position after ma, often like It is today that the new month begins.

So the original sentence is perfectly normal, but Hungarian word order often reflects information structure, not just grammar.

Could I also say Ma kezdődik egy új hónap?

Yes, you could.

That version is also grammatical, but it sounds a little different in structure and emphasis.

Ma új hónap kezdődik. = neutral, simple statement
Ma kezdődik egy új hónap. = slightly more like Today a new month is starting

The original version is very idiomatic and compact.

Why doesn’t új change form? Shouldn’t adjectives agree with nouns?

In Hungarian, adjectives used before a noun usually do not agree the way they do in many Indo-European languages.

So:

új hónap = new month
új ház = new house
új könyv = new book

The adjective új stays the same here.

Hungarian adjectives only take endings in certain situations, for example when they are used on their own as predicate adjectives or when they themselves receive case/number marking.

Is ma always the word for today?

Yes, ma is the normal word for today.

Examples:

Ma dolgozom. = I’m working today.
Ma meleg van. = It’s warm today.
Ma új hónap kezdődik. = Today a new month begins.

It is a very common time adverb.

How do you pronounce Ma új hónap kezdődik?

A rough pronunciation guide:

Ma ≈ mah
új ≈ something like oo-y
hónap ≈ hoe-nawp
kezdődik ≈ kehz-doe-dik

A few useful pronunciation notes:

á is a long vowel, different from short a
ó and ő are also long vowels
j is pronounced like English y
stress in Hungarian normally falls on the first syllable of each word:
- MA
- Új
- HÓ-nap
- KEZ-dő-dik

Does this sentence sound natural in Hungarian?

Yes, it does. It is short, natural, and idiomatic.

A native speaker would understand it immediately as a normal statement meaning that a new month starts today.

Depending on context, a speaker might also say:

Ma kezdődik az új hónap.
Ma egy új hónap kezdődik.

But Ma új hónap kezdődik is absolutely fine.

What is the difference between Ma új hónap kezdődik and Ma kezdődik az új hónap?

Both can mean roughly the same thing, but the nuance is a little different.

Ma új hónap kezdődik.
More neutral: Today a new month begins.
Ma kezdődik az új hónap.
More like The new month begins today, with az új hónap sounding more specific and known.

So the choice of article and word order can shift what is treated as new information and what is treated as already known.

Is this sentence talking about a calendar fact, or could it be used more generally?

Usually it would be understood as a calendar fact: today is the first day of a new month.

But grammatically, it could also be used in a broader or figurative context if the situation made that clear.

For example, in a poetic or symbolic context, új hónap kezdődik could still simply mean a new month is beginning. The sentence itself is straightforward and not especially poetic; the context would decide that.

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