Hiába keressük a nyomot, semmit sem találunk.

Hiába means something like in vain, to no avail, or however much in the sense that the effort does not lead to success.

So:

• Hiába keressük a nyomot... = Even though we are looking for the clue/trace, it’s useless...
• or more naturally: No matter how much we look for the clue/trace...

It often introduces a situation where someone tries to do something, but the result is unsuccessful.

Examples:

• Hiába várunk. = We are waiting in vain.
• Hiába hívom, nem veszi fel. = I call him in vain; he doesn’t pick up.

Because Hungarian uses two different verb conjugations depending on whether the object is definite or indefinite.

Here the object is:

• a nyomot = the trace / the clue / the track

Since that object is definite, Hungarian uses the definite conjugation:

• keressük = we are looking for it / we look for the ...

Compare:

• keresünk egy nyomot = we are looking for a clue
  → indefinite object, so keresünk
• keressük a nyomot = we are looking for the clue
  → definite object, so keressük

This is one of the most important grammar points in Hungarian.

In keressük, the ending tells you:

• the subject is we
• the verb is in the definite conjugation

So keressük means roughly:

• we look for it
• we are looking for the ...

The full breakdown is:

• keres- = the verb stem (search / look for)
• -s- = part of the stem shape in this form
• -ük / -jük = we in the definite conjugation

You do not need a separate word for we unless you want emphasis, because the verb ending already shows it.

Because nyomot is the accusative form, which marks the direct object.

• nyom = trace / track / clue
• nyomot = trace / track / clue as the thing being looked for or found

Hungarian usually adds -t to mark the direct object:

• könyv → könyvet
• nyom → nyomot

In this sentence, the thing being searched for is the object, so Hungarian marks it:

• keressük a nyomot = we are looking for the trace/clue

Nyom can mean several related things depending on context, for example:

• trace
• track
• clue
• sign

So a nyomot could be translated in different ways depending on the situation:

• in a detective context: the clue
• in a physical tracking context: the track or the trace
• more generally: the sign

Hungarian often uses one word where English might choose different words depending on context.

This is a very common Hungarian negative pattern.

• semmit = nothing / literally anything-not
• sem is an extra negative particle used with words like senki, semmi, sehol, soha, etc.

So:

• semmit sem találunk = we find nothing

This structure is normal Hungarian. Similar patterns include:

• senkit sem látok = I see nobody
• sehol sem volt = he was nowhere
• soha sem mondta = he never said it
  (though sosem is also common)

So the double-looking negative is not a mistake; it is the standard pattern.

Both are possible, but they are structured differently.

1. Nem találunk semmit.
   = We don’t find anything.

2. Semmit sem találunk.
   = We find nothing.

The second version is a stronger, more explicitly negative way to say it, and it often puts more focus on nothing.

A useful rule of thumb:

• nem + verb + valamit-type idea → not ... anything
• semmit / senkit / sehol + sem + verb → nothing / nobody / nowhere ...

In this sentence, semmit sem találunk is very natural and idiomatic.

Because the negative meaning is already carried by semmit sem.

In Hungarian, if you use a negative word like:

• semmit = nothing
• senkit = nobody
• sehol = nowhere
• soha = never

you normally do not also add nem before the verb in this kind of structure.

So:

• Semmit sem találunk. = correct
• Semmit sem nem találunk. = not correct here

The negative force is already complete without nem.

Találunk means we find.

Here it uses the indefinite conjugation, because the object is semmit.

Even though semmit means nothing, grammatically it does not trigger the definite conjugation the way a nyomot does.

So:

• találunk valamit = we find something
• nem találunk semmit = we find nothing / we don’t find anything

But:

• megtaláljuk a nyomot = we find the clue / we find it

So the sentence has:

• keressük because of the definite object a nyomot
• találunk because of semmit, which takes the indefinite conjugation

This difference is very typical in Hungarian.

Hungarian word order is flexible, but it is strongly connected to focus and information structure.

In semmit sem találunk, the negative object phrase comes before the verb:

• semmit sem = nothing
• találunk = we find

This is the normal order when that negative element is the main focus.

So the sentence naturally highlights the result:

• As for what we find: nothing.

This is why the whole sentence feels like:

• However hard we look for the clue, we find absolutely nothing.

It can be understood either way, depending on context.

Hungarian present tense often covers both:

• we are looking / we are finding
• we look / we find

So:

• Hiába keressük a nyomot, semmit sem találunk.

could mean:

• We are looking for the clue right now, but we’re finding nothing.
• or Whenever / even though we look for the clue, we find nothing.

In many real contexts, English would choose the progressive:

• We’re looking for the clue, but we’re not finding anything.

But Hungarian does not need a separate progressive form here.

Yes. A few alternatives are possible, with slightly different tone or emphasis.

For example:

• Hiába keressük a nyomot, nem találunk semmit.
  Very natural; means almost the same.

• Hiába keressük a nyomot, semmit sem találunk.
  Also very natural; a bit stronger in the nothing part.

• Keressük a nyomot, de hiába: semmit sem találunk.
  More dramatic or literary: We’re looking for the clue, but in vain: we find nothing.

So the original sentence is fully natural, but not the only possible wording.