Értem ennek az értelmét.

Because the sentence has a definite direct object: ennek az értelmét.

Hungarian verbs often have two present-tense patterns:

• indefinite conjugation: used when there is no definite object, or the object is indefinite
• definite conjugation: used when the object is definite

With érteni (to understand):

• értek = I understand / I understand something
• értem = I understand it / the ...

So in Értem ennek az értelmét, the speaker is understanding a specific, definite thing, so értem is the correct form.

Ennek is the form of ez (this) used here to mean something like of this.

More literally, Hungarian is using a possessive structure:

• ennek az értelme = the meaning of this
• ennek az értelmét = the meaning of this in the accusative, because it is the object of the verb

So although -nek is formally the dative ending, in this kind of structure it often corresponds to English of.

You can think of it like this:

• ez = this
• ennek = of this / to this

In this sentence, the of this meaning is the important one.

They are doing different jobs.

• ennek = the demonstrative element, carrying the meaning of this
• az = the definite article the

Hungarian normally uses an article after a demonstrative when a noun follows:

• ez a könyv = this book
• az a ház = that house
• ennek a könyvnek a címe = the title of this book

So here:

• ennek az értelmét

contains

• ennek = of this
• az = the
• értelmét = its meaning, as object

Also, it is az rather than a because the next word begins with a vowel: értelmét.

Because értelmét is not just the plain noun értelem with -t added.

It is built in steps:

1. értelem = meaning, sense
2. értelme = its meaning
3. értelmét = its meaning (as a direct object)

So the noun is in a possessed form. In Hungarian, when you say the meaning of this, the noun meaning is treated as something possessed by this.

That is why Hungarian does not use the plain noun here.

Because Hungarian says the meaning of this using a possessive construction, not with a separate word like English of.

English:

• the meaning of this

Hungarian structure:

• this-DAT the meaning-its

That may feel strange at first, but it is very normal in Hungarian.

A similar pattern is:

• a könyv címe = the book’s title
• literally: the book title-its

So:

• ennek az értelme = the meaning of this
• ennek az értelmét = the meaning of this as the object

The final -t marks the accusative, which is the case used for the direct object.

The verb értem needs something that is being understood, and that thing is:

• ennek az értelmét

So -t tells you that értelmét is the object of the verb.

Compare:

• ennek az értelme = the meaning of this
• értem ennek az értelmét = I understand the meaning of this

This is a normal pattern in Hungarian possessed nouns ending in -a or -e.

When such a form gets the accusative -t, the final vowel usually lengthens:

• háza → házát
• kertje → kertjét
• értelme → értelmét

So:

• értelme = its meaning
• értelmét = its meaning (object)

This vowel lengthening is something you will see often.

Not if you want the same structure.

• ezt az értelmet means this meaning
• ennek az értelmét means the meaning of this

These are different.

Compare:

• ezt az értelmet értem = I understand this meaning
• ennek az értelmét értem = I understand the meaning of this

So a native English speaker often wants to use this + noun, but here Hungarian needs the possessive structure because the meaning is the meaning of this, not this meaning.

Hungarian word order is more flexible than English, but different orders can change the emphasis.

Értem ennek az értelmét is a natural sentence and simply states the idea.

Other orders are possible, for example:

• Ennek az értelmét értem.

This can put more emphasis on ennek az értelmét, roughly like It is the meaning of this that I understand or As for the meaning of this, I understand it.

So the sentence is not just about grammar; word order also reflects topic and focus.

No. Its exact English translation depends on context.

Because ennek is the -nek form of ez, it can correspond to things like:

• to this
• for this
• of this

In this sentence, because it is part of a possessive construction, of this is the best way to understand it.

So the form is the same, but the function changes with context.

No. Here az is just the definite article the.

Hungarian has:

• a / az = the
• ez = this
• az = that

So az can be either the or that, depending on grammar.

In ennek az értelmét, it is the article, not the demonstrative pronoun. You can tell because ennek is already the demonstrative part, and az is standing directly before the noun phrase the way an article does.

A useful breakdown is:

• Értem = I understand it / I understand
• ennek = of this
• az értelmét = the meaning of it, as object

So the structure is roughly:

• I understand [of-this the meaning-its-ACC].

That sounds unnatural in English, but it matches how Hungarian builds the phrase.

A very compact grammar view is:

• érteni → verb
• értem → 1st person singular, definite conjugation
• ennek → demonstrative pronoun in -nek form
• értelme → possessed noun, its meaning
• értelmét → accusative possessed noun, its meaning as direct object

That is the main grammar packed into this sentence.