A várakozási díj drága.

The parking charge is expensive.

Breakdown of A várakozási díj drága.

• az: the
• drága: expensive
• várakozási díj: a parking charge

Questions & Answers about A várakozási díj drága.

Why is there no separate word for is in this sentence?

In Hungarian, the verb to be is usually left out in the present tense, third person when the predicate is a noun or an adjective.

So:

• A várakozási díj drága. = The waiting fee is expensive.

But in other persons, Hungarian does use the verb:

• Drága vagyok. = I am expensive
• Drága vagy. = You are expensive

And in the past or future, to be also appears:

• A várakozási díj drága volt. = The waiting fee was expensive

What does A mean, and why is it a instead of az?

A is the definite article, so it means the.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before consonant sounds
• az before vowel sounds

Since várakozási begins with v, a consonant, Hungarian uses a:

• a várakozási díj

If the next word began with a vowel, you would use az instead.

What does várakozási mean, and how is it formed?