A bögre kicsi.

The mug is small.

Breakdown of A bögre kicsi.

• kicsi: small
• az: the
• bögre: a mug

Questions & Answers about A bögre kicsi.

Why does the sentence start with A? Does a mean a/an in Hungarian?

No. In Hungarian, a/az means the, not a/an.

So A bögre = the mug.

Hungarian uses:

• a/az = the (definite article)
• egy = a/an (indefinite article)

You use:

• a before a consonant sound: a bögre
• az before a vowel sound: az alma

So this sentence begins with A because it means the mug, not a mug.

Where is the word is?

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

So:

• A bögre kicsi. = The mug is small.

There is no separate word for is here, even though English needs it.

Compare:

• Én kicsi vagyok. = I am small.
• Te kicsi vagy. = You are small.
• A bögre kicsi. = The mug is small.

In the past or future, the verb appears:

• A bögre kicsi volt. = The mug was small.
• A bögre kicsi lesz. = The mug will be small.

Why is kicsi after bögre? Shouldn’t adjectives come before the noun?