A máz kék.

The glaze is blue.

Breakdown of A máz kék.

• az: the
• kék: blue
• máz: pottery glaze

Questions & Answers about A máz kék.

What does A mean in A máz kék.?

A is the Hungarian definite article, so it means the.

A few useful points:

• a is used before a consonant: a máz
• az is used before a vowel: az alma
• At the start of a sentence, it is capitalized: A

So A máz means the glaze (or the icing/coating, depending on context).

Hungarian also has an indefinite article, egy, which means a/an.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In Hungarian, the verb to be is often omitted in the present tense, 3rd person when the predicate is a noun or adjective.

So:

• A máz kék. = The glaze is blue.

This is completely normal Hungarian, not an incomplete sentence.

But the verb does appear in other situations, for example:

• Kék vagyok. = I am blue.
• Kék vagy. = You are blue.
• A máz kék volt. = The glaze was blue.
• A máz az asztalon van. = The glaze is on the table.

So the missing is is a grammar feature, not an omission.