Az ecset a máz mellett van.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article the:

• a before a consonant sound
• az before a vowel sound

So:

• ecset starts with e, so you get az ecset
• máz starts with m, so you get a máz

Both a and az mean the here.

No. In this sentence, az is just the definite article the.

Hungarian az can also mean that, but then it works differently. For example:

• az az ecset = that brush

So in Az ecset a máz mellett van, the first Az is not that; it is simply the.

Mellett is a postposition meaning next to, beside, or by.

English uses a preposition before the noun:

• next to the glaze

Hungarian often uses a postposition after the noun:

• a máz mellett

So Hungarian expresses this relationship in the opposite order from English.

Because mellett is a separate word, and it normally follows the noun in its basic form.

So:

• a máz mellett = next to the glaze

The relationship is shown by mellett, not by adding a case ending to máz.

That is a very common question. In Hungarian, van is often omitted in the 3rd person singular present when the predicate is a noun or adjective:

• Az ecset kicsi. = The brush is small.
• Az ecset új. = The brush is new.

But in location sentences, van is normally kept:

• Az ecset a máz mellett van.

So here van is necessary because the sentence tells you where something is.

No. Hungarian word order is fairly flexible, and it often shows topic and focus rather than just grammatical roles.

In Az ecset a máz mellett van:

• Az ecset is the topic: what we are talking about
• a máz mellett gives the location
• van finishes the locative statement

This is a very natural neutral sentence.

Yes. That is also correct.

It gives more prominence to the location:

• A máz mellett van az ecset.

This can sound like an answer to a question such as Where is the brush?

So both versions are possible, but the emphasis is a little different.

Not as a neutral sentence.

In ordinary Hungarian, the location phrase usually comes right before van in this kind of sentence:

• Az ecset a máz mellett van.

If you say:

• Az ecset van a máz mellett

it sounds marked or contrastive, something like:

• It is the brush that is next to the glaze

So it is possible only in a special emphasis context, not as the plain default version.

A rough pronunciation is:

oz EH-chet o maaz MEL-let von

A more accurate IPA version is:

[ɒz ˈɛt͡ʃɛt ɒ maːz ˈmɛlːɛt vɒn]

A few useful points:

• cs sounds like ch in church
• á is a long vowel
• double consonants like ll and tt are held a bit longer than single ones

Hungarian stress is very regular: it normally falls on the first syllable of each word.

So you get:

• AZ ecset
• MÁZ
• MELlett
• VAN

That fixed first-syllable stress is much more regular than in English.