Az ecset a máz mellett van.

The paintbrush is next to the glaze.

Breakdown of Az ecset a máz mellett van.

• lenni: to be
• mellett: next to
• az: the
• máz: pottery glaze

Questions & Answers about Az ecset a máz mellett van.

Why is it az ecset but a máz?

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.

Does az mean that 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.

What is mellett?