A közösségi iroda ma nyitva van.

Breakdown of A közösségi iroda ma nyitva van.

lenni
to be
ma
today
nyitva
open
az
the
közösségi iroda
a coworking space

Questions & Answers about A közösségi iroda ma nyitva van.

What does A mean at the beginning of the sentence?

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

A useful rule:

  • a is used before words that begin with a consonant
  • az is used before words that begin with a vowel

So:

  • a közösségi iroda = the coworking office / the community office
  • az iroda = the office

Hungarian does not capitalize articles in the middle of a sentence, but here A is capitalized simply because it is the first word.

What does közösségi iroda mean exactly?

Literally, közösségi iroda means something like community office or shared office.

In modern usage, it often refers to a coworking office or coworking space. So depending on context, English translations could include:

  • the coworking office
  • the coworking space
  • the shared office
  • the community office

The exact best translation depends on what kind of place is meant, but grammatically the phrase is straightforward:

  • közösségi = community/shared/communal
  • iroda = office
How is közösségi formed?

Közösségi is an adjective built from the noun közösség, which means community.

The ending -i is a very common Hungarian adjectival ending. It often means something like:

  • related to
  • belonging to
  • connected with

So:

  • közösség = community
  • közösségi = community-related, communal, community-based

You will see this -i ending a lot in Hungarian:

  • város = city → városi = city / urban
  • iskola = school → iskolai = school-related
  • ország = country → országi in some compounds and expressions

So közösségi iroda is structurally very normal Hungarian: adjective + noun.

Why is the adjective before the noun in közösségi iroda?

Because in Hungarian, adjectives normally come before the noun, just as they do in English.

So:

  • közösségi iroda = community office
  • nagy iroda = big office
  • modern iroda = modern office

This part is pleasantly familiar for English speakers.

Also, Hungarian adjectives do not change for number or gender the way they do in some other languages. So the adjective stays the same:

  • közösségi iroda = community office
  • közösségi irodák = community offices
Why does Hungarian say nyitva van instead of just one word for is open?

Because nyitva van is a very common Hungarian structure meaning is open or more literally is in an open state.

Here is how it works:

  • nyitva = open, in an opened state
  • van = is

So:

  • Az ajtó nyitva van. = The door is open.
  • Az üzlet nyitva van. = The shop is open.
  • A közösségi iroda ma nyitva van. = The coworking office is open today.

This is different from the verb meaning to open:

  • kinyit / megnyit / nyit = to open
  • nyitva van = is open

So Hungarian often distinguishes between:

  • the action of opening
  • the state of being open
Why is van included here? I thought Hungarian often leaves out is in the present tense.

That is a very good question, because Hungarian really does often omit van in the present tense — but not in every kind of sentence.

For example, with a simple noun or adjective predicate, Hungarian usually leaves it out in the 3rd person:

  • Az iroda nagy. = The office is big.
  • Ő tanár. = He/She is a teacher.

But in expressions like nyitva van, zárva van, otthon van, rendben van, the verb van is normally kept.

So:

  • Az iroda nagy. → no van
  • Az iroda nyitva van. → van stays

That is because nyitva is not working quite like an ordinary adjective here. It is part of a fixed and very common predicate structure.

Why is ma placed there? Could the word order be different?

Yes, the word order could be different, because Hungarian word order is quite flexible. The version you have is a very neutral, natural sentence:

  • A közösségi iroda ma nyitva van.

This feels like:

  • topic: A közösségi iroda
  • new information/comment: ma nyitva van

In English terms: As for the coworking office, it is open today.

Other word orders are possible, but they change the emphasis:

  • Ma a közösségi iroda nyitva van.
    = Today, the coworking office is open.
    This puts a bit more attention on today.

  • A közösségi iroda van ma nyitva.
    = It is the coworking office that is open today.
    This sounds contrastive or emphatic.

So the sentence you were given is probably the safest neutral version.

What is the difference between nyitva van and nyit or kinyit?

They are related, but they do not mean the same thing.

  • nyit = opens / to open
  • kinyit = opens up / to open up
  • nyitva van = is open

Compare:

  • Az iroda kilenckor nyit.
    = The office opens at nine.
    This describes an event or regular opening time.

  • Az iroda most nyitva van.
    = The office is open now.
    This describes a state.

So if you want to say that the office is currently in the open state, nyitva van is the right choice.

How would I make this sentence negative?

You would say:

  • A közösségi iroda ma nincs nyitva.

Here, nincs is the negative form of van in the 3rd person singular.

So:

  • nyitva van = is open
  • nincs nyitva = is not open

Examples:

  • Az üzlet nyitva van. = The shop is open.
  • Az üzlet nincs nyitva. = The shop is not open.

Notice that Hungarian does not usually say a direct equivalent of not is open. Instead, it uses nincs.

How would I ask this as a question?

A simple yes/no question can be made just by using question intonation:

  • A közösségi iroda ma nyitva van?
    = Is the coworking office open today?

You might also hear:

  • Ma nyitva van a közösségi iroda?
    = Is the coworking office open today?

Both are natural. The difference is mostly about emphasis and information structure, not basic meaning.

Hungarian does not need an extra helping verb like English do or inversion like is the office.... Intonation often does the job.

How is this sentence pronounced?

A rough pronunciation guide is:

  • A = short aw
  • közösségi = roughly kuh-ZOESH-shay-ghee
  • iroda = EE-ro-da
  • ma = maw
  • nyitva = NYIT-va
  • van = vawn

A few important sound notes:

  • ö has no exact English equivalent; it is similar to German ö
  • ss in közösségi sounds like a long sh
  • ny in nyitva sounds like the ny in canyon
  • stress in Hungarian is normally on the first syllable of each word

So the main stresses are:

  • A KÖ-zös-sé-gi I-ro-da MA NYIT-va van

If you want to sound natural, keeping the first-syllable stress pattern is very important.

Is this a natural everyday Hungarian sentence?

Yes, it is completely natural.

It sounds like something you might see:

  • on a website
  • on a sign
  • in a message
  • in spoken conversation

For example:

  • A közösségi iroda ma nyitva van. Gyere nyugodtan!
    = The coworking office is open today. Feel free to come!

So as a model sentence, it is very useful because it teaches several common Hungarian patterns at once:

  • the definite article a
  • adjective + noun order
  • a time word like ma
  • the very common expression nyitva van
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