A felsőoktatás változik.

Yes. A is the Hungarian definite article the. Its form changes to az before a vowel sound, but both mean the same thing.

In this sentence, A felsőoktatás means something like higher education or the higher education system. Hungarian often uses the definite article with general concepts more readily than English does.

It is a compound word:

• felső = upper, higher
• oktatás = education, instruction

So felsőoktatás literally means higher education.

Because Hungarian very often writes compound nouns as a single word. English usually prefers separate words, but Hungarian commonly joins them.

So:

• felsőoktatás = higher education
• not felső oktatás in normal usage

This is very typical in Hungarian.

Változik is the verb meaning changes or is changing.

More specifically, it is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense

So it agrees with a felsőoktatás, which is a singular subject.

Because Hungarian does not need a separate auxiliary here.

In English, you say is changing, using is + changing. In Hungarian, the single verb változik already expresses the whole idea.

So:

• A felsőoktatás változik.
• literally: The higher education changes
• natural English: Higher education is changing.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Hungarian present tense often covers both:

• simple present: changes
• present progressive: is changing

In this sentence, English will usually translate it most naturally as is changing, but Hungarian itself does not force that distinction.

Változik means that the subject itself undergoes change or changes. It is not a passive form.

So:

• A felsőoktatás változik = Higher education is changing
• not necessarily Higher education is being changed

If you want to say that someone changes something, Hungarian would normally use a different verb, such as megváltoztat.

Because Hungarian usually leaves subject pronouns out when they are clear from the verb form or context.

English needs it in It is changing, but Hungarian does not. The subject a felsőoktatás is already there, so nothing else is needed.

Yes, Hungarian word order is flexible, but changes emphasis.

The neutral order here is:

• A felsőoktatás változik.

You could also say:

• Változik a felsőoktatás.

That version puts more focus on the fact that it is changing. Both are grammatical, but the original sentence is the most neutral, straightforward version.

A rough guide is:

• A = short aw
• felsőoktatás ≈ FEL-shuh-ok-ta-taash
• változik ≈ VAAL-to-zik

A few useful pronunciation points:

• ő is a long front rounded vowel, something like a longer version of ö
• á is a long vowel
• stress in Hungarian normally falls on the first syllable of each word

So the stress is:

• FELsőoktatás
• VÁLtozik