Nem azért olvasunk le, mert kell, hanem azért, mert takarékoskodunk.

This is a very common Hungarian pattern for because:

• azért = for that reason / for that purpose
• mert = because

Together, azért ..., mert ... literally feels like:

• for that reason ..., because ...

In natural English, you usually just translate it as because.

So:

• Azért jöttem, mert hívtál. = I came because you called.

In your sentence, this pattern is used twice in a contrast:

• Nem azért ..., mert ..., hanem azért, mert ...
• Not because ..., but because ...

This is a very typical Hungarian way to say not because X, but because Y.

This is the standard Hungarian contrast pattern:

• nem ... hanem ... = not ..., but rather ...

So:

• Nem azért olvasunk le, mert kell, hanem azért, mert takarékoskodunk.
• We don’t take the reading because we have to, but because we are being economical / saving resources.

A simpler example:

• Nem teát kérek, hanem kávét.
• I don’t want tea, but coffee.

So here:

• nem azért ... = not for that reason ...
• hanem azért ... = but for this other reason ...

Because Hungarian is balancing two full reason phrases against each other.

The structure is:

• Nem azért ..., mert X, hanem azért, mert Y.

This is very symmetrical and natural in Hungarian.

You could think of it as:

• Not for the reason that X, but for the reason that Y.

In English, we normally shorten that to:

• Not because X, but because Y.

Hungarian often prefers the fuller repeated structure.

The verb is leolvas.

Its basic meaning is often:

• to read off
• to take a reading
• to read something from a meter/instrument/display

So in this sentence, olvasunk le most likely means something like:

• we take a reading
• we read off the meter
• we do a meter reading

This depends on context, but that is the most likely interpretation.

For example:

• Leolvasom a villanyórát. = I read the electricity meter / take the meter reading.
• Leolvasom a számot. = I read off the number.

This is about verb prefixes in Hungarian.

The base verb is:

• leolvas = read off / take a reading

But Hungarian verbal prefixes often separate from the verb in certain sentence environments, especially when the verb is not in neutral word order.

Here, the sentence begins with a focused reason phrase:

• Nem azért olvasunk le ...

Because of that structure, the prefix le comes after the verb.

Compare:

• Leolvasunk. = neutral: We take a reading.
• Nem azért olvasunk le ... = with focus/contrast: It’s not for that reason that we take a reading ...

This kind of prefix movement is extremely common in Hungarian.

Yes, from an English point of view it may feel like something is missing, but this is normal Hungarian.

kell means:

• it is necessary
• must / have to

Hungarian often uses kell in an impersonal way, without stating the subject explicitly.

So:

• mert kell literally = because it is necessary
• in natural English here: because we have to

The we is understood from the main clause:

• olvasunk le = we take a reading

So the sentence naturally implies:

• not because we have to

You could make it more explicit in other contexts, for example:

• mert le kell olvasnunk = because we have to take a reading

But the shorter mert kell is perfectly normal if the action is already understood.

Because kell itself is usually used as an impersonal verb.

It does not agree with the person doing the action in the same way English have to does.

So Hungarian says something closer to:

• because it is necessary

rather than:

• because we have to

That is why you see:

• kell and not something like a plural form.

The plural meaning is inferred from context.

takarékoskodunk comes from takarékoskodni, which means:

• to economize
• to be thrifty
• to save resources/money
• to avoid waste

So in this sentence it suggests something like:

• we are being economical
• we are trying to save resources
• we are acting in a thrifty way

Depending on context, it could mean saving:

• money
• energy
• water
• effort
• materials

It is a bit broader and sometimes slightly more formal than simply spórolunk.

They are often similar, but there is a nuance.

• spórolunk = we save / we are saving, often in everyday speech
• takarékoskodunk = we economize / we are being thrifty, often sounding a bit more deliberate or careful

So:

• spórolunk a pénzzel = we’re saving money
• takarékoskodunk a vízzel = we’re using water sparingly / conserving water

In your sentence, takarékoskodunk sounds like a reasoned, responsible motivation, not just casual saving.

Yes, the object is omitted because it is probably obvious from context.

Hungarian often leaves out objects when they are already known.

So:

• olvasunk le could mean we take a reading
• but the thing being read could be something like:
  • the meter
  • the value
  • the numbers
  • the data

If needed, Hungarian could state it explicitly:

• Nem azért olvassuk le a mérőt, mert kell...
• We’re not reading the meter because we have to...

But if everyone already knows what is being discussed, leaving the object out sounds natural.

This is about the indefinite vs. definite conjugation in Hungarian.

Hungarian verbs can have two kinds of endings:

• indefinite conjugation
• definite conjugation

Here:

• olvasunk = we read (indefinite)
• olvassuk = we read it / we read the specific one (definite)

Since the object is not stated here, Hungarian uses the indefinite form:

• olvasunk le

If the object were explicit and definite, you would likely get the definite form:

• leolvassuk a mérőt = we read the meter / take the meter reading

So the form matches the fact that the object is omitted and not grammatically definite in the sentence.

Hungarian word order is strongly connected to focus and information structure, not just grammar.

In this sentence, azért is part of a focused reason structure:

• Nem azért ..., mert ...
• Not because ..., but because ...

So Hungarian naturally places that reason phrase early.

If you moved things around, the sentence could sound odd, less natural, or could shift emphasis.

The current order clearly sets up the contrast:

1. reject one reason
2. give the real reason

That is exactly what the sentence is doing.

No, not in this sentence.

azért can have different uses depending on context. For example:

1. for that reason
2. therefore / that’s why
3. as part of azért ... mert ...

In your sentence, it is part of the fixed explanatory structure:

• azért ..., mert ...

So it does not mean standalone therefore here.

Compare:

• Fáradt vagyok, azért lefekszem. = I’m tired, therefore I’m going to bed.

But:

• Azért fekszem le, mert fáradt vagyok. = I’m going to bed because I’m tired.

Same word, different structure.

Sometimes Hungarian can shorten things, but in this sentence the repeated azért makes the contrast cleaner and more idiomatic.

Full version:

• Nem azért olvasunk le, mert kell, hanem azért, mert takarékoskodunk.

A shortened version like:

• Nem azért olvasunk le, mert kell, hanem mert takarékoskodunk.

may be understandable, and in some contexts speakers might say something similar, but the full repeated structure is more balanced and standard for this kind of contrast.

So for learners, the safest pattern to remember is:

• Nem azért..., mert..., hanem azért, mert...

It is in the present tense:

• olvasunk = we read / we are reading / we take
• kell = it is necessary / must
• takarékoskodunk = we economize / we are economizing

But the sentence is probably not about a single action happening right this second. It more likely expresses a general present or current motivation:

• We’re not doing this because we have to, but because we want to save resources.

Hungarian present tense often covers both simple present and present continuous meanings, depending on context.

Because the sentence contains several clauses and a strong contrast structure.

You can divide it like this:

• Nem azért olvasunk le,
• mert kell,
• hanem azért,
• mert takarékoskodunk.

The commas help separate:

1. the main clause
2. the first because clause
3. the contrasting part
4. the second because clause

This punctuation is normal and helps the sentence stay clear.

It sounds mostly neutral standard Hungarian.

• The structure nem azért..., mert..., hanem azért, mert... is standard and clear.
• takarékoskodunk sounds a little more thoughtful or formal than very casual speech, but not stiff.

So overall, it feels like normal, correct Hungarian that could appear in speech or writing.

Not very naturally.

A more literal version would be something like:

• We do not read off for that reason, because it is necessary, but for that reason, because we economize.

That sounds unnatural in English.

A natural English translation would be:

• We’re not taking the reading because we have to, but because we’re trying to save resources.
• or We don’t read it off because we have to, but because we’re being economical.

So this is a good example of where you should understand the Hungarian structure, but not copy it mechanically into English.

The most important takeaway is this pattern:

• Nem azért ..., mert X, hanem azért, mert Y.
• Not because X, but because Y.

This is a very useful structure in Hungarian.

You can reuse it with many verbs:

• Nem azért tanulok magyarul, mert kötelező, hanem azért, mert érdekel. = I’m not learning Hungarian because it’s compulsory, but because it interests me.

• Nem azért jöttem, mert hívtál, hanem azért, mert látni akartalak. = I didn’t come because you called, but because I wanted to see you.

If you learn this pattern as a whole, it will be much easier to recognize and use.