A diák a falon lévő képet nézi.

to be

Breakdown of A diák a falon lévő képet nézi.

• diák: the student
• kép: the picture
• fal: the wall
• -on: on
• nézni: to look at

Questions & Answers about A diák a falon lévő képet nézi.

Why is the verb in the sentence "nézi" instead of "néz"?

Hungarian has two conjugations: definite and indefinite. When you look at a specific object (like the picture on the wall), you use the definite conjugation, which is nézi. If you were looking at something non-specific (e.g., "He is watching a picture"), you could use néz.

What does "lévő" mean and why is it used here?

Lévő is a present participle of "van" (meaning "to be") that functions like "that is" or "which is." In this sentence, a falon lévő kép literally describes "the picture that is on the wall." It’s a common structure in Hungarian to specify a noun’s location or state using the present participle form.

Why does "kép" become "képet"?

Since the student is looking at the picture, "kép" becomes "képet" because it is the direct object in the accusative case. Hungarian typically marks direct objects with the suffix -t.

Why is there an article ("a") before "diák" and also before "falon lévő képet"?

Hungarian often mirrors English in that it uses the definite article ("a"/"az") for nouns that are specific. Here, a diák refers to the student (a known or specific student), and a falon lévő képet refers to the picture on the wall (a specific picture).

Could I just say "A diák nézi a képet a falon"?

Yes, you can say A diák nézi a képet a falon, which is still understood as "The student is looking at the picture on the wall." But using a falon lévő képet more explicitly focuses on the picture’s location. Both patterns are correct, though the original sounds a bit more natural when describing which specific picture.