A barátok együtt mennek át a kapun.

The friends are going through the gate together.

Breakdown of A barátok együtt mennek át a kapun.

• barát: the friend
• kapu: the gate
• átmenni: to go through
• együtt: together

Questions & Answers about A barátok együtt mennek át a kapun.

Why does the sentence use barátok (with -ok) instead of a singular form?

In Hungarian, barát is the singular form meaning friend, and adding -ok at the end makes it plural, meaning friends. Since the sentence talks about multiple friends going together, the plural barátok is used.

Why is the definite article a included before barátok?

Hungarian uses the article a (or az before a vowel sound) similarly to how English uses the. Here, A barátok emphasizes that we are talking about a specific group of friends. Even if it seems optional from an English perspective, in Hungarian it is common to include it for clarity.

What is the role of együtt?

Együtt means together in Hungarian. It tells us that the friends are performing the action as a group. Placing együtt after A barátok but before mennek át fits naturally into typical Hungarian word order, giving the idea that the action (going through the gate) is being done collectively.

Why does át come after mennek instead of appearing as átmennek?

Át- is a verbal prefix in Hungarian that can move around for emphasis or if another word (like együtt) is placed in front. When the prefix is separated from the verb, it typically follows the verb in neutral sentences, so mennek át is perfectly acceptable. If you say átmennek, it can place more focus on the action of crossing, but functionally both orders convey a similar meaning.

What does the suffix -n on kapun mean?

The word kapu means gate. By adding -n, you get kapun, which literally can mean on the gate. In Hungarian, certain case endings like -n (superessive case) are used in expressions to indicate moving through or across something. So mennek át a kapun translates to they go through the gate, even though a direct word-for-word translation might read on the gate.