A diák vizet tesz az asztalra.

The student puts water on the table.

Breakdown of A diák vizet tesz az asztalra.

• diák: the student
• víz: the water
• asztal: the table
• -ra: on
• tenni: to put

Questions & Answers about A diák vizet tesz az asztalra.

Why does the direct object have the -t ending in vizet?

In Hungarian, direct objects typically take the accusative case, marked by the suffix -t. The base form is víz, so adding -t creates vizet, indicating it’s the object of the sentence.

Why do we say tesz instead of rak or helyez?

All these verbs can mean “put”, but tesz is more neutral and commonly used in general contexts. Rak feels slightly more casual or colloquial, and helyez is more formal or technical. They can often be interchangeable, but tesz is a good default choice.

What does the suffix -ra in asztalra signify?

In Hungarian, the suffix -ra (or -re if the word ends in certain vowels) indicates motion onto a surface. So asztalra means “onto the table.”

Does the word order matter here? Could we say A diák az asztalra tesz vizet?

Hungarian word order is flexible, but A diák vizet tesz az asztalra sounds natural and focuses on what the student is putting. If you say A diák az asztalra tesz vizet, you shift the emphasis slightly to where it’s being put. Both forms are acceptable, but the subtle emphasis changes.

Why is it vizet (indefinite) and not a vizet (definite)?

Here, the sentence is talking about some water, not a specific, previously mentioned water. That’s why vizet is indefinite. If the sentence referred to “the water” that’s already known or mentioned, then it would be a vizet, and the verb form would also change to the definite conjugation (teszi).