Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Tolmács segít a diáknak. - The interpreter helps the student.

The verb segít means helps. It is in the third-person singular form, matching the subject tolmács. Hungarian verbs frequently convey the subject through their conjugation without requiring an explicit pronoun.

How is the indirect object “to the student” formed in this sentence?

The phrase a diáknak expresses “to the student.” Here, diák means student and the suffix -nak marks the dative case, indicating the indirect object. Additionally, the definite article a specifies that it refers to a particular student.

Why does the subject tolmács appear without an article while a diáknak includes one?

In Hungarian, common nouns used as subjects can appear without an article when they are indefinite or generic, as with tolmács (meaning “an interpreter” or simply “interpreter”). In contrast, a diáknak uses the definite article a because it refers to a specific student who is receiving help, emphasizing the definite nature in the indirect object.

How is the dative case marked on the noun diák?

The dative case in Hungarian is marked by adding a suffix. For diák, the dative ending -nak is attached, forming diáknak. The choice between -nak and -nek depends on vowel harmony in Hungarian.

What is the basic word order in this sentence and is Hungarian flexible with it?

The sentence follows a subject-verb-object structure: tolmács (subject) comes first, then segít (verb), and a diáknak (indirect object) appears last. Although Hungarian word order is relatively flexible, this order is common for neutral statements.