A diák korán megy.

the student

Breakdown of A diák korán megy.

• menni: to go
• korán: early

Questions & Answers about A diák korán megy.

What does each word in A diák korán megy mean?

A is the definite article meaning "the". Diák translates to "student", korán means "early", and megy is the third person singular present form of menni (to go), meaning "goes". Thus, the sentence translates to "The student goes early."

Why does the adverb korán appear before the verb megy instead of following it as in English?

Hungarian word order is more flexible than English. While both “A diák korán megy” and “A diák megy korán” are acceptable, placing korán before the verb is a common structure that can subtly emphasize the timing of the action. The meaning remains the same, but word order can be adjusted for emphasis or stylistic reasons.

How does the verb form megy indicate who is performing the action and the tense of the sentence?

The form megy is a conjugated form of menni in the third person singular present tense. This indicates that the subject, which in this case is diák (student), is singular and that the action is happening in the present. Hungarian verbs are conjugated to reflect both the subject and the tense, often making explicit subject pronouns unnecessary.

What role does the definite article A play in this sentence?

In Hungarian, A functions just like "the" in English. It marks diák as a specific, definite noun. Using the article signals that you are talking about a particular student rather than speaking in general terms.

Can the word order be changed in Hungarian without altering the sentence’s core meaning?

Yes, Hungarian allows for flexible word order. While “A diák korán megy” is a standard construction, you could also say “A diák megy korán”. Changing the order may shift the emphasis slightly—perhaps stressing the action rather than the timing—but it doesn’t fundamentally change the sentence’s meaning.