Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A diák megy a parkba. - The student goes into the park.

Diák means student (or pupil). The article a functions like the English word "the," indicating that we are talking about a specific student. Therefore, a diák translates to the student.

What role does the suffix -ba play in parkba?

The suffix -ba denotes movement toward or into a place. In parkba, it attaches directly to the noun park to mean to the park. This is a common way in Hungarian to express direction, replacing the need for a separate preposition like "to" in English.

How is the sentence A diák megy a parkba. structured in terms of subject, verb, and directional phrase?

The sentence is organized with a diák as the subject, megy as the verb, and a parkba as the directional phrase indicating the destination. Although Hungarian word order can be flexible, this arrangement clearly shows that the student goes to the park.

Why does the directional phrase a parkba include the definite article a as well as the suffix -ba?

In Hungarian, nouns in directional phrases often keep their definite articles to specify a particular location. Thus, a parkba means to the park, emphasizing that it is a specific park, much like the English use of "the park."

Does vowel harmony affect the form of the directional suffix in this sentence?

Yes, vowel harmony is an important feature in Hungarian. Suffixes like -ba adapt their vowels to match those of the noun. Since park contains back vowels, the suffix appears as -ba. If the noun had front vowels, you might see a variant such as -be instead.