Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A sétány a folyó mellett van, nem túl távol a központtól. - The promenade is by the river, not too far from the centre.

Hungarian uses postpositions like mellett which come after the noun, unlike English prepositions that come before. So a folyó mellett is literally the river beside. You always attach the postposition to the complete noun phrase.

What exactly does mellett mean, and how do I use it?

mellett means beside/next to. To use it:
• Start with your noun phrase: a folyó (the river)
• Add the postposition: a folyó mellett (next to the river)
You can do the same with any noun: a ház → a ház mellett (next to the house).

Could I say a folyónál instead of a folyó mellett?

Yes, folyónál (using the postposition -nál/-nél) means at/by the river, but there’s a nuance:
• mellett = direct adjacency (right beside)
• -nál/-nél = general vicinity (at/near)
Both are grammatically correct; the choice depends on the exact nuance you want.

What about központtól? How does that work?

központtól is központ (centre) plus the ablative suffix -tól, which means from/away from.
So távol a központtól = far from the centre. In our sentence nem túl távol a központtól = not too far from the centre.

How do I decide whether to use -tól or -től after a noun?

It’s determined by vowel harmony: look at the last vowel in the noun:
• Back vowels (a, o, u, etc.) → -tól
• Front vowels (e, i, ö, ü, etc.) → -től
Since központ ends in o (a back vowel), we use -tól.

Why is there a van in the sentence when English might omit to be here?

Hungarian usually includes the verb van (to be) to express location or existence. You cannot leave it out.
Correct: A sétány a folyó mellett van
Incorrect: A sétány a folyó mellett

Why do we use the article a before sétány, folyó, and központ?

Each is a definite noun here (a specific promenade, a specific river, the city centre), so they take the definite article a. If you meant any promenade or some centre you’d use egy (the indefinite article).

Why is it nem túl távol instead of just nem távol?

Because túl means too (as in too far).
• túl távol = too far
• nem túl távol = not too far
Saying nem távol would only mean not far, which is a slightly different nuance.