Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Hétfőn a buszmegállónál találkozunk, mielőtt moziba megyünk. - On Monday we meet at the bus stop before we go to the cinema.

In Hungarian you don’t use a separate preposition for days of the week. You add the suffix -n directly to the day to mean “on that day.” So Hétfőn literally translates to “on Monday.” Without -n it would just be the noun “Monday,” not the time expression.

What does the -nál ending in buszmegállónál mean, and why not use a preposition?

Hungarian replaces many prepositions with case endings. Here -nál (back‐vowel version of -nél) is the adessive case meaning “at” or “by.” Thus buszmegállónál = “at the bus stop.” You don’t need an extra word like at/by in front.

Why does buszmegállónál have the article a but moziba does not?

The definite article a is used before many stationary locations, especially when you think of a specific place or object (the bus stop). In contrast, expressions for going to common public places (cinema, school, church, etc.) often drop the article: you say mozi-ba megyünk (“we go to the cinema”) without a. It’s a set usage pattern in Hungarian.

Why is the verb találkozunk used without specifying an object or pronoun?

The verb találkozik means “to meet (each other).” When both parties are included (we meet each other), you don’t need an extra pronoun or object—találkozunk already means “we meet.” If you wanted to specify “with each other,” you could add egymással, but it’s optional. If you say valakivel találkozunk, that means you meet someone.

Why are találkozunk and megyünk in the present tense even though we’re talking about the future?

Hungarian normally uses the present tense for future events whenever the time is clear from context or adverbials (here Hétfőn). There is a special future marker fog, but in everyday speech you simply use the present.

Why is the verb placed at the end of the clause in mielőtt moziba megyünk?

In subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like mielőtt (“before”), Hungarian follows a subject–object–verb (SOV) order. The finite verb moves to the end: mielőtt moziba megyünk.

Why is it moziba megyünk and not moziban megyünk?

The suffix -ba/-be indicates motion “into” something, so moziba megyünk means “we go into/to the cinema.” The locative -ban/-ben means “inside” (where you are), e.g. a moziban vagyunk = “we are in the cinema.”

Why is there no subject pronoun like mi before megyünk?

Hungarian verbs are fully conjugated for person and number, so the ending -ünk in megyünk already tells you it’s “we.” You omit the pronoun mi unless you want to emphasize or contrast the subject.