Breakdown of A könyvtár távol van a tanteremtől.
lenni
to be
könyvtár
the library
-től
from
tanterem
the classroom
távol
far
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Questions & Answers about A könyvtár távol van a tanteremtől.
Why is there a definite article before both könyvtár and tanteremtől, and how does it work with the case suffix?
In Hungarian almost every common noun takes a definite article (a or az) in simple statements. So you have a könyvtár (“the library”) and a tanterem (“the classroom”). When you add a case ending like -től, the article stays in front of the noun, not in front of the suffix. Morphologically it’s a + tanterem + -től, which you write as a tanteremtől.
What does távol van mean, and why are these two words separate?
távol means “far,” and van is the 3rd-person singular of “to be.” Together távol van means “is far.” They remain separate because távol is functioning as a predicate adjective/adverb and takes no suffix itself, while van is the copula linking that adjective to the subject.
Why does tanterem take the suffix -től, and what exactly does that express?
Hungarian doesn’t use a separate preposition for “from” in spatial contexts. Instead it adds the delative case ending -tól/-től directly to the noun. a tanteremtől literally means “from the classroom,” i.e. “away from the classroom.”
How do I know whether to use -tól or -től?
Choose by vowel harmony. Words with only back vowels (a, á, o, ó, u, ú) take -tól; words with only front vowels (e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű) take -től. If a word has both, many speakers follow the last vowel: tanterem ends in “-em” (front), so it takes -től.
Can I replace távol van with messze van?
Yes. messze is another way to say “far” as an adverb, and you still use van. So A könyvtár messze van a tanteremtől is perfectly natural and equivalent in basic meaning.
Is the word order fixed? Could I say A tanteremtől távol van a könyvtár?
Hungarian has a fairly free word order for focus and emphasis. The neutral order is A könyvtár távol van a tanteremtől, but fronting the adverbial phrase for emphasis (A tanteremtől távol van a könyvtár) is also correct.
Why doesn’t távol take any endings (like plural or case)?
When an adjective appears after the copula van as a predicate, it remains in its base (uninflected) form. Only nouns take case endings; adjectives in predicative position do not.