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Questions & Answers about Holnap megbeszélés lesz.
Why is there no article before megbeszélés?
In Hungarian, indefinite predicate nouns after lenni (“to be”) or its future form lesz don’t take a/az (definite article) or egy (indefinite article). So Holnap megbeszélés lesz literally means “Tomorrow there will be a meeting” without any article. Adding egy in this position sounds awkward.
Could I add the indefinite article egy before megbeszélés?
Yes, but then you usually shift the word order into the standard existential pattern:
“Holnap lesz egy megbeszélés.”
Here lesz comes right after Holnap, and egy megbeszélés follows it.
Why isn’t megbeszélés in the accusative (e.g. megbeszélést)?
It’s not a direct object; it’s a predicate noun linked by the copula lesz. Predicate nouns—and subjects—stay in the nominative case. Accusative -t marks direct objects of action, which isn’t the case here.
Why do we use lesz instead of van in this sentence?
van means “(it) is” (present tense). To say “there will be,” Hungarian uses the future form of lenni, which is lesz. So Holnap van megbeszélés would be wrong if you want to speak about tomorrow’s meeting as a future event.
How else can Hungarian express the future tense?
Aside from using present tense for scheduled events (“Holnap indulok” = “I leave tomorrow”), you can also use the auxiliary fog + infinitive (Holnap meg fogjuk beszélni). But for lenni itself, you normally just use lesz for “will be.”
What part of speech is holnap and why doesn’t it take a suffix?
Holnap is an adverb of time (“tomorrow”). Time adverbs in Hungarian remain uninflected—they don’t need case endings—and they typically come at the very start of the sentence in neutral style.
Does the word order in Holnap megbeszélés lesz affect emphasis?
Yes. The neutral order is Time > Topic > Comment. You could say:
- Holnap lesz megbeszélés (puts slight focus on the fact that a meeting will happen)
- Megbeszélés lesz holnap (emphasizes it’s a meeting, not something else)
but Holnap megbeszélés lesz is the most standard “Tomorrow there will be a meeting.”
How do you pronounce megbeszélés, and where is the stress?
Pronounce it roughly as MEG-be-SZÉ-lés. Hungarian always stresses the first syllable, so MEG is the strongest. “Sz” is like English “s,” “é” like the “a” in “date,” and “e” like the “e” in “let.”
What is the structure of the noun megbeszélés?
It’s a deverbal noun: prefix meg- (perfective) + root beszél (“speak/discuss”) + nominalizing suffix -és. The result megbeszélés means “the act of discussing,” i.e. “a discussion” or “a meeting.”