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Questions & Answers about A diák a folyó mellett ül.
Why does the sentence use a before both diák and folyó?
Hungarian uses the definite article a (or az before vowels) for each definite noun. Here a diák means “the student” and a folyó means “the river.”
What does mellett mean, and why is it placed after folyó?
mellett is a postposition that means “next to” or “beside.” Hungarian uses postpositions (placed after the noun) instead of English prepositions (placed before the noun).
Does folyó take any case ending when used with mellett?
No additional case ending is needed. With many postpositions like mellett, the noun remains in its basic (nominative) form.
What is the verb ül, and how is it inflected here?
ül is the 3rd person singular present tense of ülni (“to sit”). In Hungarian, this form has no suffix (unlike some other verbs), but it still indicates “he/she/it sits.”
Why isn't the subject pronoun ő (“he/she”) used in this sentence?
Hungarian typically drops subject pronouns because the verb ending (or lack of ending in 3rd person) already shows person and number. Here ül tells you the subject is 3rd person singular.
How do you say “a student sits by a river” with indefinite articles?
Use egy for “a/an.” So you would say Egy diák egy folyó mellett ül to mean “A student sits by a river.” You could also omit the second egy if context makes it clear.
Where does the stress fall in A diák a folyó mellett ül?
In Hungarian, stress always falls on the first syllable of each word: DI-ák, FO-lyó, MEL-lett, ÜL.
Is word order flexible? Could you say A diák ül a folyó mellett?
Yes, Hungarian word order is relatively free. A diák ül a folyó mellett is also correct and neutral. Changing word order can highlight different parts of the sentence.
What’s the difference between mellett and the suffix -nál/–nél after folyó (as in folyónál)?
folyó mellett specifically means “next to the river.” folyónál (using -nál/–nél) means “by/at the river” in a more general sense (“at the location of the river”) and doesn’t emphasize “right next to.”
Can you omit the article before diák to just say Diák a folyó mellett ül?
No, Hungarian normally requires an article (definite a/az or indefinite egy) before a common noun. Diák a folyó mellett ül would sound ungrammatical.