Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Ez a kávé a legjobb a városban.

Literal: This coffee the best in the city. Natural English: This coffee is the best in the city. Hungarian drops the copula “is” (van) in this type of sentence in the present tense.

Why is there no verb like “van” in the sentence?

In Hungarian, the 3rd person present of the copula (van/vannak) is omitted when the predicate is a noun or adjective. Since a legjobb is an adjective used as a predicate (“the best”), van is left out. You would include van if the predicate is a location or adverbial, e.g., A kávé a városban van (“The coffee is in the city”).

Why do we see the article “a” three times?

Ez a kávé: With demonstratives (ez/az) used before a noun, Hungarian also uses the definite article (a/az) before the noun. So it must be ez a kávé, not “ez kávé.”
a legjobb: Superlatives normally take the definite article, even when used predicatively: a legjobb (“the best”).
a városban: This means “in the city” (a specific, known city), so the definite article is used.

Can I drop any of those articles?

After a demonstrative: no. You need ez a kávé (not “ez kávé”).
Before the superlative: generally no; say a legjobb, not “legjobb,” in this structure.
Before városban: you may drop the article if you mean “in a city/in town” in a generic or indefinite sense: városban. With the article (a városban), it means “in the city” (definite, contextually known).

Why is it “ez a” and not “ez az” before “kávé”?

The demonstrative is ez (“this”) or az (“that”). When used attributively, it is followed by the article a/az, which depends on whether the next word starts with a consonant or vowel:

Consonant-initial noun: ez a kávé, az a ház
Vowel-initial noun: ez az alma, az az autó

Since kávé starts with a consonant, it’s ez a kávé.

What is “legjobb,” and how is the superlative formed?

Hungarian forms the comparative with -bb and the superlative with the prefix leg- plus the comparative:

jó (good) → jobb (better) → legjobb (best). For a regular adjective: nagy (big) → nagyobb (bigger) → legnagyobb (biggest). Pronunciation note: in legjobb, the “gj” is typically pronounced with a “gy”-like sound.

What does “városban” mean exactly, and why is it “-ban” and not “-ben”?

-ban/-ben is the inessive case, meaning “in.” Vowel harmony decides which you use:

After back vowels (a, á, o, ó, u, ú): -ban (e.g., városban).
After front vowels (e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű): -ben (e.g., zsebben). Since város has back vowels (á, o), it takes -ban.

How is “in,” “into,” and “out of” a city expressed?

In: városban (inessive, -ban/-ben)
Into: városba (illative, -ba/-be)
Out of/from inside: városból (elative, -ból/-ből) Example: A legjobb kávé a városban van (The best coffee is in the city); Bemegyek a városba (I’m going into the city); Jövök a városból (I’m coming from the city).

Could I say “Ez a kávé legjobb a városban” without the article before “legjobb”?

No. In standard usage, the superlative used as a predicate takes the definite article: Ez a kávé a legjobb a városban.

Can I change the word order to emphasize “in the city”?

Yes. Hungarian word order is flexible for emphasis. For example:

Neutral: Ez a kávé a legjobb a városban.
Emphasizing the location: A városban ez a kávé a legjobb. Both are natural; the second highlights “in the city.”

How do I make it negative?

Place nem before the predicate:

Ez a kávé nem a legjobb a városban. (This coffee is not the best in the city.)

How do I ask a yes–no question with this sentence?

Use rising intonation, optionally with the clitic -e:

Everyday: Ez a kávé a legjobb a városban?
With -e on the predicate: Ez a kávé a legjobb-e a városban? (more formal/written)

What’s the difference between “Ez a kávé a legjobb a városban” and “Ez a legjobb kávé a városban”?

Ez a kávé a legjobb a városban. = This particular coffee is the best in the city. (Predicate: “the best”)
Ez a legjobb kávé a városban. = This is the best coffee in the city. (Predicate noun phrase: “the best coffee”) They’re close in meaning; the first singles out “this coffee,” the second identifies “this” as the best coffee.

How would I say it with a proper place name like Budapest?

Proper names usually don’t take the article:

Ez a kávé a legjobb Budapesten. (“in Budapest” = Budapesten, no article)

How do I say it in the plural: “These coffees are the best in the city”?

Ezek a kávék a legjobbak a városban. Note that the noun and the predicative adjective take plural: kávék, legjobbak.

Is “kávé” countable here? Does “ez a kávé” mean a cup, a type, or the drink?

Kávé can be mass or countable depending on context. Ez a kávé can refer to:

a specific cup (“this coffee I’m drinking”),
a specific roast/blend (“this coffee [brand/type]”),
or the beverage offered at a place. Context and situation clarify the intended meaning.

How do I say “one of the best” in this structure?

Use az egyik leg-:

Ez a kávé az egyik legjobb a városban. (This coffee is one of the best in the city.)

Why is it “a városban,” but no article with a time or proper name sometimes?

Hungarian often uses the article with common nouns in locative cases when the reference is definite/specific (a városban = “in the city”). With proper names and many time expressions, the article is typically omitted: Budapesten, hétfőn.