Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A pincér, aki itt dolgozik, nagyon kedves.

It’s aki. Hungarian uses aki as a relative pronoun for people (singular) and akik for people (plural). Here, it refers back to A pincér and introduces the relative clause aki itt dolgozik.

Why are there commas around “aki itt dolgozik”?

Hungarian normally sets off relative clauses with commas. If the clause interrupts the main clause, you put a comma before and after it: A pincér, aki itt dolgozik, nagyon kedves. Unlike English, commas here don’t cleanly distinguish “restrictive” vs “non‑restrictive”; they mainly mark the boundaries of the subordinate clause.

Where is the verb “to be” in the main clause?

Hungarian usually omits the copula van (“is/are”) in the 3rd person present with predicate adjectives/nouns. So A pincér … nagyon kedves literally lacks “is,” but that’s the standard form. You do use forms of “to be” in the past/future or with locations: A pincér kedves volt/lesz; A pincér itt van.

Why is it aki, not akit?

Because in the clause aki itt dolgozik, the relative pronoun is the subject of dolgozik (“works”). Use the accusative akit (“whom”) only when it is the object of its verb. Some common forms:

aki = who (subject)
akit = whom (object)
akinek = whose/to whom (dative/possessive)
akivel = with whom

What does dolgozik tell me about the verb?

Dolgozik is 3rd person singular, present, indefinite conjugation of dolgozni (“to work”). It’s an -ik verb in the 3sg present. Tip: 1sg present is standardly dolgozom (colloquial dolgozok also heard).

Why is it itt and not ide?

Itt means “here” (location). Ide means “to here” (direction, movement). Since working is a state at a place, you use itt: itt dolgozik. For motion you’d use ide: ide jön (“comes here”).

Can I change the word order inside the relative clause?

Neutral order is aki itt dolgozik (place adverb before the verb). You could say aki dolgozik itt, but that tends to sound marked and may shift emphasis. Keep itt before dolgozik for a neutral, natural reading.

Can I rewrite this with a participle instead of a relative clause?

Yes: Az itt dolgozó pincér nagyon kedves. Here itt dolgozó (“working here”) is a participial modifier. It’s more compact and tends to be read as restrictive (“the waiter who works here”).

How would this look in the plural?

A pincérek, akik itt dolgoznak, nagyon kedvesek. Changes:
pincérek (plural noun)
akik (plural “who”)
dolgoznak (3pl verb)
kedvesek (predicate adjective takes plural -k)

When do I use ami/amely/amelyik instead of aki?

Use aki/akik for people. Use ami (neutral/common), amely (more formal), or amelyik (“which one among”) for things/ideas:

Thing: A könyv, ami tetszik, olcsó.
More formal: A könyv, amely tetszik, olcsó.
Selection: Az a könyv, amelyik tetszik, olcsó.

Do I need to say az a instead of a before “pincér”?

Not required here. A pincér = “the waiter” (specific from context). If you want to single out “that (particular) waiter,” you can say Az a pincér, aki… Remember that demonstratives pair with the article: az a.

Why is there no agreement on “kedves” in the singular, but there is in the plural?

Predicate adjectives don’t get special singular endings: A pincér … kedves. In the plural they take -k: A pincérek … kedvesek. The copula is still omitted in present 3rd person: no van needed.

Where does nagyon go, and what does it mean?

Nagyon means “very” and precedes the adjective/adverb it modifies: nagyon kedves. Other common intensifiers: elég kedves (“quite”), túl kedves (“too [overly] kind”).

How do I pronounce the tricky letters here?

s is “sh” in English: kedveS → “ked-vesh”
sz (not in this sentence) is English “s”
c is “ts”: pinCér → “peen-tsair” (with long é)
tt in itt is a long/doubled “t”
Stress is always on the first syllable: A PIN‑cér, a‑KI itt DOL‑go‑zik, NA‑gyon KED‑ves.

Is the verb in the relative clause “definite” or “indefinite,” and why?

It’s indefinite: dolgozik. There’s no direct object in the clause, so the indefinite conjugation is used. If a clause has a definite direct object (like “the book”), Hungarian typically uses the definite conjugation.