Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A válasz: ez a csésze a legszebb az asztalon, de a kávé a fontos. - The answer: this cup is the most beautiful on the table, but the coffee is the important thing.

the predicate is a location or time: A kávé itt van. (“The coffee is here.”)
you negate or emphasize existentially: Nincs kávé. (“There is no coffee.”)
it’s 1st or 2nd person: Én tanár vagyok. (“I am a teacher.”)

Why do we say “ez a csésze” with both a demonstrative and a definite article?

Hungarian requires the pattern demonstrative + definite article + noun:

ez a csésze = “this cup”
az a könyv = “that book”

Using just the demonstrative without the article (e.g., ❌ez csésze) is ungrammatical.

Why is it “az asztalon” and not “a asztalon”?

Hungarian uses a before consonant-initial words and az before vowel-initial words. Since asztal starts with a vowel, you get az asztalon (“on the table”).

What does the ending “-on” in “asztalon” mean, and how do I choose -on/-en/-ön?

The ending -on/-en/-ön is the superessive case, meaning “on” (surface contact).

Choice follows vowel harmony:
- back vowels (a, á, o, ó, u, ú) → -on: asztal → asztalon (“on the table”)
- front unrounded (e, é, i, í) → -en: szék → széken (“on the chair”)
- front rounded (ö, ő, ü, ű) → -ön: föld → földön (“on the ground”)

Could I say “asztalra” instead of “asztalon”?

No—different meaning.

asztalon = “on the table” (static location)
asztalra = “onto the table” (movement to the surface)
For movement off the surface: asztalról = “off/from the table.”

How is “legszebb” formed from “szép”?

Base adjective: szép (“beautiful”)
Comparative: szebb (“more beautiful”)
Superlative: legszebb (“most beautiful”), formed by adding the prefix leg- to the comparative.

Why is there a definite article before the superlative: “a legszebb”?

With superlatives referring to a specific set or a unique “best/most” item, Hungarian typically uses the definite article:

Ez a csésze a legszebb (az asztalon). = “This cup is the most beautiful (on the table).” Omitting the article usually sounds wrong or changes the structure.

What exactly does “A kávé a fontos” mean compared to “A kávé fontos”?

A kávé fontos = “Coffee is important” (a general statement).
A kávé a fontos = “It’s the coffee that’s important / What matters is the coffee.” Here a fontos means “the important thing,” so the sentence contrasts the coffee with something else (e.g., not the cup), which fits the preceding “but.”

What does “a fontos” literally mean? Why is there an article before an adjective?

Hungarian can nominalize adjectives with the definite article:

a fontos = “the important (thing/part)”
Other examples: a piros (“the red one”), a legjobb (“the best [one]”). So A kávé a fontos = “The coffee is the important thing.”

Could I say “A fontos a kávé” instead?

Yes, grammatically. In equative sentences (X is Y), both sides can be definite:

A kávé a fontos.
A fontos a kávé. Word order affects topic/focus nuance. Starting with A kávé presents “the coffee” as the topic; starting with A fontos frames “what’s important” as the topic. In the given context (contrasting with the cup), A kávé a fontos is the more natural emphasis.

Why is there a comma before “de”?

de means “but.” When connecting two independent clauses or contrasted statements, Hungarian normally uses a comma before de, just like English: …, de ….

Could I use “mert” instead of “de”?

No; mert means “because.” It would change the meaning from contrast to cause:

…, de … = “…, but …”
…, mert … = “…, because …”

Why is it “ez a csésze” and not “ez az csésze”?

The demonstrative (ez/az) is chosen by distance (this/that), not by the next word’s initial sound. The article (a/az) is the one that adapts to the noun:

ez a csésze (“this cup”) because csésze starts with a consonant.
If the noun started with a vowel: ez az asztal (“this table”).

Can I say “Ezt a csészét…” here instead of “Ez a csésze…”?

No. Ez a csésze is the subject in the nominative (“this cup”). Ezt a csészét is accusative (“this cup” as a direct object). There’s no verb taking an object here, so accusative would be wrong.

Are other word orders possible for the first clause?

Yes, Hungarian allows flexibility to adjust topic/focus:

Az asztalon ez a csésze a legszebb. (puts the location as topic)
Ez a csésze az asztalon a legszebb. (keeps “this cup” as topic) All still omit “van” in 3rd‑person present.

How should I pronounce tricky bits like “csésze,” “sz,” and “s”?

cs = “ch” in “church”: csésze ≈ “CHAY-seh”
sz = English “s” (as in “see”)
s (alone) = “sh” (as in “she”)
In legszebb, assimilation often makes the g devoice before sz, so you may hear something like “lekszebb.”

What does “A válasz:” with a colon do?

It’s simply “The answer:” introducing what follows. Hungarian uses the colon in the same way as English to introduce explanations, lists, or quoted content.