Az üzenet a telefonon van, és hamarosan megnézem.

The message is on the phone, and I will check it soon.

Breakdown of Az üzenet a telefonon van, és hamarosan megnézem.

• lenni: to be
• és: and
• -on: on
• hamarosan: soon
• telefon: the phone
• üzenet: the message
• megnézni: to check

Questions & Answers about Az üzenet a telefonon van, és hamarosan megnézem.

Why is it Az üzenet but a telefonon? When do I use a vs az?

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• Use az before a vowel sound: az üzenet, az autó, az órán.
• Use a before a consonant sound: a telefonon, a könyv, a ház.

Can I leave out van here, like in sentences such as Péter tanár?

No. In the present tense, 3rd person singular van can be omitted with predicate nouns/adjectives (e.g., Péter tanár, A lány fáradt), but it is kept in existential or locative statements. Since a telefonon is a locative predicate, you need van: Az üzenet a telefonon van. Similarly: A könyv az asztalon van.

Why is there no explicit object in the second clause? Shouldn’t it be megnézem az üzenetet?

Hungarian often drops a direct object that’s obvious from context. The verb form megnézem (definite conjugation) already signals “I’ll look at it.” If you want to state it explicitly, you can say:

• Hamarosan megnézem az üzenetet.
• Hamarosan megnézem azt.

Why is the verb in the present (megnézem) when the meaning is future?

Hungarian frequently uses the present tense for near-future actions if a time word makes the timing clear. Hamarosan (“soon”) does that. If you want to emphasize futurity, you can use:

• Majd megnézem.
• Meg fogom nézni. (auxiliary-based future)

Why megnézem (definite) and not megnézek (indefinite)?

Hungarian verbs agree with the definiteness of the object:

• Definite object (specific/known): megnézem az üzenetet / azt.
• Indefinite object (non-specific): megnézek egy üzenetet. Here the object is understood and definite, so megnézem is correct.

What does the prefix meg- add to nézem?

meg- makes the action telic/complete: nézem = “I’m watching/looking,” megnézem = “I’ll take a (complete) look / I’ll check it.” For “check (and be done),” megnézni is the natural choice.

Where does the prefix go with negation or focus?

In neutral sentences, the prefix stays before the verb: megnézem. With negation or focus, it moves after the verb:

• Nem nézem meg. (negation)
• Most nézem meg. / Csak holnap nézem meg. (focus on “now/only tomorrow”) With the future auxiliary, the prefix stays with the infinitive: meg fogom nézni.

Why telefonon and not telefonban or telefonra?

• telefonon (superessive -on/-en/-ön) = “on (the surface)/on a device,” and idiomatically “on the phone.”
• telefonban (inessive -ban/-ben) = “in the phone” (literally inside the device; unusual here).
• telefonra (sublative -ra/-re) = “onto the phone,” i.e., motion/direction: A képeket a telefonra mentem (“I save the pictures onto the phone”).

How do I say “on my phone”?

Use a possessive suffix plus the case:

• a telefonomon = “on my phone” (telefon + -om “my” + -on “on”). Example: Az üzenet a telefonomon van. You’ll also hear a mobilomon (“on my mobile”).

Does telefonon also mean “by phone/over the phone”?

Yes. Telefonon beszélünk = “We’ll talk by phone.” Context usually clarifies whether you mean the device or the communication channel. To be crystal clear about the device, say a telefonomon (“on my phone/device”).

Is the word order fixed? Could I say A telefonon van az üzenet?

Word order is flexible and encodes emphasis:

• Neutral: Az üzenet a telefonon van. (Topic = “The message,” comment = where it is.)
• A telefonon van az üzenet. emphasizes the location (“It’s on the phone (not elsewhere) that the message is.”). Hungarian places the focused element immediately before the verb.

Why is there a comma before és?

Hungarian typically separates independent clauses with a comma even before conjunctions like és, de, etc. Here both parts are clauses, so … van, és … megnézem takes a comma. If you were only joining phrases (not full clauses), you would not use a comma.

What’s the nuance of hamarosan? Alternatives for “soon” or “right away”?

• hamarosan = “soon” (in the near future), neutral.
• hamar = “soon/quickly” (a bit more informal/elastic).
• mindjárt / nemsokára = “in a moment/soon.”
• rövidesen = “shortly” (formal).
• azonnal / rögtön = “immediately/right away.” Examples: Mindjárt megnézem (“I’ll check in a moment”), Azonnal megnézem (“I’ll check right away”).

Could I use majd instead of és: Az üzenet a telefonon van, majd megnézem?

Yes. majd means “then/later (on),” so … van, majd megnézem is natural and slightly more compact. With és, you simply say “and (soon) I’ll check it,” which is also fine.

How would this look in the plural?

• Az üzenetek a telefonon vannak, és hamarosan megnézem azokat. Notes:
• Plural subject needs vannak.
• For “them” (inanimate), azokat is safest. You could also repeat the noun: … megnézem az üzeneteket.

Should megnézem be one word? When is it split?

In neutral statements, write it as one word: megnézem. The prefix splits off when it’s displaced by focus/negation:

• Nem nézem meg.
• Most nézem meg.
• With the future auxiliary: meg fogom nézni (prefix before the infinitive).

Why is it a telefonon, not just telefonon? Can I drop the article?

You usually keep the article with specific nouns: a telefonon = “on the phone (that we have in mind).” You can drop the article in certain set expressions (e.g., telefonon beszél = “talks on the phone”), but with a concrete, identifiable device/location, the article is standard: Az üzenet a telefonon van.