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Questions & Answers about A diák már itt van.
What does each word in the sentence mean?
- A = the (definite article)
- diák = student
- már = already
- itt = here
- van = is (3rd person singular of lenni, to be) Whole sentence: The student is already here.
Why do we need van here? I thought Hungarian often drops “is.”
Hungarian drops the present-tense 3rd person of “to be” with noun or adjective predicates, but keeps it with adverbs/locations.
- Noun/adjective: A diák okos. (The student is smart.) — no van
- Location/adverb: A diák itt van. (The student is here.) — must use van
How do I negate this? Is it nem van?
Use the special negative forms for existence/location:
- Singular: nincs
- Plural: nincsenek Examples:
- A diák még nincs itt. (The student is not here yet.)
- A diák már nincs itt. (The student is no longer here.)
- A diákok még nincsenek itt. (The students are not here yet.)
Where can már go, and does word order change the emphasis?
Yes. The element right before the finite verb (van) is in focus.
- A diák már itt van. Neutral topic (the student), focus on place.
- Már itt van a diák. Highlights already/arrival status and place.
- A diák itt van már. “Already” feels afterthought-like.
- A diák van már itt. Focus on the subject: it’s the student who’s already here.
What’s the difference between már and még?
- már = already
- még = still/yet Paradigm:
- A diák már itt van. (already here)
- A diák még itt van. (still here)
- A diák már nincs itt. (no longer here)
- A diák még nincs itt. (not here yet)
Why is the article A, not Az?
Use a before a consonant sound, az before a vowel sound.
- A diák (d is a consonant)
- Az iskola, az egyetem (i/e start with vowel)
- A tanár, a könyv (t/k are consonants)
How do I pronounce the sentence?
- Stress the first syllable: A | DI-ák | már | itt | van
- á is long (like the a in father, held longer)
- i is a short “ee”
- tt is a long t; hold it briefly: itt ~ “eett”
- Rough guide: A DEE-ahk maar eett vahn
Can I make the subject indefinite?
Yes: Egy diák már itt van. = A student is already here.
This introduces a non-specific student.
How do I form a yes–no question like “Is the student already here?”
Two common ways:
- Intonation only: Már itt van a diák?
- With the -e particle (more formal): Már itt van-e a diák?
How do I ask “Where is the student?”
Use hol (where):
- Hol van a diák? (Where is the student?)
- Hol van már a diák? adds impatience/emphasis.
What happens in the plural?
- A diákok már itt vannak. (The students are already here.) — plural -ok on diák, verb vannak
- Negative plural: A diákok még nincsenek itt.
Is Itt van a diák also correct? Does it mean the same?
Yes. Itt van a diák. foregrounds the location and is natural when pointing/announcing presence. A diák itt van. starts with the topic “the student” and is neutral/informative.
What does A diák van itt mean?
It focuses the subject: It’s the student who is here (not someone else). The focused element stands right before van.
Why is itt spelled with double t?
Double consonants mark length. tt means a longer t. Pronounce it slightly held. Similar: ott (there), fent (up), lent (down).
Can I replace diák with a pronoun?
Yes:
- Singular: Ő már itt van. (He/She is already here — Hungarian 3rd person is gender-neutral.)
- Plural: Ők már itt vannak.
How do I say “also” (too) here?
Use is:
- A diák is már itt van. (The student is also already here.)
- Már a diák is itt van. (By now, even the student is here.)
Word order shifts the emphasis.
Are there synonyms for diák?
- tanuló = learner/pupil (often school-age)
- hallgató or egyetemi hallgató = university student
All fit the pattern: A hallgató már itt van.
How do I say “at home” instead of “here”?
Use itthon (at home here):
- A diák már itthon van. (The student is already at home.)
Contrast: itt = here; otthon = at home (there/in general); itthon = at home (here).
What’s the difference between “already here” and “has already arrived”?
- A diák már itt van. states current location.
- A diák már megérkezett. says the arrival event is completed.
You can combine: A diák már megérkezett, és itt van.
Can I drop the article like English headlines (Student already here)?
No. Hungarian normally requires an article. Use A diák… for a specific student, or Egy diák… for an unspecified one. Bare Diák már itt van is ungrammatical in standard Hungarian.