Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Ha probléma van, a tanár segít a diáknak. - If there is a problem, the teacher helps the student.

Because the verb segít (“to help”) takes the person helped in the dative case: you “help to someone” in Hungarian. So it’s a diáknak (“to the student”), not an accusative direct object. Using a diákot with plain segít is not the standard everyday pattern.

Can I ever say segíti a diákot?

Yes, there is also a transitive pattern: segíti + accusative (e.g., A tanár segíti a diákot). It’s more formal or institutional-sounding (“assists, supports”) and often implies ongoing/organized help. The everyday, most natural version is segít a diáknak (dative).

How do I know whether to use -nak or -nek?

Vowel harmony:

Use -nak if the noun contains any back vowels: a, á, o, ó, u, ú. Example: diák → diáknak (has á).
Use -nek if the noun has only front vowels: e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű. Example: ember → embernek. Note: i/í and e/é are “neutral” front vowels. If they’re the only vowels, you still use -nek.

Why is van present here? Don’t Hungarians often drop “van”?

Hungarian drops the copula in 3rd person present only with simple identity/quality (e.g., A tanár fáradt = “The teacher is tired”). But van must appear in:

Existential sentences (“there is/are”): probléma van (“there is a problem”)
Location: A tanár a teremben van (“The teacher is in the room”) So here van is required.

Is “Ha van probléma” also correct? Any difference from “Ha probléma van”?

Both are correct and common. Subtle nuance:

Ha van probléma is often felt slightly more neutral.
Ha probléma van can make “problem” the topic (“as for problems, if there is one…”). In everyday speech, there’s no real difference in meaning.

Why is there no egy before probléma? Why not “Ha egy probléma van”?

egy literally means “one,” so ha egy probléma van implies “if there is one problem (as opposed to none or several).”
To mean “if there is a problem (any problem),” Hungarian typically drops egy: ha probléma van. Use plural if you mean more than one: ha problémák vannak (“if there are problems”).

In “probléma van,” which word is the subject?

probléma is the grammatical subject; van is the verb. Hungarian doesn’t need a dummy “there” like English. So probléma van literally means “a problem exists.”

Does a tanár mean one specific teacher or teachers in general?

Both are possible from context. Hungarian often uses the definite singular generically:

A tanár segít a diáknak can mean “The teacher helps the student” (specific) or “Teachers help students” (generic statement). Context clarifies which.

Should I make it plural to be clearly generic?

You can:

A tanárok segítenek a diákoknak. = “Teachers help students.” Both the singular-generic and the plural-generic are natural; plural makes the generality explicit.

Is the comma necessary, and can I flip the order of the clauses?

Yes, subordinate clauses are separated by a comma in standard Hungarian.
You can reverse the order: A tanár segít a diáknak, ha probléma van. Same meaning.

What form is segít? Why not segítenek?

segít is 3rd person singular, present, indefinite conjugation.
The subject is a tanár (singular), so the verb is singular.
If the subject were plural: A tanárok segítenek… (3rd person plural).
Negative: nem segít. Past: segített. Conditional: segítene.

Where does focus/emphasis go in this sentence?

The element immediately before the finite verb is in focus.

Neutral: A tanár segít a diáknak.
Emphasizing who gets help: A tanár a DIÁKNAK segít. (“It’s the student [not someone else] the teacher helps.”)
Emphasizing who does the helping: A TANÁR segít a diáknak. (“It’s the teacher [not someone else] who helps.”)

Can I say “A tanár segít a diákon”?

Different meaning. segít valakin (“help on someone”) means “to make a difference for someone, improve their condition”; it’s common with pronouns: Segít rajtad? (“Does it help you?”). For the ordinary “help (someone),” use dative: segít a diáknak.

How do I say “help someone with something / to do something”?

Common patterns:

segít valakinek valamiben: “help someone with something” (topic/area)
- A tanár segít a diáknak a házi feladatban.
segít valakinek valamivel: “help someone with something” (instrument/tool)
- Segít a számológéppel.
segít valakinek [meg]csinálni valamit: “help someone (to) do something”
- Segít a diáknak megtanulni a szavakat.

How do I make the sentence hypothetical (“If there were a problem, the teacher would help the student”)?

Use the conditional in both clauses:

Ha probléma lenne, a tanár segítene a diáknak.

What if there are multiple problems?

Use the plural with the plural verb:

Ha problémák vannak, a tanár segít a diáknak. If you want both plural/generic:
Ha problémák vannak, a tanárok segítenek a diákoknak.

Are there synonyms for segít?

Yes, often more formal:

segítséget nyújt (“provide assistance”)
támogat (“support”)
asszisztál (“assist,” more technical) But segít is the default everyday verb.