A diák nekem mutatja a könyvet.

The student shows me the book.

Breakdown of A diák nekem mutatja a könyvet.

• diák: the student
• könyv: the book
• én: me
• mutatni: to show
• -nak/-nek: to

Questions & Answers about A diák nekem mutatja a könyvet.

What does the -t on könyvet mean, and why is there an extra e?

• -t is the accusative ending, marking the direct object.
• Because the stem könyv would form an awkward consonant cluster with -t, a linking vowel e is inserted: könyv + -et → könyvet. This is common in Hungarian (for example: szék → széket, kéz → kezet).

Why is the verb mutatja and not mutat?

Because the direct object a könyvet is definite (it has the article a), Hungarian uses the definite conjugation: 3rd singular definite is mutatja. With an indefinite object, you would use the indefinite conjugation: mutat (egy) könyvet.

What does nekem mean, and what is the -nak/-nek ending?

Nekem is the dative form of én and means “to me/for me.” The -nak/-nek ending marks the indirect object (recipient/beneficiary). The dative personal pronouns are:

• nekem (to me)
• neked (to you sg.)
• neki (to him/her/it)
• nekünk, nektek, nekik (to us/you pl./them)

Do I have to include nekem, or can I drop it?

You can omit it if the context already makes the recipient clear, but the verb form does not encode the indirect object. Without nekem, you only have “The student is showing the book (to someone).”

Where can nekem go, and does word order change the meaning?

Yes, word order affects emphasis (the element right before the finite verb is in focus):

• A diák nekem mutatja a könyvet. Emphasizes “to me” (as opposed to someone else).
• A diák a könyvet mutatja nekem. Emphasizes “the book” (as opposed to something else).
• Nekem mutatja a diák a könyvet. Strong emphasis on “to me.” These are all grammatical; choose based on what you want to stress.

Does mutatja mean “shows” or “is showing”?

Both. Hungarian present covers both simple and progressive. If you want to stress the ongoing nature, you can add éppen: Éppen nekem mutatja a könyvet (“is just now showing me the book”).

Why a and not az before könyvet?

Hungarian uses a before a consonant-initial word and az before a vowel-initial word. Könyv- starts with a consonant sound, so it’s a könyvet. Example with az: az autót.

Can I say A diák mutatja könyvet?

No. With mutatja (definite conjugation) the object must be definite: a könyvet / ezt a könyvet / a piros könyvet, etc. For an indefinite object, use mutat: A diák mutat (egy) könyvet.

Could I use megmutatja here? What’s the difference from mutatja?

Yes. Megmutatja adds a perfective “let me see/show completely” flavor and is very common for one-off acts of showing. Rough guide:

• mutatja: is showing/shows (displaying, pointing out).
• megmutatja: shows/lets (someone) see it (completed act).

Can the subject be dropped?

Yes. Hungarian is pro-drop. If it’s clear who the subject is, you can say: Nekem mutatja a könyvet (“[He/She] is showing me the book”).

What’s the literal breakdown of the forms?

• A = the (definite article)
• diák = student
• nekem = to me (dative)
• mutat-ja = show-3SG.DEF
• a = the
• könyv-et = book-ACC

Could I use engem instead of nekem?

No. Engem is accusative “me” as a direct object. A diák engem mutat means “The student shows me (to someone),” which is different. For the recipient of “show,” Hungarian uses the dative: nekem.

How do I say “The student shows me his/her book”?

A diák nekem megmutatja a könyvét.
Here könyvét = “his/her book” (3rd person possessed, accusative).

How does the sentence change with plurals or different persons?

• “The students show me the book”: A diákok nekem mutatják a könyvet.
• “The student shows us the book”: A diák nekünk mutatja a könyvet.
• “The student shows me the books”: A diák nekem mutatja a könyveket.

What’s the difference between nekem and hozzám?

Both can translate as “to me,” but:

• nekem (dative) = recipient/beneficiary (“to/for me” as an indirect object): mutat nekem valamit.
• hozzám (allative) = physical direction “toward my place/me”: gyere hozzám (“come to my place”). With mutat, use nekem, not hozzám.

Do adjectives take the case ending too?

No. Only the noun carries the case ending. Example: a régi könyvet (“the old book” as object) — régi stays unchanged; könyv takes -et.