Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Esik az eső, ezért a nő a lakásban marad. - It is raining, so the woman stays in the apartment.

Literally it means The rain falls. Hungarian often uses an impersonal verb with a weather noun: esik (falls) + az eső (the rain). It’s the standard way to say “It’s raining.” This isn’t redundant in Hungarian; it’s idiomatic.

Can I drop az eső and just say Esik?

Yes. In weather contexts, Esik by itself is commonly understood as “It’s raining.” If you need to be explicit or clear in a standalone sentence, Esik az eső is safer. For snow, Hungarian uses a dedicated verb: Havazik (“It’s snowing”).

Why is there a comma before ezért?

Because there are two independent clauses. Hungarian uses a comma to separate them when they’re linked by a connective like ezért (“therefore”). You could also write two sentences: Esik az eső. Ezért a nő a lakásban marad.

How is ezért different from mert? Can they appear together?

mert = because (introduces the cause): A nő a lakásban marad, mert esik az eső.
ezért = therefore/for that reason (introduces the effect): Esik az eső, ezért a nő a lakásban marad. Both together (Mert… ezért…) is colloquial redundancy; many people say it, but in careful writing use one or the other. A more formal “because” is mivel: Mivel esik az eső, a nő a lakásban marad.

Where can ezért go in the second clause?

Most naturally at the start of the second clause: …, ezért a nő a lakásban marad. You can also place it before the verb or subject: A nő ezért a lakásban marad. / Ezért marad a nő a lakásban. All are acceptable; placement slightly shifts emphasis but not the basic meaning.

What does the ending -ban in lakásban mean, and why not -ben?

-ban/-ben is the inessive case meaning “in/inside.” Vowel harmony decides which form to use:

After back-vowel words → -ban (e.g., lakásban, házban)
After front-vowel words → -ben (e.g., szobában is an exception because of a historical pattern, but generally front vowels take -ben, like kertben if it were front, yet it’s not; a clearer example: zsebben) For lakás (with back vowels a/á), you use -ban: lakásban = “in the apartment.”

Could I say otthon marad instead of a lakásban marad?

Yes. otthon marad means “stays at home,” which is a natural phrasing. Don’t say otthonban marad for “at home” in the general sense; otthon functions as an adverb here. (-ban with otthon is used when referring to an institution called an “otthon,” e.g., idősek otthonában = “in the retirement home.”)

What’s the difference between lakás, ház, and otthon?

lakás = apartment/flat (a unit in a building)
ház = house (a standalone building)
otthon = home (the place where someone lives; also “home” in the abstract sense)

Why is it az eső but a nő?

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

a before a consonant-initial word: a nő
az before a vowel-initial word: az eső It’s purely phonetic for ease of pronunciation.

Could I use the indefinite article and say egy nő?

Yes. egy nő means “a woman” (unspecified). a nő means “the woman” (a specific one). So you can say: Esik az eső, ezért egy nő a lakásban marad (“therefore a woman stays in the apartment”) if you’re introducing her as new information.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say A nő marad a lakásban or A lakásban marad a nő?

All are grammatical but differ in emphasis:

A nő a lakásban marad. Neutral; topic first (“the woman”), then information.
A nő marad a lakásban. Slight emphasis on the verb “stays” (e.g., as opposed to leaving).
A lakásban marad a nő. Focus on the location (“It’s in the apartment that the woman stays”). Hungarian word order is driven by topic–focus structure rather than strict SVO.

What form is marad?

It’s present tense, 3rd person singular, indefinite conjugation. There is no direct object, so the indefinite conjugation is used. If a verb takes a definite object, the definite conjugation appears (e.g., látja = “he/she sees it”), but marad is intransitive here.

How can I emphasize “staying inside”? Are there useful variants?

bent marad = stays inside (with the adverb bent “inside”)
bennmarad = stays inside (with the verbal prefix benn- attached)
otthon marad = stays at home All are natural, with subtle stylistic differences.

Pronunciation tips for this sentence?

s is pronounced like English “sh.” So esik ≈ “eshik,” eső ≈ “esh-ő.”
sz is like English “s” (not present here, but good to know).
ő is a long front rounded vowel; round your lips: eső, nő.
á is a long open back vowel, as in lakás.

Is Az eső esik also correct?

Yes, but it sounds a bit more marked, as if emphasizing that it’s the rain that is falling. The idiomatic weather statement is Esik az eső or simply Esik.

Can I write two sentences instead of using ezért?

Yes: Esik az eső. Ezért a nő a lakásban marad. This is perfectly natural, especially in more formal or deliberate style.

Can present tense refer to the future here?

Yes. Hungarian often uses the present for near-future planned or predictable events from context. You can also make the future explicit: Ezért a nő a lakásban fog maradni (“will stay”), but the simple present marad is usually enough.

Does nő also mean “to grow”? How do I tell them apart?

Yes, nő is both the noun “woman” and the verb “grows” (3rd person singular). Context and grammar disambiguate. The article a here tells you it’s a noun: a nő (“the woman”). Example pun: A nő nő. (“The woman grows.”)

Are the accents like á and ő optional?

They are essential in Hungarian. They change both pronunciation and meaning. For example, no and nő are completely different; only nő is a valid Hungarian word meaning “woman.”

Can I replace ezért with something more colloquial like úgyhogy or reorder with mert/mivel?

Colloquial: Esik az eső, úgyhogy a nő a lakásban marad. (“so”)
Cause-first: Mert/Mivel esik az eső, a nő a lakásban marad. All are common. úgyhogy is informal; mivel is a bit more formal than mert.