Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A barátok várnak minket az ajtó előtt. - The friends are waiting for us in front of the door.

When the direct object is a 1st- or 2nd-person pronoun (Eng: me, you, us, you-pl → Hun: engem, téged, minket, titeket), Hungarian normally uses the INDEFINITE conjugation. That’s why it is várnak minket.
The DEFINITE conjugation (here: várják) is used when the direct object is a definite 3rd-person entity (for example őt/őket, or a definite noun like a buszt).
Special case: with a 1st person singular subject and a 2nd person object, you use the -lak/-lek ending: Várlak (téged/titeket).

Examples:

A barátok várnak minket. = The friends are waiting for us.
A barátok várják őket / a buszt. = The friends are waiting for them / the bus.
Én várlak (téged). = I’m waiting for you.
Én várom őt/őket. = I’m waiting for him/her/them.

Note: “várják minket” is ungrammatical.

Could we also say “A barátok várnak ránk”? What’s the difference from “minket”?

Yes. Both are correct and common:

várnak minket uses a direct object pronoun.
várnak ránk uses the sublative case (-ra/-re) on the pronoun.

Nuance:

With persons, both patterns are idiomatic. Many speakers find the -ra/-re version slightly more natural in everyday speech: Várnak ránk.
With things, both are possible but can differ subtly:
- A buszra várunk = we’re waiting for the bus (to arrive) – event-oriented.
- Várjuk a buszt = we’re awaiting the bus – entity-oriented.

Is the word order natural? Where else could “az ajtó előtt” go?

Yes, the sentence is fine. Hungarian word order is flexible and focus-driven. Common variants:

Neutral/very typical: A barátok az ajtó előtt várnak (ránk/minket).
Given version: A barátok várnak minket az ajtó előtt. (also natural; the place phrase comes after the verb)
Focus on “us”: A barátok minket várnak az ajtó előtt. = It’s us (rather than someone else) they’re waiting for.
Focus on the place: Az ajtó előtt várnak ránk a barátok.

Why do we need the article A before barátok?

Because we’re talking about a specific set: the friends.

A barátok… = the friends (known from context)
Barátok… (without article) would sound generic or indefinite (“friends [in general]…”), which doesn’t fit here.

Why is it az ajtó and not a ajtó?

Hungarian uses a before words starting with a consonant and az before words starting with a vowel sound. Since ajtó starts with a vowel, it’s az ajtó.

Why is it az ajtó előtt and not just ajtó előtt?

The article signals specificity. Az ajtó előtt = in front of the (specific) door.
Without the article (ajtó előtt), it would mean “in front of a door/doors in general,” which is not what we want here.

What is előtt exactly, and how is it different from elé, elől, elöl, előre, and elő?

előtt: postposition meaning “in front of” (static location). Example: az ajtó előtt = in front of the door.
elé: “to in front of” (direction/towards). Example: az ajtó elé állnak = they step to in front of the door.
elől: “from in front of” (away from a front position). Example: Félreáll a kocsi elől = he moves out from in front of the car.
elöl: adverb “at/in the front.” Example: A kulcs elöl van = the key is out/in plain sight at the front.
előre: adverb “forward / to the front / in advance.” Example: Lépj előre! = step forward!
elő-: verbal prefix meaning roughly “forth/out/forward” in many compounds, e.g., elővesz (take out).

Could we use az ajtónál instead of az ajtó előtt?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

az ajtó előtt: literally in front of the door (on the front side, facing it).
az ajtónál: at/by the door (right there where the door is). Other options:
az ajtóban: in the doorway.
Choose based on the mental picture you want: “in front of” vs “at/by” vs “in.”

Hungarian translates English “are waiting” with simple present. Is that normal?

Yes. Hungarian has no dedicated progressive tense. The simple present covers both:

A barátok várnak… = The friends wait / are waiting… To emphasize “right now,” add an adverb:
Most/éppen várnak… = They are waiting right now.

What about minket vs. bennünket?

Both mean us as a direct object:

minket is the default, neutral choice.
bennünket is more emphatic/formal or stylistic.
Examples:
A barátok várnak minket. (neutral)
A barátok bennünket várnak. (puts strong focus on “us”)

There are parallel forms with -ra/-re as well: ránk (neutral) vs miránk (emphatic/archaic-ish).

Can I move minket around? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, placement affects focus/emphasis:

A barátok várnak minket az ajtó előtt. (neutral)
A barátok minket várnak az ajtó előtt. (It’s us that they’re waiting for.)
Minket várnak a barátok az ajtó előtt. (Strong focus on “us” at the start.) Hungarian uses position to encode what’s new/important information.

Why don’t we add vannak after A barátok?

Because várnak is already a full lexical verb. Hungarian doesn’t use an extra “to be” (vannak) with another main verb.

Correct: A barátok várnak…
“A barátok vannak várnak…” is ungrammatical.
Use vannak only when “to be” itself is the predicate: Barátok vannak a szobában. = There are friends in the room.

Can I say “A barátok megvárnak minket”? What does meg- add?

Yes. meg- adds a sense of completeness/successful outcome: “they will wait for us (and won’t leave before we arrive).”

A barátok megvárnak minket az ajtó előtt. Often reads as future: They’ll wait for us at the door. Word order with meg- follows the usual preverb rules (it can move around with focus/negation).

How would I say “Our friends are waiting for us at the door”?

A barátaink az ajtó előtt várnak ránk.
You can also use the direct object version: A barátaink az ajtó előtt várnak minket. Both are fine.