Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A férfi azt gondolja, hogy a film hosszú.

In A férfi azt gondolja, hogy…, the azt is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that,” used as a placeholder object for the hogy-clause that follows. It makes the sentence flow naturally and helps trigger the verb’s definite conjugation.

You can usually omit it: A férfi gondolja, hogy a film hosszú. This is also correct; with many verbs of saying/thinking, both versions are common.
Keeping azt is very idiomatic, especially in speech, and can also help with emphasis or clarity.

Why is it gondolja and not gondol?

Hungarian has two present-tense conjugations: indefinite and definite. Verbs that take a hogy-clause as their object use the definite conjugation. So:

3sg indefinite: gondol (thinks [something unspecified])
3sg definite: gondolja (thinks it/that…) Because the object is definite (the content clause), you must say gondolja: A férfi (azt) gondolja, hogy…

Can I drop hogy like in English “He thinks the film is long”?

Generally, no. After verbs of saying/thinking, Hungarian normally requires hogy to introduce the content clause: …gondolja, hogy… Omitting hogy is nonstandard except in special stylistic contexts (e.g., direct speech: Mondja: A film hosszú.). Stick with hogy.

Why is there no van in a film hosszú?

In present-tense 3rd person, the copula van is omitted when the predicate is a noun or an adjective:

A film hosszú. = The film is long. For negation, you still don’t use van; just add nem: A film nem hosszú. Use van/nincs with existence/location: A film a moziban van. / A film nincs itt.

Why is there a comma before hogy?

Hungarian punctuation normally puts a comma before hogy when it introduces a following subordinate clause: …gondolja, hogy… If the hogy-clause comes first, you usually don’t put a comma after it.

What’s the difference between a, az, and azt in this sentence?

a/az are the definite article “the” (a before consonants: a film; az before vowels: az ember).
azt here is not the article; it’s the demonstrative pronoun az (“that”) in accusative case (-t). It functions as “that (thing)” and stands in for the clause: azt gondolja, hogy…

Does a mean “a/an” here? How would I say “A man thinks…”?

No. a/az mean “the.” To say “a/an,” use egy:

A férfi… = The man…
Egy férfi… = A man…

Why is the object before the verb (azt gondolja), not after (gondolja azt)?

Neutral Hungarian places the (unstressed) object immediately before the finite verb: azt gondolja. Putting it after the verb (gondolja azt) is possible but non-neutral; it typically signals emphasis or a different information structure. For learners, keep the neutral order: A férfi azt gondolja, hogy…

Can I front other parts for emphasis, like Azt gondolja a férfi, hogy…?

Yes. Azt gondolja a férfi, hogy… puts strong emphasis on the object (“What the man thinks is that…”). Word order in Hungarian encodes information structure (focus). The most neutral version for this sentence is still A férfi azt gondolja, hogy…

Can I say hogy hosszú a film instead of hogy a film hosszú?

Yes. Both are grammatical:

…hogy a film hosszú. (neutral)
…hogy hosszú a film. (slight emphasis on “long” as the key information) The difference is subtle; beginners can use the neutral order.

How do I say “the films are long” in the clause?

Make the noun plural and mark the predicate adjective as plural:

A férfi azt gondolja, hogy a filmek hosszúak. Predicate adjectives typically take a plural ending (-ak/-ek/-ok) with a plural subject in such sentences.

How do I pronounce the tricky bits (s, sz, gy, long vowels)?

s = “sh” (English shoe); sz = “s” (see). So hosszú ≈ “hos-su,” with a long final ú.
gy ≈ a soft “dy” (like “du” in “would you” said quickly): hogy ≈ “hodj.”
Accented vowels (á, é, í, ó, ú, ő, ű) are long. Stress is always on the first syllable: A FÉR-fi AZT GON-dol-ja, HO-gy a FILM HOSSZ-Ú.

Can I replace a film with a pronoun inside the clause (it)?

If context makes the subject obvious, Hungarian often omits it: …hogy hosszú. You can say …hogy az hosszú (“that it is long”), but without contrast it sounds redundant. Use az for contrast/emphasis: …hogy AZ hosszú, nem ez.

What’s the difference between gondolja and hiszi? What about úgy gondolja?

gondolja = “thinks, considers” (an opinion, often reasoned).
hiszi = “believes” (more about belief/assumption). Both take hogy: Azt gondolja/hiszi, hogy…
úgy gondolja literally “thinks so/in that way,” and is very common: A férfi úgy gondolja, hogy a film hosszú. It’s essentially the same meaning as azt gondolja in this context.

How do I negate it?

Negate inside the hogy-clause with nem:

A férfi azt gondolja, hogy a film nem hosszú. Don’t use nincs here (it negates van, which is not used with predicate adjectives in the present 3rd person).

How do I put it in the past or future?

Past: A férfi azt gondolta, hogy a film hosszú.
Future: A férfi azt fogja gondolni, hogy a film hosszú. (Periphrastic future with fog
- infinitive is natural here.)

Should I ever use legyen (subjunctive) here?

Not with gondolja. Subjunctive legyen appears with wishes/requests:

Wish: Azt szeretné, hogy a film hosszú legyen.
Thought/opinion (indicative): Azt gondolja, hogy a film hosszú.