Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A pincér nem hall engem a hangos zene miatt. - The waiter cannot hear me because of the loud music.

With a 3rd‑person subject and a 1st/2nd‑person object, Hungarian uses the indefinite verb form (no -ja/-i). So it’s hall engem (he hears me), not “hallja engem,” which is ungrammatical in standard Hungarian.

3rd subject + 1st/2nd object: hall engem/téged
3rd subject + 3rd definite object or a definite noun phrase: use definite: hallja őt / hallja a zenét
Special 1sg subject + 2nd object: hallak (“I hear you”)

What does “miatt” do, and why is it after the noun?

Miatt is a postposition meaning “because of,” and in Hungarian postpositions follow the noun phrase: a hangos zene miatt = “because of the loud music.”
With personal pronouns you usually use fused forms:

miattam (because of me), miattad, miatta, miattunk, miattatok, miattuk

Example: Miattam nem hall a pincér. = “Because of me, the waiter can’t hear.”

Can I use “mert” instead of “miatt”?

Yes, but they work differently:

miatt
- noun phrase: A pincér nem hall engem a hangos zene miatt.
mert
- full clause: A pincér nem hall engem, mert hangos a zene.
If you want “because” + clause after a noun, use amiatt, hogy…: A pincér nem hall engem amiatt, hogy hangos a zene.

Why is it “nem” and not “nincs,” and where does “nem” go?

Nem negates verbs and adjectives: A pincér nem hall …
Nincs is the negative form of van (“to be/exist”): A pincér nincs itt. Place nem directly before the verb phrase: A pincér nem hall engem … / Nem hall engem a pincér …

Can the reason phrase move around in the sentence?

Yes. All of these are correct; the difference is emphasis:

Neutral: A pincér nem hall engem a hangos zene miatt.
Cause emphasized: A hangos zene miatt a pincér nem hall engem.
Cause placed mid-sentence: A pincér a hangos zene miatt nem hall engem.

Is “engem” the accusative of “én”? Why not add -t?

Yes. Personal pronouns have special accusative forms without the -t ending:

én → engem (also emphatic engemet)
te → téged
ő → őt
plurals: mi → minket / bennünket, ti → titeket / benneteket, ők → őket

Why “hangos zene” and not “hangosan zene”?

Hangos is an adjective modifying a noun (zene), so use hangos zene (“loud music”). Hangosan is an adverb and modifies verbs: hangosan beszél (“speaks loudly”).

Do I have to use the article “a” here? When do I use “a” vs. “az”?

Use the definite article when you mean a specific referent:

A pincér (the waiter), a hangos zene (the loud music)
a before consonant-initial words, az before vowel-initial: az étterem If you mean any waiter, use egy: Egy pincér nem hall engem …
You can drop the article before “hangos zene” for a generic meaning: hangos zene miatt (“because of loud music [in general]”).

Shouldn’t it be “hallgat” for “listen”? What’s the difference between “hall” and “hallgat”?

hall = “to hear” (perception): A pincér nem hall engem.
hallgat = “to listen (to)” or “to heed/obey,” and it takes -ra/-re with people:
- Hallgat zenét. (He listens to music.)
- Nem hallgat rám. (He doesn’t listen to/heed me.)

Where can I put “engem,” and what changes with word order?

Neutral: A pincér nem hall engem …
Emphasizing “me” (as opposed to someone else): Engem nem hall a pincér … or A pincér engem nem hall …
In Hungarian, the immediately preverbal position carries focus; negation and focus interact, so moving engem before the verb makes “me” contrastive.

Can I say “a hangos zenétől” instead of “a hangos zene miatt”?

Sometimes, but the nuance changes:

… zene miatt = because of the music (general cause)
… zenétől = from the music (source/trigger), often for bodily effects:
- Fáj a fejem a hangos zenétől. (My head hurts from the loud music.)
  For “can’t hear me,” … a hangos zene miatt is the most natural.

How do I say “The waiter can’t hear us/you/them” with the right pronouns and verb forms?

Us: A pincér nem hall minket/bennünket a hangos zene miatt.
You (plural): A pincér nem hall titeket/benneteket …
Him/her/them: use definite conjugation on the verb:
- A pincér nem hallja őt/őket a hangos zene miatt.

Can I drop “engem”?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

A pincér nem hall a hangos zene miatt. = “The waiter can’t hear (well) because of the loud music” (no specific object implied). If you specifically mean “me,” keep engem.

What about “meghall”? Could I say “Nem hall meg a pincér”?

Meghall adds a perfective “catch/notice” meaning: Nem hall meg ≈ “He doesn’t catch (what I say)/doesn’t notice me (calling).”
Your sentence Nem hall engem is the general “can’t hear me” statement; Nem hall meg is more event-like (“fails to pick up my call-out”).