Breakdown of Hétfőn újra kezdődik a munka az irodában.
Questions & Answers about Hétfőn újra kezdődik a munka az irodában.
The -n ending on hétfőn means “on Monday”.
Hungarian does not use a separate word like on for days of the week. Instead, it puts the superessive ending -n on the noun:
- hétfő → hétfőn = on Monday
- kedd → kedden = on Tuesday
- szerda → szerdán = on Wednesday
So Hétfőn by itself already means “on Monday”, which is why there is no extra preposition.
Hungarian often uses the simple present to talk about the near future, especially for:
- scheduled events
- planned or certain actions
In English you might say:
- On Monday, work will start again in the office.
Hungarian is fine with:
- Hétfőn újra kezdődik a munka az irodában.
(literally: On Monday, the work starts again in the office.)
You can make a “real” future with fog, but it sounds more formal, heavier, or more emphatic here:
- Hétfőn újra el fog kezdődni a munka az irodában.
In everyday speech, the original sentence with kezdődik is completely natural for a future meaning.
There are two related verbs:
- kezd = to start something (transitive)
- Elkezdem a munkát. = I start the work.
- kezdődik = to start / to begin (intransitive, “middle voice”)
- A munka kezdődik. = The work begins.
In your sentence:
- a munka is the subject,
- kezdődik is an intransitive verb form,
- there is no direct object.
So kezdődik roughly means “gets started / begins” by itself, without mentioning who starts it.
Hungarian usually needs a definite article (a / az) before a singular noun that is the subject of the sentence, if we are talking about some specific or known thing.
- a munka = the work (the work we are both aware of: the job, the office work)
- munka alone, without article, is possible in some special patterns, but not normally as a straightforward subject in a sentence like this.
Compare:
- A munka nehéz. = The work is hard. ✅
- Munka nehéz. = sounds wrong in normal speech. ❌
So a munka kezdődik is the normal, idiomatic way to say “the work starts”.
Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:
- a before consonant sounds
- a ház = the house
- az before vowel sounds
- az iroda = the office
Because iroda begins with the vowel i, we must use az:
- az iroda = the office
- az irodában = in the office
So az irodában is simply “in the office”, using the correct vowel-friendly form of the article.
The ending -ban / -ben is the inessive case, meaning “in / inside”.
- iroda = office
- irodában = in the office
Choice of -ban or -ben depends on vowel harmony:
- Words with back vowels (a, o, u) → -ban
- házban = in the house
- irodában = in the office (iroda has back vowels o, a)
- Words with front vowels (e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű) → -ben
- szobában (exceptional mix, but behaves as back-vowel)
- kertben = in the garden
So irodában literally means “office-in”, i.e. “in the office.”
When days of the week are used as time expressions (adverbials: on Monday, on Tuesday), they normally do not take an article in Hungarian.
- Hétfőn jövök. = I am coming on Monday.
- Kedden találkozunk. = We meet on Tuesday.
Using a hétfőn is possible only in some special, contrastive or descriptive situations, e.g.:
- Azon a hétfőn minden megváltozott.
= On that Monday, everything changed.
In your sentence we just mean on Monday in a neutral way, so simple Hétfőn is correct and natural.
Yes, Hungarian word order is flexible, but changes in order can change emphasis.
Your original sentence:
- Hétfőn újra kezdődik a munka az irodában.
This puts Hétfőn at the beginning, so it foregrounds time: As for Monday… that’s when work starts again in the office.
Another option:
- A munka az irodában hétfőn újra kezdődik.
This starts with A munka az irodában (the work in the office) as the topic, and then adds what happens to it: The work in the office will start again on Monday.
Both are grammatically correct. The version you have is very natural if you’re focusing on when things restart.
Both újra and megint can mean “again”, but there is a nuance:
- újra often carries the sense of “anew, from the beginning”
- restarting something properly, fresh, once more
- megint often means “again, once more / yet again”, sometimes with a neutral or even slightly complaining tone, depending on context.
In your sentence:
- Hétfőn újra kezdődik a munka az irodában.
= Work starts again, from where we left off / we are resuming office work.
You could say:
- Hétfőn megint kezdődik a munka az irodában.
This is grammatically correct, but depending on tone it can sound a bit like “Ugh, on Monday work starts again in the office…” — a bit more casual, possibly slightly complaining. Újra is a bit more neutral and “clean” here.
Újra is an adverb, and Hungarian allows some movement, but word order affects focus.
Some possible variants:
Hétfőn újra kezdődik a munka az irodában.
– neutral, focus on the restarting of work on Monday.Hétfőn a munka újra kezdődik az irodában.
– very similar; a bit more emphasis on the work starting again.Hétfőn a munka az irodában újra kezdődik.
– can suggest contrast: maybe work had been elsewhere, and in the office it starts again.Újra hétfőn kezdődik a munka az irodában.
– emphasizes hétfőn: “Again it’s on Monday that work starts in the office (not some other day).”
So yes, újra can move, but each position slightly shifts what is being highlighted.
Dictionaries usually list either:
- the transitive verb kezd (“to start something”), and/or
- the intransitive verb kezdődik (“to begin, to get started”).
You may see the infinitives:
- kezdeni = to start (something)
- kezdődni = to begin (to get underway)
So if you’re searching:
- For kezdődik, look up kezdődik or kezdődni.
- If your dictionary doesn’t list it, try kezd; good learners’ dictionaries will point to the related kezdődik form.