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Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik.

Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik.
The new colleague works next to the boss.

Breakdown of Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik.

új
new
mellett
next to
dolgozni
to work
kolléga
the colleague
főnök
the boss
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Questions & Answers about Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik.

Why do we need Az at the beginning? Why not just Új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik?

In Hungarian, singular countable nouns almost always need an article (like a / az = “the” or egy = “a/an”), just as in English.

  • Az új kolléga = The new colleague
  • Új kolléga on its own would sound like a headline, note, or fragment, not a normal full sentence.

So Az is the definite article “the”, and it belongs to the whole phrase az új kolléga (“the new colleague”).

Why is it Az új kolléga and not A új kolléga?

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

  • a – used before words starting with a consonant:

    • a kolléga – the colleague
    • a főnök – the boss

  • az – used before words starting with a vowel sound:

    • az új kolléga – the new colleague
    • az alma – the apple

Since új starts with a vowel sound /uːj/, you must use az:
Az új kolléga …

Why is there also an article before főnök? Could we say Az új kolléga főnök mellett dolgozik?

You need the article here as well, because you mean “the boss”, a specific person.

  • a főnök = the boss
  • főnök on its own would be more like “(a) boss” in general, or feel incomplete here.

So:

  • Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik. = The new colleague works next to the boss.

❌ Az új kolléga főnök mellett dolgozik. is ungrammatical in standard Hungarian; the noun used this way needs its article.

What does mellett mean exactly? Is it like the English preposition “next to”?

Yes. Mellett is a postposition that usually means:

  • “next to, beside, by” in a physical sense:
    • a ház mellett – next to the house
    • a főnök mellett – next to the boss

Hungarian often uses postpositions after the noun instead of prepositions before it. So where English has:

  • next to the boss

Hungarian has:

  • a főnök mellett literally “the boss beside/next-to”.

Mellett can also have more abstract meanings (“in addition to”, “in support of”), but in this sentence the basic spatial meaning is intended.

Could I say Az új kolléga a főnök mellett van instead? What’s the difference from dolgozik?
  • van = “is”, used mainly for existence or location.
  • dolgozik = “works / is working”.

So:

  • Az új kolléga a főnök mellett van.
    = The new colleague is next to the boss (just describing location, no action).

  • Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik.
    = The new colleague works next to the boss (describes his/her workplace situation, the activity).

In your sentence, we want to talk about working, so dolgozik is the natural verb.

What exactly is dolgozik? Why does it have -ik at the end?

Dolgozik is the 3rd person singular form of the verb dolgozik (“to work”). It belongs to a group traditionally called “-ik verbs”.

The dictionary form and the 3rd person singular present tense are usually the same for these verbs:

  • dolgozik – (he/she) works
  • eszik – (he/she) eats
  • alszik – (he/she) sleeps

For dolgozik in the present tense (indefinite conjugation) you get:

  • (én) dolgozom / colloquial: dolgozok – I work
  • (te) dolgozol – you work
  • (ő) dolgozik – he/she works
  • (mi) dolgozunk – we work
  • (ti) dolgoztok – you (pl) work
  • (ők) dolgoznak – they work

In this sentence, az új kolléga is 3rd person singular, so the verb form dolgozik is required.

Where is the word for “he” or “she”? Why don’t we see it in the sentence?

Hungarian usually drops subject pronouns when the subject is clear from context or from the verb ending.

  • Dolgozik. – He/She works.
  • Az új kolléga dolgozik. – The new colleague works.

You can add the pronoun ő (“he/she”) for emphasis:

  • Ő dolgozik a főnök mellett. – He is the one who works next to the boss.

But in a neutral sentence, you normally just say:

  • Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik.

The subject is already clear from az új kolléga and the verb ending -ik.

Does kolléga mean a male colleague? Is there a different word for a female colleague?

No, kolléga is gender-neutral in Hungarian. It simply means “colleague”.

Hungarian nouns do not have grammatical gender, and there is no separate normal everyday word for a “female colleague”. If you need to be explicit (rare), you can say:

  • férfi kolléga – male colleague
  • női kolléga – female colleague

But normally kolléga alone is enough, and the gender is either clear from context or irrelevant.

Can the word order change? For example, can I say Az új kolléga dolgozik a főnök mellett?

Yes, Hungarian word order is more flexible than English. The order mainly expresses focus and emphasis, not just subject–verb–object.

Your original sentence:

  • Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik.
    Neutral: stating where the new colleague works.

If you say:

  • Az új kolléga dolgozik a főnök mellett.

This typically puts more emphasis on dolgozik (the action of working), as in “it is the new colleague who actually works next to the boss (not just sits, visits, etc.)”, or it might sound slightly less neutral depending on context.

Other possible orders, each with a different nuance:

  • A főnök mellett dolgozik az új kolléga.
    Emphasizes the location: “It’s next to the boss that the new colleague works.”

All of these can be grammatically correct; the focus position (just before the verb) changes what is highlighted.

How would I say “The new colleague is working next to the boss” (progressive) instead of just “works”?

Hungarian does not have a separate “-ing” progressive tense like English. Dolgozik can mean either:

  • “works” (habitual)
  • or “is working” (right now)

Context tells you which one is meant. If you want to clearly show it’s happening right now, you can add an adverb like:

  • éppen – just now, at the moment

So:

  • Az új kolléga éppen a főnök mellett dolgozik.
    = The new colleague is (right now) working next to the boss.
How would I say “The new colleague works next to his boss” instead of “the boss” in general?

To make it clearly “his boss” (the boss of the new colleague), you use a possessive suffix on főnök:

  • a főnöke – his/her boss

So you can say:

  • Az új kolléga a főnöke mellett dolgozik.
    = The new colleague works next to his/her boss.

Note:

  • a főnök – the boss (general, just “the boss”)
  • a főnöke – his/her boss (possessive)
Can I replace a főnök mellett with mellette? For example: Az új kolléga mellette dolgozik.

Yes, mellette is the pronominal form of mellett:

  • mellette = “next to him/her/it”

So:

  • Az új kolléga a főnök mellett dolgozik.
    = The new colleague works next to the boss.

  • Az új kolléga mellette dolgozik.
    = The new colleague works next to him/her.

You can use mellette when it’s already clear from context who “he/she” is. If you need to introduce or identify the person, use the full phrase a főnök mellett.

How do you pronounce the words in this sentence?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA and English hints):

  • Az – /ɒz/ – like “oz” with a short, open “o”
  • új – /uːj/ – long ú, like “oo” in “food” + a short y sound at the end
  • kolléga – /ˈkolléɡɒ/
    • kol (like “kol” in “cola” but shorter)
    • lé (like “lay”)
    • ga with a short “ɒ” (between “a” in “cup” and “o” in “cot”)
  • a – /ɒ/ – same short “a” as in Az
  • főnök – /ˈføːnøk/
    • fő: long ő, similar to French “peu” but longer
    • nök: short ö, like French “peu” but short
  • mellett – /ˈmɛllɛtː/
    • both e as in English “men”
    • double ll and double tt are held slightly longer.

Stress in Hungarian is always on the first syllable of each word:
AZ új KOL-lé-ga a FŐ-nök MEL-lett DOL-go-zik.