Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A film hamarosan elkezdődik.

This is grammatically correct but sounds heavier and more formal. In everyday speech, the simple present elkezdődik is completely natural for this meaning.

What exactly does elkezdődik mean, and how is it built?

Elkezdődik is a 3rd person singular verb form. You can break it down like this:

kezd – root verb: “to begin, to start (something)”
el- – verbal prefix: marks the start or completion of the action
-ődik – ending that turns it into an intransitive “to get started / to begin” type of verb

Infinitive: elkezdődni – “to get started, to begin”

So:

Elkezdik a filmet. – “They start the film.” (someone is actively starting it)
A film elkezdődik. – “The film starts / gets started.” (the film itself begins; no explicit “they”)

In your sentence, elkezdődik agrees with a film (3rd person singular).

Why is it elkezdődik and not elkezd in this sentence?

Because:

elkezdeni = “to start something” (transitive)
elkezdődni = “to get started, to begin” (intransitive)

Examples:

Elkezdem a filmet. – “I start the film.”
(someone starts it, object = a filmet)
A film elkezdődik. – “The film starts.”
(no doer expressed; the film is simply beginning)

So A film hamarosan elkezd. is wrong in normal Hungarian. The subject film needs an intransitive form: elkezdődik or kezdődik.

What is the difference between elkezdődik and kezdődik?

Both can be used for things that start:

A film hamarosan kezdődik.
A film hamarosan elkezdődik.

Both are understandable and natural.

Subtle points:

kezdődik: neutral “begins, starts”
elkezdődik: slightly more marked for “the beginning actually gets underway”, thanks to the prefix el-, which often adds a sense of inception / completion.

In practice, many speakers use them almost interchangeably in sentences like this. You don’t need el- here for grammar; it’s more about nuance and style.

What does the prefix el- add to the meaning?

In many Hungarian verbs, el-:

marks the start of an action (inchoative)
or adds a “do it to some extent / away / off” sense
often gives a perfective feeling (a bounded, complete event)

With kezdeni:

kezdeni – to begin
elkezdeni – to set about beginning / to start (up) something
kezdődni – to begin (intransitive)
elkezdődni – to get started / to begin (intransitive, with more explicit sense of “it gets going”)

In A film hamarosan elkezdődik, el- focuses on the start of the event: the film is about to get going.

Why does the verb end in -dik? Is elkezdődik an -ik verb?

Yes, elkezdődik belongs to the group traditionally called -ik verbs, because their 3rd person singular indefinite present ends in -ik (here: -ődik).

Key points:

The base pattern: történik (“it happens”), alszik (“he/she sleeps”), etc.
These verbs often have some special forms in the 1st person singular, e.g.
alszom (not alszok in standard language), történem is rare, though.

For elkezdődik you almost only ever use it in 3rd person (things “begin, get started”), so practically you just need to recognize that -ődik marks this type of intransitive, “event-happens” form.

The exact paradigm is less important at beginner level; just memorize elkezdődik as “(it) starts / gets started.”

What exactly does hamarosan mean? Is it the same as “soon”?

Hamarosan is an adverb and corresponds well to “soon” or “in a short time.”

Morphology:

hamar – early, soon, quickly
-osan – adverb-forming suffix (like English -ly in many cases)

So hamarosan literally: “in a soon/quick way → soon.”

Some near-synonyms and rough feel:

hamarosan – soon (fairly neutral)
mindjárt – any minute now, very soon
nem sokára / nemsokára – not in a long time, soon
rögtön – immediately, right away

In your sentence, hamarosan is a good, neutral way to say “soon.”

Can the position of hamarosan change? For example: Hamarosan elkezdődik a film.

Yes, Hungarian word order is relatively flexible, and adverbs like hamarosan can move.

Some natural possibilities:

A film hamarosan elkezdődik.
– Neutral: “The film will start soon.” (topic = the film)
Hamarosan elkezdődik a film.
– Emphasis on “soon”: “Soon, the film will start.”
This is very natural in speech, especially if you’re answering “When?”
A film elkezdődik hamarosan.
– Possible, but less neutral; can sound more marked or poetic.

In everyday usage, (1) and (2) are the most common and safest choices.

Why is the article A used here? Could we leave it out?

Hungarian normally requires an article before a singular countable noun when you’re talking about a specific instance:

A film hamarosan elkezdődik. – “The film will start soon.”

If you remove the article:

Film hamarosan elkezdődik. – This sounds like a headline or very telegraphic style, not normal full-sentence Hungarian.

You would omit the article mainly:

in headlines
in notes, labels, or very clipped style

So in normal conversation or narrative, keep the article: A film…

Why is it A film and not Az film? When do we use a vs az?

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

a – used before consonant sounds
e.g. a film, a ház, a mozi
az – used before vowel sounds
e.g. az alma, az idő, az autó

Since film starts with f, a consonant, the correct article is a:

A film hamarosan elkezdődik.

If the noun started with a vowel, you’d say:

Az előadás hamarosan elkezdődik. – “The performance will start soon.”

Could we say Egy film hamarosan elkezdődik? What would that mean?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

A film hamarosan elkezdődik.
→ “The film will start soon.”
A specific film that both speaker and listener know about.
Egy film hamarosan elkezdődik.
→ “A film will start soon.”
Some film, not specified which one. This is less typical in a cinema context; you almost always mean a particular film.

In real situations (e.g. in a cinema, at home with the TV), A film… is what you want.

How do you pronounce A film hamarosan elkezdődik?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA):

A film hamarosan elkezdődik
/ɒ film hɒmɒroʃɒn ɛlkɛzdøːdik/

Key points:

Stress is always on the first syllable of each word:
- A film hamarosan elkezdődik
Vowels:
- a in a, hamarosan → /ɒ/ (a back, open vowel, like a “dark a”)
- e in elkezdődik → /ɛ/ (as in “bed,” but a bit more open)
- ő in elkezdődik → a long, front rounded vowel /øː/ (similar to German ö in schön, but long)
Consonants:
- s in Hungarian is /ʃ/ like English sh.
  So hamarosan is pronounced hamaro-shan.
- film is pronounced roughly as in English.

Spoken smoothly, it’s something like: [A film HA-ma-ro-shan EL-kez-dő-dik].

How would you negate this sentence?

When you negate a verb with a prefix like el-, the prefix usually moves after the verb.

Affirmative:

A film hamarosan elkezdődik.

Natural negation:

A film nem kezdődik el hamarosan.
→ “The film will not start soon.”

Compare:

elkezdődik → nem kezdődik el

You could also move hamarosan a bit:

A film hamarosan nem kezdődik el.

This is possible but tends to suggest a contrast like “It doesn’t start soon (but later).”
The safest, neutral negative is A film nem kezdődik el hamarosan.

Are there other common ways to say the same thing in Hungarian?

Yes, some very natural alternatives are:

Mindjárt kezdődik a film.
– “The film is about to start / will start any minute.”
Nemsokára kezdődik a film.
– “The film will start soon.”
Rövidesen kezdődik a film.
– “The film will start shortly.” (a bit more formal)

Notice that in these versions, speakers often drop the el- and just say kezdődik; this is perfectly fine and very common.