Breakdown of Ma a szülő programja az, hogy a gyerekkel a parkban sétál.
Questions & Answers about Ma a szülő programja az, hogy a gyerekkel a parkban sétál.
„programja” comes from „program” (program, schedule, plan) + the possessive ending -ja.
- program = program / schedule / plan
- program-ja = his/her/its program / the program of X
So „a szülő programja” literally means „the parent’s program”, i.e. what the parent has planned / what is on the parent’s agenda.
In everyday Hungarian, „program” in this kind of sentence is often best translated as „plan” rather than “TV program” or “software program”.
Both are possible, but the nuance is slightly different:
„a szülő programja”
– neutral, simple noun + possessed noun: the parent’s plan.„a szülőnek a programja”
– adds -nak/-nek (dative) to the possessor and usually stresses the possessor a bit more, like:
it’s the parent’s plan (as opposed to someone else’s).
In your sentence, the simpler „a szülő programja” is perfectly natural and neutral.
In Hungarian, in the 3rd person singular present tense, the verb „van” (to be) is normally omitted when it links a subject to a noun or an adjective.
So underneath:
- „Ma a szülő programja az, hogy …”
is essentially - „Ma a szülő programja [van] az, hogy …”
The verb „van” is understood and not written or spoken here, which is standard Hungarian grammar.
The structure „az, hogy …” works like English „the fact that … / the thing that …”.
- „az” = that (thing)
- „hogy” = that (introducing a clause)
So in:
- „Ma a szülő programja az, hogy a gyerekkel a parkban sétál.”
we can think of it as:
- „The parent’s plan today is that (the thing that) he/she walks with the child in the park.”
Hungarian tends to keep the „az” before a „hogy”-clause when that clause is the definition or content of something:
- „A probléma az, hogy nincs időnk.”
The problem is that we have no time.
Leaving out „az” here usually sounds wrong or very unnatural in standard Hungarian.
In Hungarian, you normally put a comma before „hogy” when it introduces a subordinate clause, similar to English:
- „Azt mondta, hogy eljön.” – He said that he would come.
Your sentence:
- „Ma a szülő programja az, hogy a gyerekkel a parkban sétál.”
has a main clause: „Ma a szülő programja az”
and a subordinate clause: „hogy a gyerekkel a parkban sétál.”
So the comma before „hogy” is grammatically required here.
The suffix „-val/-vel” expresses “with” (comitative/instrumental case).
- gyerek = child
- gyerek + -vel → gyerekkel = with the child
It can mean:
“together with someone”
- „Anyu a gyerekkel megy a parkba.” – Mum is going to the park with the child.
“using something” (instrumental)
- „Villával eszem.” – I eat with a fork.
In your sentence, „a gyerekkel” clearly means “together with the child”.
This is due to assimilation with the suffix „-val/-vel”.
Rule of thumb:
- Take the noun: gyerek
- Add -val/-vel according to vowel harmony (gyerek → back vowel → -val underlyingly)
- The v of -val/-vel assimilates to the last consonant of the stem, and that consonant is doubled.
Steps:
- gyerek + val
- k + v merge → kk
- Result: gyerekkal, but because of vowel harmony and standardization, the correct form is gyerekkel.
More examples:
- kéz + vel → kézzel (with the hand)
- híd + val → híddal (with the bridge, theoretically)
- kulcs + val → kulccsal (with the key)
So „gyerekvel” is incorrect; „gyerekkel” is the proper assimilated form.
Hungarian usually uses the definite article („a/az”) similarly to English „the” when a specific person or thing is meant.
- „gyerekkel” alone suggests with a child (some child, not specific).
- „a gyerekkel” is with the child – a child that is already known from context (for example, their own child).
In your sentence, the context clearly suggests a specific child, so „a gyerekkel” is the natural choice.
The endings „-ban/-ben” and „-ba/-be” are different cases:
„-ban/-ben” = in (inside a place, static location)
- „a parkban” – in the park
„-ba/-be” = into / to (movement towards the inside)
- „a parkba megy” – goes to/into the park
In your sentence:
- „a parkban sétál” = walks in the park (the walking takes place inside the park).
If you said „a parkba sétál”, it would emphasise the movement into the park (walking to the park), not walking around inside it.
This is about vowel harmony:
The suffix „-ban/-ben” has two forms:
- „-ban” after back vowels (a, á, o, ó, u, ú)
- „-ben” after front vowels (e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű)
The word „park” contains „a”, a back vowel, so we choose „-ban”:
- park + ban → parkban
If the word had front vowels, we would use „-ben”, e.g.:
- „kert + ben → kertben” (in the garden)
Yes, Hungarian word order is relatively flexible, and both are grammatical:
- „a gyerekkel a parkban sétál”
- „a parkban sétál a gyerekkel”
The difference is emphasis and information structure, not basic meaning.
Very roughly:
„a gyerekkel a parkban sétál”
– slightly more neutral; we first hear with whom, then where.„a parkban sétál a gyerekkel”
– puts a bit more focus on „a parkban” (in the park), then adds „a gyerekkel” (with the child).
In everyday speech, both versions would be understood as essentially the same: he/she walks in the park with the child.
Hungarian very often uses the simple present tense to talk about the near future, especially when there is a time expression like „ma” (today), „holnap” (tomorrow), etc.
So:
- „Ma a szülő programja az, hogy a gyerekkel a parkban sétál.”
literally: Today the parent’s plan is that he/she walks with the child in the park.
natural English: The parent’s plan for today is to walk with the child in the park.
Other examples:
- „Holnap moziba megyek.” – I’m going to the cinema tomorrow.
- „Este találkozunk.” – We’ll meet in the evening.
You could also express future in Hungarian more explicitly (e.g. „fog sétálni”), but in this context the simple present „sétál” is completely normal.
Grammatically, the subject of „sétál” is a 3rd person singular (he/she/it) that is not explicitly stated. In context, it naturally refers back to „a szülő” (the parent) from the main clause.
So the understood subject is:
- (A szülő) a gyerekkel a parkban sétál.
The parent walks with the child in the park.
„a gyerekkel” is not the subject; it is an accompaniment (with whom) marked by „-val/-vel”. The child is the companion, not the walker in grammatical terms, even though in real life both will be walking.