Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Mielőtt indulunk, a barátnőm lassan csomagol a bőröndökbe. - Before we leave, my girlfriend slowly packs into the suitcases.

Hungarian uses the simple present very often for future events when the time is clear from context, especially with time expressions or clauses like mielőtt (before), amikor (when), etc.

Mielőtt indulunk literally: Before we leave / Before we are leaving
English often prefers a future: Before we *leave / before we go / before we set off*, but grammatically it feels “future-ish”.

You could use an explicit future (indulni fogunk – we will leave), but in this kind of sentence it sounds heavier and less natural. Mielőtt indulunk is the normal idiomatic form.

Why is there no subject pronoun “we” before indulunk?

In Hungarian, subject pronouns (én, te, ő, mi, ti, ők) are usually omitted, because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

indulunk already means we leave / we are leaving; mi indulunk is only needed for emphasis (like “we are the ones leaving”).
The same applies to csomagol: the subject a barátnőm makes it clear who is packing, so no pronoun is needed.

So the sentence is perfectly complete without mi.

Why is there a comma after indulunk in Mielőtt indulunk, a barátnőm…?

Mielőtt indulunk is a subordinate clause (a dependent clause) introduced by the conjunction mielőtt (before). In Hungarian, such clauses are normally separated from the main clause by a comma.

Mielőtt indulunk, a barátnőm lassan csomagol…
A barátnőm lassan csomagol…, mielőtt indulunk.

In both positions, the mielőtt‑clause gets a comma between it and the main clause. This is a standard punctuation rule in Hungarian.

What is the difference between mielőtt and előtt, and could I say Indulás előtt, a barátnőm…?

mielőtt and előtt are related but used differently:

mielőtt is a conjunction and must be followed by a full clause (with a verb):
- Mielőtt indulunk, a barátnőm csomagol.
  (Before we leave, my girlfriend is packing.)
előtt is a postposition and follows a noun (or verbal noun):
- Indulás előtt a barátnőm csomagol.
  (Before departure, my girlfriend is packing.)

So yes, Indulás előtt a barátnőm lassan csomagol a bőröndökbe is correct and means almost the same, but indulás előtt is more like before the departure (a noun phrase) rather than before we leave (a full clause).

Why does Hungarian use simple present csomagol where English says “is packing”?

Hungarian does not have a separate continuous/progressive tense like English (is packing, are leaving). The simple present is used for:

general truths and repeated actions, and
actions going on right now, including the English present continuous meaning.

So:

a barátnőm lassan csomagol can mean
- my girlfriend slowly packs (habitually), or
- my girlfriend is slowly packing (right now).

Here, the context (“before we leave”) suggests a current, ongoing action, so English speakers naturally translate it with the present continuous, but the Hungarian form is just simple present.

Why do we say a barátnőm and not just barátnőm? And can we say az én barátnőm?

With possessed nouns, Hungarian often uses the definite article:

a barátnőm – my girlfriend
a házam – my house

But the article is not absolutely required; barátnőm on its own is also possible. The version with a usually sounds a bit more neutral and complete in a full sentence, especially when introducing or referring to a specific person.

You can also say az én barátnőm, but:

az én barátnőm puts emphasis on én (my girlfriend, as opposed to someone else’s), so it can sound contrastive.
In a neutral sentence like yours, a barátnőm is the most usual choice.

How is barátnőm formed, and what does the -m ending mean?

barátnőm breaks down as:

barát – friend
nő – woman
→ barátnő – girlfriend (or female friend, depending on context)
-m – 1st person singular possessive ending (my).

So barátnőm literally means my (female) friend, typically understood as my girlfriend in modern usage, especially in this kind of context.

Why is csomagol in the indefinite conjugation and not csomagolja?

Hungarian verbs have indefinite and definite conjugations, depending on the direct object:

Use indefinite when:
- there is no direct object, or
- the object is indefinite/unspecified.
Use definite when:
- the object is definite (usually with a/az, ez/az, possessive, etc.).

In your sentence, csomagol has no direct object expressed:

a barátnőm lassan csomagol a bőröndökbe
(my girlfriend is slowly packing into the suitcases) – we don’t know what she is packing; there is no direct object, only a direction (a bőröndökbe).

If you add a definite object, you must switch to definite conjugation:

A barátnőm lassan csomagolja a bőröndöket.
(My girlfriend is slowly packing the suitcases.)

What is the difference between csomagol and pakol for “to pack”?

Both csomagol and pakol can mean to pack, and in many everyday contexts they are interchangeable:

Csomagolok a nyaralásra.
Pakolok a nyaralásra.
(I’m packing for the holiday.)

Nuances:

csomagol can more strongly suggest putting things into some kind of package: suitcase, box, wrapping, etc.
pakol is a bit more general: to pack, tidy up, move things around, put things away.

In csomagol a bőröndökbe, both verbs would work, but csomagol is very natural when focusing on putting things into bags or suitcases.

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

bőröndökbe breaks down as:

bőrönd – suitcase
-ök – plural marker → bőröndök – suitcases
-be – illative case: into (interior direction)

So bőröndökbe means into (the) suitcases.
With the article:

a bőröndökbe – into the suitcases.

Why is it bőröndökbe (into the suitcases) and not bőröndökben (in the suitcases)?

Hungarian distinguishes between:

-ba / -be – movement into something (illative case):
- a bőröndökbe – into the suitcases
-ban / -ben – location inside something (inessive case):
- a bőröndökben – in the suitcases

Since the action is packing into the suitcases (movement towards the inside), -be is the correct suffix. If you were talking about something already being inside them, you would use -ban/‑ben instead.

Can the word order change, for example A barátnőm lassan a bőröndökbe csomagol, mielőtt indulunk?

Yes, Hungarian word order is flexible, and several variants are possible and correct, with small differences in emphasis:

Mielőtt indulunk, a barátnőm lassan csomagol a bőröndökbe.
– neutral, focus on the action csomagol and its manner lassan.
Mielőtt indulunk, a barátnőm lassan a bőröndökbe csomagol.
– slightly more emphasis on a bőröndökbe (it’s into the suitcases that she’s slowly packing).
A barátnőm lassan csomagol a bőröndökbe, mielőtt indulunk.
– starts with a barátnőm, focusing first on who is doing the action.

All of these are grammatical; the choice depends on what you want to highlight.

Could we also say Mielőtt elindulunk instead of Mielőtt indulunk?

Yes, Mielőtt elindulunk is also correct.

indul – to start, to leave, to depart.
elindul – the same basic meaning, but el- is a verbal prefix that often adds the nuance of setting off, away from here.

In everyday speech, indulunk and elindulunk can both mean we leave / we set off. In your sentence, Mielőtt indulunk… and Mielőtt elindulunk… are both natural; elindulunk can feel a bit more vivid, like the actual physical act of starting the journey.