Log inSign up

A pénztáros nyugtát ad.

A pénztáros nyugtát ad.
The cashier gives a receipt.

Breakdown of A pénztáros nyugtát ad.

adni
to give
nyugta
the receipt
pénztáros
the cashier
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Hungarian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Hungarian now

Questions & Answers about A pénztáros nyugtát ad.

Why does the sentence start with A pénztáros—what does a mean here?

A is the definite article (the). So A pénztáros means the cashier (a specific cashier in the situation, e.g., the one at the counter). Hungarian uses a/az much like English the.

How do I know whether to use a or az?

It depends on the next word’s first sound:

  • a before consonant sounds: a pénztáros
  • az before vowel sounds: az eladó, az alma

(“Vowel sound” matters, not spelling.)

Hungarian has no word for a/an here—shouldn’t it be a cashier?

Hungarian does have an indefinite article: egy (a/an/one). But it’s often omitted if it’s not important.

  • A pénztáros nyugtát ad. = general statement about what the cashier gives
  • A pénztáros egy nyugtát ad. = emphasizes one receipt / “a receipt (as one item)”

So leaving out egy is normal.

Why is nyugta changed to nyugtát?

Because it’s the direct object of the verb ad (to give), and direct objects usually take the accusative ending -t.

Also, nouns ending in -a/-e usually lengthen that vowel before -t:

  • nyugta → nyugtát
  • (similar pattern: alma → almát)
Why is there no article before nyugtát?

Because Hungarian can express an indefinite object without an article, especially with things like “give / buy / have”:

  • nyugtát ad ≈ “gives (a) receipt”

If you want to make it definite, you can say:

  • A pénztáros a nyugtát adja. = “The cashier gives the receipt.” (specific receipt)
Why is the verb ad and not something like adja?

Hungarian has two main verb conjugations in the present tense:

  • indefinite (when the object is indefinite/unspecified): ad
  • definite (when the object is definite/specific): adja

Here the object is nyugtát (indefinite), so ad is used. Compare:

  • Nyugtát ad. = gives a receipt (some receipt)
  • A nyugtát adja. = gives the receipt (that specific one)
Who is receiving the receipt? The sentence doesn’t say.

Hungarian can omit the recipient if it’s obvious from context. If you want to include it, you typically use:

  • nekem/neked/neki… (to me/you/him/her…)
  • or a noun in the dative: a vevőnek (to the customer)

Examples:

  • A pénztáros nyugtát ad nekem.
  • A pénztáros nyugtát ad a vevőnek.
Is Hungarian word order fixed here, or can it change?

It can change a lot, and changes usually add focus/emphasis rather than changing basic meaning.

Common variants:

  • A pénztáros nyugtát ad. (neutral)
  • Nyugtát ad a pénztáros. (emphasizes receipt—that’s what is being given)
  • A pénztáros ad nyugtát. (emphasizes the cashier as the one doing it)
Does pénztáros indicate male or female?

No. Hungarian nouns generally don’t have grammatical gender, so pénztáros can refer to a cashier of any gender. If you really need to specify, Hungarian typically uses extra words or context, not noun gender.

Anything important about pronunciation/spelling in this sentence?

Yes—vowel length matters:

  • pénztáros has é and á
  • nyugtát has á

Long vowels (á, é) are different sounds from short ones (a, e) and can distinguish words/forms. Also, Hungarian stress is usually on the first syllable: PÉNZ-tá-ros, NYUG-tát, AD.