Ma megnézem a bankszámlámat a számítógépen.

Today I check my bank account on the computer.

Breakdown of Ma megnézem a bankszámlámat a számítógépen.

• ma: today
• -m: my
• megnézni: to check
• -en: on
• számítógép: the computer
• bankszámla: the bank account

Questions & Answers about Ma megnézem a bankszámlámat a számítógépen.

Why does megnézem look like present tense if the meaning is future (Today I will…)?

Hungarian often uses the present tense to talk about near future plans, especially with a time word like ma (today).
So Ma megnézem… is natural and commonly means Today I’m going to check/look at….
If you want to be extra explicit, you can also say Ma meg fogom nézni… (I will check…) or Ma megnézem majd… (I’ll check later today).

What does the prefix meg- add to nézem?

néz = to look, watch
megnéz = to look at something / check something (often implying doing it as a complete action, “have a look / check it”).
In this sentence, megnézem fits the “check” meaning well (e.g., checking your balance or account info).

Why is it megnézem (ending in -em) and not megnézek?

Because Hungarian verbs have two main conjugations: indefinite and definite.
You use the definite conjugation when the direct object is definite/specific (has a/az, a pronoun like it, a name, etc.).

Here the object is a bankszámlámat (the/my bank account), which is definite, so you get:

• megnézem = I check it (definite) not
• megnézek = I check (something) (indefinite)

How is bankszámlámat built? Why is it so long?

It stacks meaning in one word:

• bankszámla = bank account
• bankszámlám = my bank account (-m = my)
• bankszámlámat = my bank account (as a direct object) (-t = accusative)

So: bankszámla + -m + -t → bankszámlámat.

What exactly does the -t at the end of bankszámlámat do?

-t marks the accusative case, i.e., the direct object of the verb (what you are checking).
So megnézem (what?) a bankszámlámat.

Why is there still an article a before bankszámlámat if it already means “my bank account”?

In Hungarian it’s normal (and very common) to use the definite article even with possessed nouns:

• a bankszámlám = my bank account
• a bankszámlámat = my bank account (object form)

It signals definiteness (a specific account), and it also matches the verb’s definite conjugation (megnézem).

Why is it a számítógépen and not something like “in the computer”?

Hungarian uses cases to express location:

• számítógép = computer
• számítógépen = on/at the computer (Superessive case: -on/-en/-ön)

In English we say “on the computer” meaning “using the computer,” and Hungarian expresses that with -on/-en/-ön as well.

How do I know it should be -en in számítógépen?

The “on” case has forms -on / -en / -ön, and the choice depends mostly on vowel harmony and word shape. For számítógép, the natural form is:

• számítógép + -en → számítógépen

You’ll learn many of these as standard pairings (like telefonon, interneten, gépen).

Does a számítógépen mean “on the (specific) computer”? What if I just mean “on a computer”?

Yes: a számítógépen typically suggests a specific/known computer (e.g., your computer).
If you mean it more generally, you can say simply:

• számítógépen = on a computer / using a computer (general)

Both are possible; the article adds specificity.

Why is the word order Ma megnézem a bankszámlámat a számítógépen? Can I move things around?

Hungarian word order is flexible and mainly reflects focus/emphasis.

Neutral, natural:

• Ma megnézem a bankszámlámat a számítógépen. (Today I’ll check my bank account on the computer.)

If you want to emphasize “my bank account” (not something else), you might say:

• Ma a bankszámlámat nézem meg a számítógépen.
  Notice how the prefix can separate: nézem meg.

Why is meg- attached in megnézem here, but sometimes separated (like nézem meg)?

In a neutral statement, the prefix often stays attached: megnézem.
But if something else is put into focus, or in questions/negation, the prefix commonly moves:

• Focus: A bankszámlámat nézem meg. (It’s my bank account that I’m checking.)
• Negation: Nem nézem meg. (I’m not checking it.) So separation is a normal grammar pattern, not a different verb.

Do I need to say én (I) anywhere?

Usually no. The verb ending already shows the subject:

• megnézem = I check / I’ll check

You can add én only for emphasis or contrast:

• Én megnézem, de ő nem. (I will check it, but he/she won’t.)