Először vizet iszom, majd kávét iszom.

First I drink water, then I drink coffee.

Breakdown of Először vizet iszom, majd kávét iszom.

• én: I
• víz: the water
• majd: then
• inni: to drink
• kávé: the coffee
• először: first

Questions & Answers about Először vizet iszom, majd kávét iszom.

Why are vizet and kávét ending in -t?

Because they are in the accusative case, marking them as the direct objects of the verb iszom (I drink).

• víz (water) → vizet (water + ACC)
• kávé (coffee) → kávét (coffee + ACC)
  Hungarian usually marks the direct object explicitly, unlike English.

Why is it vizet but the base word is víz? Where did the long í go?

In the accusative, víz becomes vizet (not vízt), and the vowel changes length: í → i. This is a common irregular-ish pattern with some short words. You can think of vizet as the standard accusative form you simply learn as a pair with víz.

Why is there no article like a/az (the) or egy (a/an)?

Hungarian often omits articles when speaking generally:

• vizet iszom = I drink (some) water / I’m drinking water (in general)
• kávét iszom = I drink (some) coffee
  If you mean a specific one, you might use an article:
• Először a vizet iszom meg, majd a kávét. = First I drink the water (the one we’re talking about), then the coffee.

Why is the verb repeated? Could you say it without repeating iszom?

Yes, repetition is optional. These are all possible:

• Először vizet iszom, majd kávét iszom. (fully explicit)
• Először vizet, majd kávét iszom. (very natural; one verb at the end)
• Először vizet iszom, majd kávét. (also natural in context)
  Repeating the verb just makes each clause stand alone more clearly.

What does először mean exactly? Is it “first” or “at first”?

Először means first / firstly in a sequence of actions: “first (I do X), then (I do Y).”
For English at first (meaning “initially, but later it changed”), Hungarian often uses először …, aztán … too, but the context usually shows the “but later” contrast, or you may add something like de később (but later).

What’s the difference between majd and aztán here?

Both can mean then in everyday Hungarian.

• majd is slightly more “next/after that,” and can also imply “later/on a later occasion” depending on context.
• aztán is very common in spoken language and is often a straightforward “then.”
  In this sentence, both work: Először …, aztán …

Is the comma necessary?

It’s standard and recommended because you have two clauses:

• Először vizet iszom, majd kávét iszom.
  You’ll often see a comma before majd when it connects two clauses like this.

Why is it iszom and not iszok?

Because the verb iszik (to drink) is irregular in the 1st person singular:

• (én) iszom = I drink / I am drinking
  Many verbs use -ok/-ek/-ök in 1st person singular (like olvasok = I read), but iszik specifically uses iszom.

Does iszom here mean “I drink (habitually)” or “I am drinking (right now)”?

It can mean either, because Hungarian present tense covers both:

• habitual: “First I drink water, then coffee.” (as a routine)
• right now / planned sequence: “First I’m drinking water, then I’m drinking coffee.”
  Context (time words, situation) tells you which one is meant.

How flexible is the word order? Could I say Iszom vizet?

Hungarian word order is flexible, but it changes focus/emphasis:

• Vizet iszom. = It’s water that I’m drinking (water is in focus)
• Iszom vizet. = I’m drinking water (more neutral, more about the action)
• Először vizet iszom… is natural because először sets up the sequence and vizet is the focused choice.

How do you pronounce the tricky parts (Először, kávét)?

Key points:

• Először: the ő is a long, rounded vowel (roughly like a long “ö”). Stress is on the first syllable: E-lő-ször.
• kávét: the á is a long a; the é is a long “ay”-like vowel. Stress on the first syllable: KÁ-vét.
• Hungarian stress is almost always on the first syllable of the word.