Miután feladom a csomagot a postán, kérek nyugtát.

After I send the package at the post office, I ask for a receipt.

Breakdown of Miután feladom a csomagot a postán, kérek nyugtát.

• én: I
• kérni: to ask for
• -n: at
• miután: after
• feladni: to send (by post)
• csomag: package
• posta: post office
• nyugta: receipt

Questions & Answers about Miután feladom a csomagot a postán, kérek nyugtát.

Why does the sentence start with Miután, and what does it do grammatically?

Miután means after and introduces a subordinate time clause: Miután feladom a csomagot a postán = After I mail the package at the post office.
It sets up the timing for the main clause kérek nyugtát = I ask for a receipt. Hungarian typically separates this kind of introductory subordinate clause from the main clause with a comma.

Why is there a comma after postán?

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause (Miután …), and Hungarian uses a comma to separate that clause from the main clause:

• Miután …, kérek …
  This is standard punctuation in Hungarian (similar to English when you front the dependent clause).

Why is it feladom and not feladok?

Because feladom is the definite conjugation (also called “objective”) and it’s used when the verb has a definite direct object—here a csomagot (the package).

• feladom a csomagot = I mail the package
  If it were indefinite (like a package), you’d typically use the indefinite conjugation:
• feladok egy csomagot = I mail a package

But then why is it kérek and not kérem?

Here the object nyugtát is understood as a receipt (not a specific, known one), so Hungarian treats it as indefinite, and the verb stays indefinite: kérek.
If you meant the receipt (a particular one you’re expecting), you could use definite conjugation:

• kérem a nyugtát = I ask for the receipt

What is the -t ending in csomagot and nyugtát?

The -t marks the accusative case, i.e., the direct object of the verb.

• a csomag → a csomagot = the package (as an object)
• nyugta → nyugtát = a receipt (as an object)
  You’ll often also see small linking vowels before -t (like -o- in csomagot) depending on pronunciation patterns.

Why does it say a postán—what case is that, and why not something like a postában or a postánál?

postán is posta + -n (the superessive), literally something like on/at the post office. Hungarian often uses this “on/at” location ending with institutions and services:

• postán = at the post office
  Other options change the nuance:
• a postában (inessive) = inside the post office (less common for this general meaning)
• a postánál (adessive) = at/by the post office (often outside / near it)

Why is the subject I not written anywhere?

Hungarian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person/number:

• feladom = I mail
• kérek = I ask
  You could add én (I) for emphasis/contrast, but it’s normally unnecessary.

Why are the verbs in present tense (feladom, kérek) if the meaning is about the future (after I do X, I’ll do Y)?

Hungarian often uses the present tense to talk about planned or near-future actions, especially in time clauses and sequences like this.
So Miután feladom…, kérek… can naturally mean After I mail it, I’ll ask… in a future sense, depending on context.

Does felad mean “give up”? I’ve seen that meaning in dictionaries.

Yes, felad can mean give up, but with postal contexts it very commonly means to mail / to send (at the post office):

• feladom a csomagot = I mail the package
  Context (and the object csomag
  • postán) makes the postal meaning unambiguous here.

Could the word order be changed, like Nyugtát kérek or A postán adom fel?

Yes. Hungarian word order is flexible and often reflects what you want to emphasize.

• Nyugtát kérek. emphasizes receipt (that’s what you want)
• A postán adom fel a csomagot. emphasizes at the post office (location)
  The original is a neutral, natural order for this meaning.

What’s the difference between nyugta and számla? Should I ask for nyugtát at a post office?

• nyugta = receipt (proof of payment; common in everyday purchases)
• számla = invoice (more formal; often needed for businesses/tax)
  At a post office, nyugtát is a normal request if you just want a receipt. If you specifically need an invoice, you’d ask for számlát.