Log inSign up

A tanár holnap korán érkezik a könyvtárba.

A tanár holnap korán érkezik a könyvtárba.
The teacher will arrive at the library early tomorrow.

Breakdown of A tanár holnap korán érkezik a könyvtárba.

holnap
tomorrow
könyvtár
the library
korán
early
-ba
to
érkezni
to arrive
tanár
teacher
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 tanár holnap korán érkezik a könyvtárba.

Why is a used twice ( A tanár… a könyvtárba )? Isn’t that “the” two times?

Hungarian uses the definite article a / az much like English the, and you use it separately with each definite noun phrase:

  • A tanár = the teacher
  • a könyvtárba = to/into the library

So using it twice is normal because there are two separate definite nouns.
Also, a becomes az before a vowel sound (e.g., az iskola = the school), but here both nouns start with consonants, so a is correct both times.

Why is the verb in present tense (érkezik) if the sentence talks about tomorrow?

Hungarian often uses the present tense for a planned/scheduled future, especially with a time word like holnap (tomorrow).
So holnap … érkezik can mean arrives tomorrow / will arrive tomorrow. If you want to be more explicit, you can also use a future construction (e.g., fog), but it’s not required here.

What does érkezik mean exactly, and how is it different from jön?

érkezik means arrive (focus on reaching the destination).
jön means come (focus on movement toward the speaker or a reference point).

So:

  • érkezik a könyvtárba = arrives at/into the library (arrival-focused)
  • jön a könyvtárba = comes to the library (movement-focused)
What does -ba in könyvtárba mean? Why not a separate word like “to”?

Hungarian uses case endings instead of prepositions in many situations.
-ba / -be is the illative case, meaning into (movement into an interior space):

  • könyvtár = library
  • könyvtárba = into the library (often translated as “to the library” in English)

If you mean being in the library (no movement), you’d use -ban/-ben:

  • a könyvtárban = in the library
Why is it könyvtárba (with -ba) and not könyvtárbe?

This is vowel harmony. The illative ending has two forms:

  • -ba (back-vowel version)
  • -be (front-vowel version)

könyvtár takes the back-vowel version: könyvtárba. Some words with mixed vowels still select one “side” by convention, and könyvtár is one that takes -ba.

Is the word order fixed? Could I move holnap or korán elsewhere?

Hungarian word order is flexible and often shows what is emphasized. The neutral, natural order here is fine:

  • A tanár holnap korán érkezik a könyvtárba.

But you can move elements to highlight them. For example:

  • Holnap érkezik korán a tanár a könyvtárba. = emphasis on tomorrow
  • Korán érkezik holnap a tanár a könyvtárba. = emphasis on early

The meaning stays similar, but the focus shifts.

Can Hungarian drop the subject like Spanish does? Do we need A tanár?

Yes—Hungarian often omits the subject if it’s clear from context. You can say:

  • Holnap korán érkezik a könyvtárba. = (He/She) arrives early tomorrow at the library.

Including A tanár makes the subject explicit or helps set the topic.

Why is it érkezik and not something like érkez?

The dictionary form is érkezik, an -ik verb (a verb class that historically ends in -ik in 3rd person singular).
In 3rd person singular present, you keep -ik:

  • (ő) érkezik = he/she arrives

Other persons change more noticeably (e.g., érkezem = I arrive), but 3rd singular stays érkezik.

Would Hungarians also say megérkezik here? What’s the difference?

Yes, megérkezik is very common and means arrive (successfully / finally / as a completed event).

  • érkezik = arrives (neutral)
  • megérkezik = arrives, with a stronger sense of “getting there / completion”

Both can work in this sentence; megérkezik can sound a bit more “complete” or event-like.

How would I turn this sentence into a yes/no question?

Often you just use intonation (rising tone), keeping the same word order:

  • A tanár holnap korán érkezik a könyvtárba? = Is the teacher arriving early tomorrow at the library?

You can also front what you’re asking about for emphasis:

  • Holnap korán érkezik a tanár a könyvtárba? = Is it tomorrow that the teacher arrives early…?
How do I negate it?

Use nem (not) before the verb (or before the verb+prefix unit, if there is a prefix):

  • A tanár holnap nem érkezik korán a könyvtárba. = The teacher is not arriving early tomorrow at the library.

If you used megérkezik, then:

  • nem érkezik meg (the prefix meg- typically moves after the verb under negation)
If I want “to the library” (not necessarily “into”), is -ba still the best choice?

For places like library, Hungarian commonly treats them as “inside-spaces,” so -ba/-be is very natural and often corresponds to English to. But you can choose other endings depending on meaning:

  • a könyvtárba = into the library (very common for “to the library”)
  • a könyvtárhoz = to the library (to the area/near it, not necessarily inside)
  • a könyvtárban = in the library (location, not motion)

So -ba is usually the default if the destination is the interior.