A lámpa fel van kapcsolva, de a tévé le van kapcsolva.

A is the Hungarian definite article, equivalent to the in English.

• a lámpa = the lamp / the light
• a tévé = the TV

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before consonant sounds
• az before vowel sounds

Since lámpa and tévé both begin with consonant sounds, you use a.

Yes, lámpa literally means lamp, but in everyday Hungarian it is also commonly used where English would often say light.

So in a sentence like this, A lámpa fel van kapcsolva is very naturally understood as The light is on.

English and Hungarian divide this vocabulary a little differently:

• English often focuses on the light
• Hungarian often uses lámpa for the fixture/device being switched

Kapcsolva is a verbal form based on kapcsol(ni), which in this context is related to switching or turning something on/off.

In fel van kapcsolva / le van kapcsolva, kapcsolva helps form a state expression:

• fel van kapcsolva = is switched on
• le van kapcsolva = is switched off

So kapcsolva by itself is not the full meaning. The prefix (fel or le) is crucial.

These are verbal prefixes, and they change the meaning of the verb.

Here:

• fel kapcsol = switch on
• le kapcsol = switch off

Literally, fel means up and le means down, but you should learn these combinations as fixed expressions.

For lights especially, Hungarian very often uses:

• felkapcsolni a lámpát = to turn the light on
• lekapcsolni a lámpát = to turn the light off

So fel van kapcsolva and le van kapcsolva describe the resulting state.

Van is the 3rd person singular form of lenni (to be), meaning is here.

So:

• fel van kapcsolva = is switched on
• le van kapcsolva = is switched off

It appears in both clauses because each clause has its own predicate:

• A lámpa fel van kapcsolva
• a tévé le van kapcsolva

Even though English might sometimes avoid repeating is, Hungarian normally keeps the full structure in both halves.

It is similar in meaning to an English passive like is switched on/off, but Hungarian does not use a normal English-style passive here.

Instead, this is better understood as a state/result construction:

• something has been switched on, and now it is in that state
• something has been switched off, and now it is in that state

So fel van kapcsolva means something like:

• is in the switched-on state

and le van kapcsolva means:

• is in the switched-off state

This is a very common way to describe states in Hungarian.

Because that is not the normal way to express this idea.

Hungarian typically uses:

• fel van kapcsolva
• le van kapcsolva

to describe the state of something after it has been switched on or off.

The combination van + -va/-ve form is what creates the natural expression here. Without van, the sentence would sound incomplete or unnatural in standard Hungarian.

Great question. Yes, in Hungarian the present-tense copula is often omitted in 3rd person singular:

• A lámpa nagy. = The lamp is big.
• A tévé új. = The TV is new.

But this sentence is different. Fel van kapcsolva is not a simple adjective like nagy or új. It is a special construction with van + -va/-ve.

So you need van here:

• A lámpa fel van kapcsolva. ✓
• A lámpa fel kapcsolva. ✗

In other words, this is one of the cases where van must stay.

The ending -va/-ve forms a kind of adverbial participle. In this construction, it often helps describe a resulting state.

Examples:

• zárva van = is closed
• nyitva van = is open
• bekapcsolva van = is turned on
• kikapcsolva van = is turned off

So kapcsolva is part of a broader pattern that learners see quite often.

This pattern is especially common when talking about whether something is:

• open/closed
• turned on/off
• arranged/prepared in a certain way

Hungarian verbal prefixes often move around depending on the sentence structure.

Here, in the state construction with van, the prefix is usually placed before van:

• fel van kapcsolva
• le van kapcsolva

Compare that with the infinitive or a simple verb form:

• felkapcsolni
• lekapcsolni
• felkapcsolom
• lekapcsolom

So the prefix is attached in some forms, but separated in others. This is a very common feature of Hungarian verbs with prefixes.

Yes, depending on the object.

For many electrical devices, Hungarian often uses:

• bekapcsolni = turn on
• kikapcsolni = turn off

For lights, fel/le is especially common:

• felkapcsolni a lámpát
• lekapcsolni a lámpát

For a TV, many speakers might more naturally say:

• A tévé be van kapcsolva. = The TV is on.
• A tévé ki van kapcsolva. = The TV is off.

So the sentence you were given is understandable, but learners should know that with tévé, be/ki is also very common, often even more idiomatic.

De means but.

It connects two contrasting statements:

• A lámpa fel van kapcsolva = the light is on
• de a tévé le van kapcsolva = but the TV is off

So the contrast is between the state of the light and the state of the TV.

The sentence as given is the most neutral, natural order:

• A lámpa fel van kapcsolva, de a tévé le van kapcsolva.

Hungarian word order is flexible, but changes in order usually affect emphasis or focus.

For example, you may also encounter:

• A lámpa van felkapcsolva — unusual unless emphasizing that it is the lamp that is on
• Fel van kapcsolva a lámpa — possible, often focusing more on the state

For learners, the safest pattern is the one in your sentence.

The difference is state versus action.

Action

• Felkapcsolom a lámpát.
• I am turning on the light / I turn on the light.

This describes the act itself.

State

• A lámpa fel van kapcsolva.
• The light is on / is switched on.

This describes the condition after the action.

The same distinction applies to the TV:

• Lekapcsolom a tévét. = I turn off the TV.
• A tévé le van kapcsolva. = The TV is off.

Because they are the subjects of the sentence, not the objects.

Here, the sentence is describing their states:

• The lamp is on
• The TV is off

So they stay in the basic nominative form:

• a lámpa
• a tévé

You would use the accusative only if they were the direct objects of an action:

• Felkapcsolom a lámpát.
• Lekapcsolom a tévét.

Notice the accusative endings there:

• lámpa → lámpát
• tévé → tévét

Tévé is pronounced approximately tay-vay, with long é vowels in both syllables.

A few points:

• stress is on the first syllable: TÉ-vé
• both é sounds are long
• it is a borrowed word corresponding to TV / television

So it sounds roughly like:

• TAY-vay

Yes, overall it is natural and easy to understand.

A native speaker would readily understand:

• A lámpa fel van kapcsolva, de a tévé le van kapcsolva.

The only nuance worth noting is that with tévé, many speakers often prefer:

• be van kapcsolva / ki van kapcsolva

So another very natural version would be:

• A lámpa fel van kapcsolva, de a tévé ki van kapcsolva.

Still, the original sentence is perfectly useful for learning the grammar pattern.

Yes. In everyday use, it often just means is on.

Grammatically, the construction suggests a resulting state, but in normal conversation speakers usually use it simply to describe the current situation.

So:

• A lámpa fel van kapcsolva

can be understood as:

• The light is on
• The light has been switched on
• The light is in the on state

The exact nuance depends on context, but for a learner, is on is a very good practical understanding.