A tévé le van kapcsolva, mert a gyerek alszik.

A is the Hungarian definite article, equivalent to the.

• a tévé = the TV
• a gyerek = the child / the kid

Hungarian uses definite articles very often, including in places where English might sometimes leave them out.

A small detail:

• a is used before words that begin with a consonant
• az is used before words that begin with a vowel

So:

• a tévé
• az ajtó

Literally, it means something like is in a switched-down state.

It breaks down like this:

• le = down
• van = is
• kapcsolva = switched / connected, in a completed-result form

Together, le van kapcsolva means is switched off.

In natural English, you would not translate it word for word. You would simply say The TV is switched off or The TV is off.

Good question. Hungarian often uses verbal prefixes, and several can relate to turning something off.

For electrical devices, both of these are common:

• lekapcsol = switch off
• kikapcsol = turn off

So you may hear both:

• A tévé le van kapcsolva.
• A tévé ki van kapcsolva.

Both are natural. Very roughly:

• lekapcsol often sounds like switch off
• kikapcsol often sounds like turn off / switch off

In many everyday contexts, the difference is small, and speakers may choose either.

Van is the 3rd person singular form of to be: is.

In this sentence, Hungarian is describing a state, not the action itself.

• lekapcsolják a tévét = they switch off the TV
• a tévé le van kapcsolva = the TV is switched off

So van helps form a structure meaning is in the state of having been switched off.

This is very common in Hungarian:

• be van zárva = is closed / is locked
• ki van nyitva = is open
• el van törve = is broken

It is similar in meaning to an English passive, but it is better understood as a state/result construction.

English:

• The TV was switched off. → passive action
• The TV is switched off. → can describe either an action/result or a state

Hungarian:

• A tévé le van kapcsolva. → mainly describes the resulting state

It focuses less on who did it and more on the condition the TV is in now.

So it is often best to think:

• not “someone switched it off”
• but “it is off / it has been switched off”

Kapcsolva is a participle-like form built from kapcsol.

In this pattern, it helps express that something is in a completed state:

• kapcsolva by itself is not usually the whole message
• with a prefix and van, it becomes very useful:
  • bekapcsolva van / more naturally be van kapcsolva = is switched on
  • le van kapcsolva = is switched off
  • ki van kapcsolva = is turned off

So the important pattern to learn is:

prefix + van + verb-participle

Examples:

• be van csukva = is shut
• ki van nyitva = is open
• el van intézve = is taken care of

Yes, the word order can change.

Hungarian word order is flexible and often reflects topic and focus rather than strict English-style sentence order.

Here:

• A tévé is the topic: we are talking about the TV
• le van kapcsolva says something about it

So:

• A tévé le van kapcsolva. = As for the TV, it is switched off.

You could also hear:

• Le van kapcsolva a tévé.

That version can sound more like The TV is switched off with slightly more emphasis on the state.

Both are correct, but the original sentence is very natural if the TV is the thing being talked about.

Mert means because.

So:

• A tévé le van kapcsolva, mert a gyerek alszik.
• The TV is switched off, because the child is sleeping.

It introduces the reason.

Useful comparison:

• mert = because
• ezért = therefore / for this reason

Example:

• A gyerek alszik, ezért a tévé le van kapcsolva.
  • The child is sleeping, therefore the TV is switched off.

Alszik means sleeps / is sleeping.

Its dictionary form is alszik = to sleep.

The -ik ending is part of the traditional dictionary form of some Hungarian verbs, often called -ik verbs. These verbs can behave a little differently in some forms, but for a beginner the main thing to know is simply:

• alszik = he/she sleeps, or the child is sleeping

In this sentence:

• a gyerek alszik = the child is sleeping

Hungarian present tense often covers both:

• sleeps
• is sleeping

The exact meaning depends on context.

Because Hungarian does not need a separate auxiliary like English is to make the present continuous.

English distinguishes:

• the child sleeps
• the child is sleeping

Hungarian often uses the same present-tense verb form for both:

• a gyerek alszik

Context tells you whether it means:

• the child sleeps in general or
• the child is sleeping right now

In this sentence, because it explains why the TV is off, the natural meaning is:

• the child is sleeping

Yes.

Gyerek is a very common everyday word and often feels quite natural as kid in English. Depending on context, it can also be translated as child.

So:

• a gyerek alszik can be:
  • the child is sleeping
  • the kid is sleeping

If the tone is neutral or slightly informal, kid is often a very good translation.

Yes.

• tévé = TV
• televízió = television

So you could say:

• A televízió le van kapcsolva, mert a gyerek alszik.

But tévé is much more common in everyday speech and sounds very natural.

If you want to focus more on the action of turning it off, you would use a different structure.

For example:

• Lekapcsolták a tévét, mert a gyerek alszik.
  • They switched off the TV because the child is sleeping.

This suggests an action was performed.

By contrast:

• A tévé le van kapcsolva, mert a gyerek alszik.
  • focuses on the current state: the TV is off

So the original sentence is about the result, not about who did it.