Questions & Answers about Ma nincs nagy késés, ezért időben érkezünk a tanfolyamra.
Why is nincs used instead of nem van?
In Hungarian, the verb van (to be / there is) has a special negative form in the present tense:
- van = there is
- nincs = there is not
So:
- nincs nagy késés = there is no big delay
You do not normally say nem van here.
This is one of the first special forms learners meet in Hungarian.
What does ma do at the beginning of the sentence?
Ma means today. It is a time adverb, so it can easily come at the beginning of the sentence.
- Ma nincs nagy késés. = Today there is no big delay.
Putting ma first is very natural, because Hungarian often starts with the time expression when setting the scene.
Why is there no article before nagy késés?
Because Hungarian often leaves out the article when speaking in a general or indefinite way.
- nagy késés = a big delay / major delay
- nincs nagy késés = there isn’t a big delay / there isn’t any major delay
If you used an article, it would sound more like a specific, already-known delay. Here the idea is general: there is no significant delay.
Does nagy késés literally mean big delay?