Mindegy, hol tanul a diák, csak csend legyen.

Mindegy is an impersonal word meaning it doesn’t matter. In sentences like this, it introduces the speaker’s attitude toward the following clause:

• Mindegy, hol tanul a diák = It doesn’t matter where the student studies

Hungarian often uses mindegy by itself, without any dummy subject like English it.

Because Hungarian often leaves hogy out before a subordinate clause if the meaning is already clear.

So both of these are possible:

• Mindegy, hol tanul a diák
• Mindegy, hogy hol tanul a diák

The version without hogy is a bit shorter and very natural. English learners often expect a mandatory that, but Hungarian does not always need it.

Because this is an embedded question-like clause, not a relative clause.

• hol = where
• ahol = where / the place where

After mindegy, Hungarian normally uses words like hol, mikor, ki, mit, etc. to mean it doesn’t matter where/when/who/what...

So:

• Mindegy, hol tanul a diák = It doesn’t matter where the student studies

If you used ahol, it would sound like a different structure, more like describing a place rather than asking where.

In Hungarian, question words like hol usually stand right before the finite verb. That position is very important in Hungarian syntax.

So:

• hol tanul a diák

is the normal order here, with:

• hol in the preverbal focus/question position
• tanul immediately after it
• a diák after the verb

If you changed the order to hol a diák tanul, it would sound marked and would put special emphasis on a diák.

Because the clause hol tanul a diák is stating content, not giving a command or expressing a wish.

After mindegy, Hungarian normally uses the indicative in this kind of clause:

• mindegy, hol tanul
• mindegy, mit mond
• mindegy, mikor jön

So tanul is correct because the sentence means it doesn’t matter where the student studies, not where the student should study.

Right. Here csak is not simply only in the narrow sense. In this structure, it has the sense of:

• just
• as long as
• provided that
• sometimes even if only

So csak csend legyen means something like:

• as long as there is silence
• just let there be silence

This is a very common Hungarian way to express the one condition that matters.

Legyen is the 3rd person singular imperative/subjunctive form of lenni (to be).

This form is used in Hungarian not only for commands, but also for wishes, conditions, and requirements. After csak, it often has that kind of meaning:

• csak legyen idő = as long as there is time
• csak legyen pénz = as long as there is money
• csak csend legyen = as long as there is silence / just let there be silence

So this is not a direct command to silence; it is a requirement or desired state.

It is a noun.

• csend = silence / quiet
• csendes = quiet as an adjective

So csend legyen literally means let there be silence, not let it be quiet with an adjective.

English often uses an adjective where Hungarian prefers a noun in this kind of expression.

Because csend is being used in a general, abstract sense.

• csend legyen = let there be silence / let it be quiet
• a csend would refer more to the silence, something specific

Hungarian often leaves out the article with abstract nouns in expressions like this, especially when talking about a desired state.

Both are possible, but the word order changes the emphasis.

• csend legyen puts csend in focus before the verb
• legyen csend is a bit more neutral

In your sentence, csak csend legyen strongly highlights the one thing that matters: silence.

That fits the logic of the whole sentence very well: it doesn’t matter where the student studies, as long as it’s quiet.

It can depend on context. Hungarian a/az does not always correspond neatly to English the.

Here a diák could mean:

• the student in a specific situation
• or a more general the student / a student type meaning

Hungarian often uses the definite article in generic statements more freely than English does. So you should not always assume that a diák must refer to one clearly identified student.