A műszak ma hatkor kezdődik.

A is the singular definite article, so it means the.

• a műszak = the shift
• Hungarian has two forms of the:
  • a before consonant sounds
  • az before vowel sounds

Since műszak begins with a consonant sound, you use a.

Műszak usually means shift in a work-related sense: a period of work, such as a morning shift, night shift, etc.

So in this sentence, A műszak means the shift.

Depending on context, műszak can also appear in expressions about work schedules, factory work, hospital shifts, and similar situations.

Because -kor is a suffix in Hungarian meaning at a particular time.

• hat = six
• hatkor = at six

This is very common with clock times:

• egykor = at one
• kettőkor = at two
• háromkor = at three
• hatkor = at six

So Hungarian does not need a separate word like English at here. The meaning is built into the ending -kor.

Yes. Hatkor and hat órakor both mean at six o’clock.

• hatkor = shorter, very common in everyday speech
• hat órakor = a little fuller or more explicit

In most situations, hatkor is completely natural.

Ma means today.

So the sentence is built like this:

• A műszak = the shift
• ma = today
• hatkor = at six
• kezdődik = starts / begins

Hungarian word order is flexible, but this version is a very natural neutral sentence.
You could also hear:

• Ma hatkor kezdődik a műszak.
• A műszak hatkor kezdődik ma.

These are all possible, but they may shift the emphasis slightly. The original sentence is a straightforward, neutral way to say it.

Because kezdődik is the intransitive verb to begin / to start in the sense of something begins.

• A műszak kezdődik. = The shift begins / starts.

By contrast, kezd is typically used when someone begins something:

• Kezdem a munkát. = I’m starting the work.
• Ő kezdi a megbeszélést. = He/She starts the meeting.

So in this sentence, the shift itself is the thing that begins, which is why kezdődik is the natural choice.

Kezdődik is third person singular present tense.

That matches a műszak because the shift is singular:

• a műszak = singular subject
• kezdődik = it starts / begins

Hungarian usually does not need a separate word for it. The verb ending already tells you the person and number.

Hungarian often uses the present tense for scheduled or expected future events, just like English does in sentences such as:

• The train leaves at six.
• My shift starts at six today.

So:

• A műszak ma hatkor kezdődik.

can naturally refer to something that is still in the future, especially because ma and hatkor make the time clear.

Yes. Kezdődik belongs to a group of Hungarian verbs often called -ik verbs in dictionary form, because the third person singular often ends in -ik.

The dictionary form is:

• kezdődni = to begin

And one present-tense form is:

• kezdődik = it begins

For a learner, the important thing is mainly to recognize kezdődik as a normal verb form meaning begins / starts. You do not need to overthink the -dik every time you see it, but it is useful to know that it is part of the verb’s pattern.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• mű: the ű is a long front rounded vowel, somewhat like the German ü, but held longer
• sz is pronounced like English s
• műszak sounds roughly like myuu-sok, though that is only approximate

A few important pronunciation points:

• ű is long
• sz = English s
• s by itself in Hungarian would sound like English sh, but that is not what happens here

So műszak is not pronounced with an English z sound in sz.

A rough guide:

• hatkor = hot-kor with a clear t and k
• kezdődik ≈ kez-doe-dik, where ő is another rounded vowel somewhat like German ö, but long

Useful pronunciation notes:

• a in Hungarian is usually more like the o in British hot than the English a in cat
• e is usually like e in bed
• z is like English z
• dő contains ő, a long vowel

You do not need a perfect accent immediately, but it helps to notice that Hungarian spelling is quite regular.

Yes. Both are good translations.

• kezdődik can be translated as begins
• or more naturally in everyday English, often starts

So these are both fine:

• The shift starts at six today.
• The shift begins at six today.

The exact English choice depends more on style than on grammar.

Yes, Hungarian word order is flexible, and changing it often changes emphasis rather than the basic meaning.

For example:

• A műszak ma hatkor kezdődik.
  Neutral: The shift starts at six today.

• Ma hatkor kezdődik a műszak.
  Slightly more focus on today at six.

• Hatkor kezdődik a műszak ma.
  This is possible, though less neutral; it can sound like it’s at six that the shift starts today.

So the meaning stays similar, but the information structure changes. The original sentence is a very safe, natural default version for learners to copy.