A koncert ma este kezdődik.

Both a and az mean the in Hungarian.

• Use a before a consonant sound.
• Use az before a vowel sound.

Since koncert begins with k, Hungarian uses a koncert.

Examples:

• a ház = the house
• az autó = the car

More or less, yes. Koncert is a loanword and means concert.

The main thing to watch is pronunciation. Hungarian spelling is much more regular than English spelling, so you pronounce it more predictably. A rough English approximation would be something like KON-tsert, with the stress on the first syllable.

Hungarian always stresses the first syllable of a word, so:

• KON-cert

Ma means today, and este means evening.

Together, ma este means:

• this evening
• tonight

The exact English translation depends on context. In this sentence, tonight is very natural.

So literally, the phrase is something like:

• today evening

But natural English would usually be:

• tonight or
• this evening

Hungarian often expresses time without a preposition where English uses one.

English says:

• this evening
• at night
• in the morning

Hungarian often just uses the time expression by itself:

• ma este = tonight / this evening

So there is no need for a word meaning in or at here.

Kezdődik is present tense, third person singular.

Hungarian often uses the present tense for future events when the time is already clear from context.

In this sentence, ma este already tells you when it happens, so present tense is enough:

• A koncert ma este kezdődik. = The concert starts tonight.

This is similar to English, which also often uses the present for scheduled events:

• The concert starts tonight.
• My train leaves at six.

Kezdődik means begins / starts in the sense of something begins.

• A koncert kezdődik. = The concert begins.

Kezd usually means begins something / starts doing something, often with a direct object or an infinitive.

Examples:

• Kezdem a munkát. = I’m starting the work.
• Elkezdek olvasni. = I start reading.

So a useful contrast is:

• A koncert kezdődik. = The concert begins.
• A zenekar kezdi a koncertet. = The band starts the concert.

Very roughly:

• kezdődik = to begin
• kezd = to start something

Kezdődik belongs to a group often called -ik verbs, because in the third person singular present tense they end in -ik.

Here the dictionary form is:

• kezdődik = it begins

In this case the ending appears as -dik, because the stem is kezdő- and then it takes the -ik ending.

You do not need to think of -dik as a separate tense marker. The important point for a learner is that:

• kezdődik = he/she/it begins
• it is the normal dictionary form of this verb

This verb is a little tricky because it is not built the same way as a simple basic verb like olvas (reads), but for this sentence it is best to learn kezdődik as a whole word.

It is third person singular.

That means it matches:

• he/she/it begins

Since a koncert is singular, the verb is singular too:

• A koncert ... kezdődik. = The concert ... begins.

If the subject were plural, the verb would change:

• A koncertek ma este kezdődnek. = The concerts begin tonight.

Hungarian word order is more flexible than English word order, but it is not random. It is strongly connected to topic and focus.

In a neutral sentence like this one:

• A koncert ma este kezdődik.

the structure feels very natural:

• A koncert = topic, what we are talking about
• ma este = time expression
• kezdődik = verb

Putting the verb at the end here sounds normal and neutral.

English usually needs a stricter order:

• The concert starts tonight.

Hungarian can move things around for emphasis. For example:

• Ma este kezdődik a koncert. = It’s tonight that the concert starts / The concert starts tonight.

So the end position is normal here, but not the only possible one.

Yes, absolutely.

Both are correct, but the emphasis changes a bit.

• A koncert ma este kezdődik.

  • neutral
  • the concert is the topic

• Ma este kezdődik a koncert.

  • puts more attention on ma este
  • like It’s tonight that the concert starts

Hungarian often changes word order to highlight different parts of the sentence.

It can correspond to either one in English.

• ma este literally = today evening
• natural English = this evening or tonight

In many contexts, tonight is the most natural translation:

• A koncert ma este kezdődik. = The concert starts tonight.

If you want to be very literal or slightly more formal, this evening also works.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• KEZ-dő-dik

A few helpful points:

• Stress is on the first syllable: KEZ
• ő is a long vowel. It does not exist in standard English, so learners usually need practice with it.
• The final -dik is pronounced clearly, not reduced like many English unstressed syllables.

A rough approximation for an English speaker might be:

• KEZ-duh-deek

But that is only approximate. The most important things are:

1. first-syllable stress
2. clear vowels
3. a noticeable long ő

Hungarian does have ways to talk about the future, but it often does not need a separate word like English will.

Because the sentence already includes a future time expression, ma este, Hungarian simply uses the present tense:

• A koncert ma este kezdődik.

This is completely natural.

English does something similar in some cases:

• The concert starts tonight.

So Hungarian is not missing anything here; it just expresses future scheduled events in a very normal present-tense way.

In a normal full sentence, a koncert is the natural form if you mean the concert.

• A koncert ma este kezdődik. = The concert starts tonight.

Leaving out the article would usually sound incomplete or unnatural in ordinary standard prose, unless you are using a special style such as:

• headlines
• notes
• very telegraphic speech

So for normal learning purposes, keep the article:

• a koncert

Yes. It is a very natural, standard sentence.

It sounds like a normal way to say:

• The concert starts tonight.

Nothing in it is unusual:

• a koncert = definite subject
• ma este = time expression
• kezdődik = present tense verb meaning begins

So it is a good model sentence for learners.