A bejárat nyitva van, de a kijárat zárva.

A is the Hungarian singular definite article, equivalent to English the.

Hungarian has two forms of the definite article:

• a before consonant sounds
• az before vowel sounds

So:

• a bejárat = the entrance
• a kijárat = the exit

Because both words begin with consonants, a is the correct form.

They are built very transparently:

• be- = in, into
• ki- = out
• járat is related to movement/going, and in this kind of word it means something like passage, way, access point

So:

• bejárat = entrance = the way in
• kijárat = exit = the way out

This be-/ki- contrast is very common in Hungarian and is worth learning early.

In this sentence, nyitva means open in the sense of being in an open state, and van is is.

So nyitva van literally works like:

• is open
• more literally, is in an opened state

Hungarian very often uses -va/-ve forms like this to describe a state resulting from an action:

• nyitva van = is open
• zárva van = is closed
• ki van nyitva = is opened / is open

This is especially common for doors, entrances, shops, offices, windows, etc.

This is a very common learner question.

In many everyday situations involving doors, shops, entrances, and signs, nyitva and zárva are the most natural choices.

• A bolt nyitva van. = The shop is open.
• Az ajtó zárva van. = The door is closed.

By contrast, nyitott and zárt are more adjective-like and can describe a more general quality, not just the current state:

• nyitott ember = an open-minded person
• zárt közösség = a closed community
• zárt ajtó = a closed door

In many cases both patterns are possible, but they are not always identical in feel. In signs and practical statements like this one, nyitva / zárva is exactly what you expect.

Because Hungarian often leaves out repeated words when they are easy to understand from context.

The full version could be:

A bejárat nyitva van, de a kijárat zárva van.

But repeating van in both halves is not necessary, so Hungarian very naturally shortens the second half:

A bejárat nyitva van, de a kijárat zárva.

This kind of omission is very common in coordinated sentences.

Yes, it is correct.

The version with the second van is grammatical and clear. The version without it is simply more economical and often sounds more natural in everyday use.

So both are possible:

• A bejárat nyitva van, de a kijárat zárva.
• A bejárat nyitva van, de a kijárat zárva van.

The first one is just a little more streamlined.

Because they are in the basic dictionary form, the nominative, which usually has no ending in Hungarian.

In this sentence:

• a bejárat = the entrance
• a kijárat = the exit

They are the things being described, so no extra case ending is needed.

Hungarian often marks grammatical relationships with endings, but the plain subject form usually looks unchanged.

Yes. Hungarian word order is flexible, and changes in word order often change emphasis rather than basic meaning.

The sentence given is neutral and natural:

A bejárat nyitva van, de a kijárat zárva.

But you could also say:

Nyitva van a bejárat, de zárva a kijárat.

That version puts a little more focus on the states open and closed.

So the original sentence is a very good standard version, but it is not the only possible word order.

De means but.

It links two contrasting statements:

• the entrance is open
• the exit is closed

So de marks the contrast between the two halves of the sentence, just like English but.