Published: July 28 2023
Understanding a foreign language involves more than learning vocabulary and grammar rules. The application of certain terms in context can often prove to be intricate. A case in point is the use of equality adjectives in Hungarian, often represented by the word - 'Olyan'. In this blog post, we will look into the usage of 'Olyan' and delve into the nuances of equality adjectives in the Hungarian language.
Understanding 'Olyan'
In Hungarian, 'Olyan' is used to denote equality or similarity, translating roughly to the English expression "...as...as..." in a comparison. For instance, the sentence 'Ági olyan okos, mint Einstein' translates to 'Ági is as smart as Einstein.' 'Olyan' here is used to establish an equal comparison between Ági's intelligence and Einstein's.
The Role of 'Nem'
Although 'Olyan' is used to compare two aspects or entities as equal, it is possible to negate that comparison. The Hungarian word 'Nem' is used to signify the absence or negation of something and in the context of comparisons it is used to express "not as ... as ...".
The sentence 'Angelina Jolie nem olyan szép, mint Ági' is an example of this, where Angelina Jolie is not considered as beautiful as Ági.
Using 'Mint' in Equality Comparisons
In these equality comparisons, the term 'mint' plays a crucial role. 'Mint' acts as the conjunction 'as' in English. The important point to remember here is that while 'mint' is used to signal comparison, it shouldn’t be confused with the English term 'than'. For instance, in the sentence 'Ági is as smart as Einstein', 'mint' would be the equivalent of 'as', not 'than'.
The Exclusion of '-nál/nél' in Equality Statements
In Hungarian, '-nál' or '-nél' are suffixes used in comparative statements, but not in equality statements. If we are comparing two things to assess their similarities, we use 'mint' instead of '-nál/nél'.
Wrapping Up
Using adjectives to denote equality in Hungarian could initially be a tricky concept to grasp, especially if English is your first language. However, understanding the roles of 'olyan', 'nem', and 'mint', can facilitate forming sentences focusing on comparisons. Practice is the key to master the usage of these terms in everyday communication.