Hungarian discourse markers do more than join grammatical clauses. They show whether a speaker is giving an example, narrowing a formulation, making an idea easier to understand, or moving the conversation to a new topic. The core forms on this page are például, többek között, vagyis, azaz, más szóval, ami azt illeti, and egyébként.
Core inventory
| Marker | Core function | Typical English rendering | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| például | introduces an example | for example | neutral |
| többek között | selects members from a larger set | among other things/people | neutral; frequent in careful prose |
| vagyis | restates, explains, or draws out an equivalent consequence | that is; in other words | neutral; also conversational repair |
| azaz | gives a precise identification or equivalence | that is; namely | neutral-formal |
| más szóval | offers a more accessible paraphrase | in other words | neutral |
| ami azt illeti | sets a topic frame, often with evaluation or correction | as for; as far as ... is concerned | neutral, somewhat deliberate |
| egyébként | adds an aside, changes topic, or qualifies what was said | by the way; otherwise; apart from that | very common in conversation |
These are not one-to-one translations. English that is can correspond to vagyis or azaz, while by the way covers only one use of egyébként. Learn each marker as an instruction to the listener about how to process what follows.
Giving examples: például and többek között
Például introduces an illustration. It can precede a noun phrase, occur inside a clause, or frame an entire following sentence.
Hétvégén szívesen kirándulunk, például gyakran felmegyünk a Börzsönybe.
At weekends we enjoy hiking; for example, we often go up into the Börzsöny hills.
A műhelyben például kerámiát is lehet készíteni.
In the workshop, for example, you can also make pottery.
Hungarian does not automatically put a comma after sentence-initial például in the way English often writes “For example, ...”: Például Anna is eljön is the ordinary pattern. Commas appear when the example is syntactically parenthetical.
Több várost, például Pécset és Győrt, már bejártunk.
We have already explored several cities, including Pécs and Győr.
Többek között explicitly signals that the named items do not exhaust the set. Literally its structure evokes “among several.” It can refer to things or people.
A fesztiválon többek között Sena és a Bagossy Brothers Company is fellép.
Among others, Sena and the Bagossy Brothers Company are performing at the festival.
Reformulating: vagyis, azaz, and más szóval
Vagyis presents a reformulation that the speaker treats as equivalent in the present context. It can clarify a term, state the practical consequence of a fact, or repair wording in speech.
A szerződés határozatlan időre szól, vagyis nincs előre rögzített lejárati dátuma.
The contract is for an indefinite period; that is, it has no predetermined expiry date.
Csütörtökön találkozunk — vagyis pénteken, elnézést.
We're meeting on Thursday—or rather Friday, sorry.
The second example is (informal) conversational self-repair. Written vagyis normally follows a comma or dash when it connects the first formulation to a full reformulation.
Azaz is more exact. It identifies an expression, date, name, or definition with another expression. It is especially useful in definitions and administrative prose (formal).
A következő munkanapon, azaz hétfőn küldjük el a választ.
We will send the reply on the next working day, namely Monday.
When the azaz phrase is inserted appositively, it is set off from the surrounding sentence by commas or dashes. If it continues to the end, only the opening comma is visible: A következő munkanapon, azaz hétfőn érkezik.
Más szóval announces that the same content will be expressed more accessibly or from another angle. A comma is usual when it flows into the next clause; a colon can follow when the phrase deliberately announces a separate formulation.
A döntés nem visszamenőleges. Más szóval: a már lezárt ügyeket nem nyitják meg újra.
The decision is not retroactive. In other words, cases already closed will not be reopened.
Topic frames: ami azt illeti
The frame ami X-et illet/illeti means “as for X” or “as far as X is concerned.” The topic is an object and therefore takes the accusative; the verb series depends on that object's grammatical person.
Ami a szállást illeti, már lefoglaltunk két szobát.
As for the accommodation, we have already booked two rooms.
In the standalone phrase ami azt illeti, its internal segmentation is:
- ami: a relative pronoun, “what/that which”;
- azt: the third-person accusative topic, “that”;
- illeti: the definite-conjugation form of illet, here “concerns.”
With an explicit definite noun phrase, ami a költségeket illeti replaces azt with the named topic and keeps definite illeti. The whole topic frame is followed by a comma because it stands outside the main clause. It is neutral but more deliberate than simply placing the topic first, so it appears readily in meetings, interviews, and structured answers.
Ami engem illet, inkább megvárnám a részletes árajánlatot.
As for me, I would rather wait for the detailed quote.
First- and second-person objects select the general series: ami engem illet, ami téged illet. Third-person definite objects select the definite series: ami őt illeti, ami a költségeket illeti. The difference follows the ordinary Hungarian object-conjugation system; illeti is not an invariant piece attached to every possible topic.
Adding an aside: egyébként
Egyébként is highly multifunctional. It can introduce a side topic (“by the way”), state what holds apart from one exception (“otherwise/apart from that”), or add information that changes the interpretation of the preceding turn.
Egyébként már megkaptad a visszaigazolást?
By the way, have you received the confirmation yet?
A szoba kicsit sötét, de egyébként kényelmes.
The room is a little dark, but otherwise it is comfortable.
Unlike the longer topic frame, sentence-initial egyébként does not require a comma merely because it appears first. A writer may set it off when it is pronounced as a parenthetical aside, but punctuation follows the syntactic and prosodic structure, not an English comma template.
How the markers organize discourse
These forms tell the listener what kind of contribution is coming. Például offers evidence by illustration; többek között marks a list as incomplete; the reformulation markers guide interpretation; ami azt illeti allocates a new topical slot; and egyébként manages side information or turns. The contrast and result markers perform the same organizing work for other logical relations.
A terv több ponton módosult; például későbbre került az indulás. Ami a költségeket illeti, azok egyelőre nem változtak.
The plan has changed in several respects; for example, the start has been moved later. As for the costs, those have not changed for now.
This sequence first supplies evidence for the claim, then creates a new topic frame. Translating each marker is less important than recognizing the job it performs.
Common Mistakes
Do not import the automatic English comma after initial for example.
❌ Például, Anna is vállalta az esti műszakot.
Incorrect: the comma unnecessarily separates the marker from the clause in the neutral Hungarian pattern.
✅ Például Anna is vállalta az esti műszakot.
For example, Anna also agreed to take the evening shift.
Do not combine explicit nonexhaustivity with csak “only” when both refer to the same list.
❌ Többek között csak Annát és Gábort hívtuk meg.
Incorrect for the intended nonexhaustive reading: 'among others' conflicts with 'only.'
✅ Többek között Annát és Gábort is meghívtuk.
Among others, we also invited Anna and Gábor.
Set an inserted azaz identification off correctly.
❌ A találkozó hétfőn azaz május nyolcadikán lesz.
Incorrect punctuation: the identifying phrase is not set off.
✅ A találkozó hétfőn, azaz május nyolcadikán lesz.
The meeting will be on Monday, that is, on the eighth of May.
Remember the accusative in the topic frame.
❌ Ami a költségek illeti, még nincs végleges adatunk.
Incorrect: the topic governed by 'illeti' lacks the accusative ending.
✅ Ami a költségeket illeti, még nincs végleges adatunk.
As for the costs, we do not have final figures yet.
Key Takeaways
- Például illustrates; többek között explicitly leaves the list open.
- Vagyis broadly reformulates, azaz identifies precisely, and más szóval rephrases accessibly.
- Ami X-et illeti establishes X as a topic and requires the accusative.
- Egyébként introduces an aside or describes what holds apart from a qualification.
- Hungarian punctuation follows sentence structure; do not mechanically copy the comma patterns of English discourse adverbs.
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