Önök

Önök is the formal second-person plural pronoun in Hungarian, used to address two or more people with politeness and social distance. It corresponds to the English you all or you (plural) and is distinct from the informal ti, which is used among friends, family, or peers. In formal writing and speech, Önökkel is used in contact with a group, and the pronouns Ön and Önök are typically capitalized to show courtesy.

Grammatical use follows third-person plural agreement: verbs take the third-person plural form when the subject is Önök. For example, Önök dolgoznak (you work), Önök beszélnek (you speak), Önök szeretnének (you would like). The pronoun can occupy any syntactic position, and standard Hungarian case endings apply for possessives and objects. Demonstratives and possessives align with Önök, as in az Önök véleménye (your opinion) or Önökhöz (to you all).

Origin and context: The form developed within the polite systems of Hungarian address and remains standard in formal contexts, such as government, business, education, healthcare, and customer service. It is used to address groups respectfully or in situations where a professional or ceremonial tone is appropriate. While widely used in official communication, some contemporary contexts—especially among younger speakers in informal settings—may favor ti or more casual phrasing depending on the relationship and setting.

Examples: Önök holnap találkoznak? Önök mit szeretnének? Köszönöm az Önök segítségét. The use of Önök signals respect and formal distance, and its capitalization is a conventional courtesy feature in Hungarian etiquette.