Abból

Abból is a Hungarian fused form that combines the demonstrative determiner az (“that”) with the suffix -ból, meaning “from that” or “out of that.” It functions as an adverbial pronoun, used to indicate origin or source in relation to something already mentioned or implied in the discourse. In a sentence, abból can stand in for a noun phrase, with the noun being understood from context.

Use and meaning

- Origin or source: abból a könyvből tanultam. from that book I learned.

- Material or content: abból főztek, amit találtak. they cooked from what they found.

- Causation or consequence in fixed expressions: Abból lesz baj, ha nem figyelünk. That’s how trouble starts if we’re not careful.

- Emphasis and contrast: often appears with a following phrase to contrast with other options, as in abból a megközelítésből nem értek egyet. I don’t agree with that approach.

Grammar and variation

- abból is part of a family of forms tied to demonstratives. The corresponding forms include ebből (from this), ebből a könyvből (from this book), and abban (in that). The exact form depends on which demonstrative (this vs. that) and case/position in the sentence.

- The spelling with double b reflects assimilation that occurs when az or ez is combined with suffixes beginning with a consonant.

Examples

- Abból a távolból hallottam a hangot. I heard the sound from that distance.

- Abból lesz baj, ha nem vigyázunk. That’s where trouble comes from if we’re not careful.

- Ebből a példából kiindulva… From this example, we start…

Etymology

Abból derives from the demonstrative az (“that”) plus the locative suffix -ból meaning “out of” or “from.” The combination often yields a double-b spelling due to phonological assimilation. It is one of several form-variants Hungarian uses to express locative-origin relations tied to demonstratives.