Amerikai

Amerikai is a Hungarian adjective meaning American, used to describe things related to the United States or to the broader Americas, as well as to indicate nationality or origin. It appears in phrases such as amerikai film, amerikai zene, or amerikai gyökerek. When used to denote a person, the term can function as a noun in context, referring to an American.

Etymology and form: the word is derived from the English American, via the Latin Americanus, and entered Hungarian with the typical -i suffix that marks adjectives of origin. It shares its basic sense with related terms in many European languages and is part of everyday vocabulary for describing people, culture, or objects associated with the United States.

Usage notes: amerikai is not capitalized when used as an ordinary adjective. In phrases identifying nationality or origin, it is common to pair the adjective with a noun, such as amerikai állampolgár (American citizen) or amerikai kultúra (American culture). When referring to people in a more general sense, Hungarian often uses amerikai as part of a compound noun or as a descriptive modifier rather than as a standalone proper noun.

Related terms: the word is frequently paired with other descriptors to specify aspects of American life, such as amerikai történet (American history), amerikai filmipar (American film industry), or amerikai üzlet (American-style business). For comparison, the term egyesült államokbeli is used to denote something from inside the United States more explicitly.

See also: Egyesült Államok, Amerikaiak, amerikai kultúra, magyar nyelvű tananyag.