Azonáltal

Azonáltal is a Hungarian adverbial conjunction meaning a concession or contrast, roughly equivalent to “nevertheless,” “nonetheless,” or “in that respect.” It is used to connect clauses in a way that signals a shift or qualification of what has been stated previously, often in formal or literary contexts.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from az on (that) and által (through, by means of), yielding a compound literally suggesting “through that” or “by that [fact].” In modern Hungarian it is generally written as one word, pleine for formal writing. A closely related but more emphatic form is mindazonáltal, while hanem vagy azonban serve as more common, everyday equivalents of “however.”

Usage and tone: Azonáltal is most typical in written Hungarian, including essays, analyses, and official prose. It can introduce a consequence, qualification, or contrast to a preceding statement. It may appear at the start of a sentence or clause and is often separated from the preceding text by a comma or semicolon. While it can precede a clause with vagy/that (azonáltal hogy), the core function remains concessive rather than explanatory.

Synonyms and relations: Mindazonáltal and ennek ellenére are closely related and often interchangeable, with mindazonáltal carrying a stronger or more emphatic nuance. Azonban and azonban offer more direct “however” transitions in everyday language, but are not exact substitutes in all contexts.

See also: mindazonáltal; ennek ellenére; azonban; az ellenkező oldal.

In sum, azonáltal is a formal connector used to introduce a qualified or contrastive point, reflecting a nuance of concession in Hungarian prose.