Birtokában

Birtokában is a Hungarian postpositional phrase meaning “in the possession of” or “in one’s possession.” It is formed from the noun birtok (possession, property) combined with the inessive suffix -ban/-ben, yielding a form that attaches to a possessive context. The phrase is used to indicate that an object belongs to or is owned by a person or entity named earlier in the sentence.

In practice, birtokában appears in sentences with the possessor specified before or immediately implied, and the thing in possession follows as the subject or object of the sentence. A typical construction is: [item] a [owner] birtokában van, meaning that the item is currently in that owner’s possession. For example: “A fegyver a herceg birtokában van” translates to “The weapon is in the prince’s possession.” Another example is “A levél a cég birtokában van,” meaning “The letter is in the company’s possession.” The form can also appear in different tenses and moods, such as “volt a birtokában” (was in possession) in narrative or legal contexts.

Birtokában is most common in formal, legal, historical, or bureaucratic Hungarian. In everyday speech, speakers might opt for simpler expressions like “a tulajdonában van” or “birtokán van,” depending on regional or stylistic preferences. The term highlights ownership relations and is part of the broader set of constructions that express possession with postpositions in Hungarian grammar.