Csíknyi

Csíknyi is a Hungarian adjective and quantifier used to indicate a small amount or portion. In everyday language it precedes a noun to express that only a little is meant, roughly translating to “a little bit of” or “a small stripe’s worth” depending on context. Examples include csíknyi kenyér, meaning a small piece of bread, and csíknyi időre van szükség, meaning we need a little time. The term can also appear in figurative phrases to describe limited extent or impact.

The word is formed from csík, meaning stripe, with the suffix -nyi, which in Hungarian creates adjectives or quantifiers related to the base noun. In practice, csíknyi functions as a casual, approximate measure rather than a precise quantity. It can be replaced by more standard expressions such as egy kevés or kis mennyiség in more formal writing.

Usage notes and related terms: csíknyi is common in everyday speech and informal writing, but may be considered colloquial in very formal contexts. It often appears alongside other small-quantity expressions like csipnyi, csipetnyi, or egy kevés. In literal descriptions, to indicate a physical fragment one might use a more specific term such as egy darab vagy egy csík a textúrához igazítva; csíknyi emphasizes the notion of a small portion rather than a precise measure.

See also: csík, csipnyi, csipetnyi.