Egyénként

Egyénként is a Hungarian adverb that translates to "otherwise," "besides," "apart from that," or "anyway" in English. It is commonly used to introduce a contrast, a subsequent thought, or to change the subject of a conversation.

The word itself is derived from the Hungarian word "egyén," meaning "individual." The suffix "-ként" denotes a manner or capacity, so literally, "egyénként" can be understood as "as an individual" or "individually." However, its idiomatic usage has evolved to encompass the broader meanings mentioned above.

For example, in a sentence like "Nem mentem el a buliba, mert fáradt voltam. Egyénként is, nem is ismertem senkit," the first part explains a reason for not attending a party, and "egyénként" introduces an additional, perhaps less significant, reason or a related thought. In English, this might be translated as "I didn't go to the party because I was tired. Besides, I didn't even know anyone."

Another common usage is to transition to a different topic or to signal that what follows is an afterthought. If someone is discussing a particular issue and then says, "Egyénként, láttad az új filmet?", they are shifting the conversation to a new subject. This usage is similar to "by the way" or "anyway" in English. The flexibility of "egyénként" makes it a very useful word in everyday Hungarian conversation.