Foszlik

Foszlik is a Hungarian verb meaning to rot or decay, especially of organic matter such as meat, fish, fruit, or bread. It denotes the natural, gradual breakdown of material due to microbial activity, moisture, and age. The term is used in everyday language to describe food that has become unsafe to eat or spoiled.

The verb is intransitive, with the decaying substance serving as the subject of the sentence. In ordinary present tense usage one commonly says, for example, A hús foszlik. Other natural uses include A hal vagy gyümölcs foszlik a kosárban. The action can be described with time or location phrases, such as már vagy a hűtőben, to indicate when or where decay is occurring. Physical decay is typically implied rather than explicit about the agents involved.

Foszlik is often contrasted with rohad and romlik. While foszlik emphasizes gradual disintegration of material, rohad can imply more advanced decay with a stronger sense of spoilage or odor, and romlik is a broader term for deterioration, including non-physical or less specific cases.

Etymology for foszlik is not widely documented in concise sources; it is considered a native Hungarian verb. Its use is primarily practical, relating to spoilage of perishables, though it may appear metaphorically to describe deterioration of conditions or situations, albeit less commonly than more general verbs like romlik.

See also: decay, rot, spoilage, Hungarian vocabulary.