Hatalmas

Hatalmas is a Hungarian adjective meaning enormous, vast, or mighty. It is used to describe physical size, power, or intensity, and can apply to concrete objects as well as abstract concepts or events. Examples include hatalmas épület (a huge building), hatalmas erő (great power), and hatalmas sikert (great success). The word can also form adverbs, with hatalmasan meaning enormously or greatly, as in dolgozott hatalmasan (he worked tremendously).

Etymology of hatalmas traces to hatalom, meaning power, authority, or control. The suffix -as is used to form adjectives that describe a quality or characteristic related to the root meaning. Thus hatalmas conveys “having power” or “characterized by power,” and by extension “very large or impressive.” The term sits within a family of Hungarian words related to strength, influence, and scale.

Usage and nuance: hatalmas tends to emphasize power, impact, or scale rather than mere size alone, though it can be used for both. It is often preferred over synonyms like óriási when the emphasis is on strength or significance rather than sheer magnitude. Collocations include hatalmas erő, hatalmas különbség, hatalmas vihar, and hatalmas siker. In literary or formal contexts, hatalmas can contribute a sense of grandeur or awe.

Grammar and style: In Hungarian, adjectives precede the noun and agree with it in number and case, while the adjective form itself remains relatively constant (as with hatalmas) and the noun carries the number markings. The comparative and superlative forms are not typical for hatalmas; degrees of intensity are usually conveyed through context or with adverbs such as nagyon hatalmas.