Hátba

Hátba is a Hungarian directional postpositional form built from the noun hát (back) combined with the illative suffix -ba, indicating movement into or toward the back side. It functions as a complement to verbs, specifying where an action is directed or where something ends up in relation to the back of a person or object.

Grammatically, hátba does not stand alone as a verb or noun but forms part of verb phrases that express actions directed at the back. It is commonly used with verbs that convey striking or attacking actions, as well as figurative uses meaning to betray or harm someone “in the back.” Typical collocations include hátba támadni (to attack from behind) and hátba vágni or hátba szúrni (to stab in the back, literally or figuratively).

Usage and nuance: hátba emphasizes the target or entry point of an action—the back as the point of contact or intrusion. It contrasts with hátul, which denotes a static location behind something rather than movement into that area. In idiomatic Hungarian, hátba támadni or hátba szúrni often carries a notion of treachery or unexpected harm, similar to the English expression “to stab someone in the back.”

Examples:

- A támadó hátba támadt. The attacker attacked from behind.

- A menedzser hátba vágta a kollégáját. The manager stabbed his colleague in the back.

See also: Hungarian case and postpositions, illative case,背部-related collocations.