Ideig

Ideig is a Hungarian adverb meaning “for a period of time; temporarily; for the time being.” It denotes duration and scope of applicability, indicating that a state, rule, or action is valid only during a limited interval. In everyday usage, ideig often appears with time expressions or verbs of duration to mark this temporary status.

Etymology: Ideig comes from idő, meaning “time,” with the suffix -ig, which marks extent or duration. The formation is common in Hungarian and is used in both spoken and written language to qualify the length of applicability.

Usage: Common constructions include két hétig ("for two weeks") and egy ideig ("for a while"). Ideig can modify verbs or entire clauses, typically with verbs of continuation such as tart ("last") or fennáll ("hold"). A frequent phrase is ideig, amíg ..., meaning “for as long as ...” Example: Ideig, amíg a megoldás megérkezik, a rendszer üzemel. The nuance is inherently temporary, marking that a condition is not permanent.

Related terms: Ideiglenes and ideiglenesen express explicit temporary status; ideig is more about the duration of applicability rather than the permanent character of a thing.

See also: In dictionaries, ideig is listed as a temporal adverb; it appears in discussions of Hungarian time expressions and syntax.