Képzetes

Képzetes is an adjective in Hungarian that denotes something imaginary, fictional, or not real; it is used to describe entities, events, or phenomena that exist only in the imagination or in representation. In everyday language it can refer to hypothetical or speculative ideas, and it may describe beings or stories that have no basis in observable reality. The word can contrast with real or actual when emphasizing the difference between what is imagined and what exists.

Etymology and usage notes: the term derives from képzet, meaning image, notion, or impression, which in turn comes from the verb képzel, to imagine. The suffix -es turns the noun into an adjective indicating “having the quality of.” In general prose, képzetes can often be synonymous with képzelt (imagined) or fictitious, though it tends to carry a more formal or technical nuance in some contexts.

Mathematics and science: in Hungarian mathematical vocabulary, képzetes szám refers to an imaginary number, as opposed to valós szám (real number). An imaginary number can be expressed as bi with real numbers a and b, and the imaginary unit i is defined by i^2 = -1. While complex numbers may be called komplex szám in Hungarian, the term képzetes szám remains standard when focusing on the imaginary component.

See also: valós szám, komplex szám, képzet.