Köteles

Köteles is a Hungarian adjective meaning obliged or bound by a duty. It is used to describe someone who is under a legal, contractual, or moral obligation to perform a certain action. The form typically appears with forms of the verb to be, for example: köteles vagyok, köteles vagy, kötelesek vagyunk.

In modern usage, kötelező is often preferred for describing rules or requirements that apply universally, such as in laws and regulations. Köteles, by contrast, emphasizes the personal or subjective aspect of an obligation—what a particular person is obliged to do. Both terms express obligation, but kötelező refers more to the external rule, while kötelees highlights the individual's duty.

Examples include: A munkavállaló köteles betartani a belső szabályzatot. (The employee is obliged to follow the internal rules.) A diák köteles leadni a házi feladatot. (The student is obliged to submit the homework.) Ön köteles igazolni személyazonosságát. (You are obliged to verify your identity.)

Etymology and related terms: kötelez is the verb meaning to oblige, and kötelezettség means obligation. Kötelező is the adjectival counterpart meaning mandatory or required, often used in formal or regulatory contexts. Köteles thus occupies a nuance of personal duty, while kötelező signals an external requirement.

See also: kötelező, kötelezettség, kötelez.