Közelmúltban

Közelmúltban is a Hungarian adverb of time meaning “in the near past” or “recently.” It refers to events or states that occurred not long ago relative to the present moment. The expression is commonly used in written Hungarian and in formal spoken language, such as journalism, academic writing, and public discourse.

Etymology and form: The word is built from közel (near) and múlt (past) with the adverbial suffix -ban, forming közelmúltban, which literally means “in the near past.” The related noun közelmúlt means “the near past” or “recent past.” In daily use, közelmúltban modifies the verb or the clause to indicate the timeframe of the action.

Grammatical use and nuance: Közelmúltban functions as an adverb of time and typically accompanies finite verbs: A közelmúltban számos változás történt. It can appear at the beginning or inside a sentence to anchor the statement to a recent period. It is somewhat more formal than everyday alternatives such as nemrég or az utóbbi időben, and it often appears in news reports, analytical writing, or formal narration.

Usage compared with related terms: Nemrég emphasizes immediacy (“recently”), while mostanában or az utóbbi időben refer to a broader, ongoing recent period. Közelmúltban highlights events that belong to the near past without implying ongoing duration, making it suitable for summarizing recent developments or historical overviews.

See also: közelmúlt, közelmúltbeli (adjective form meaning “recent”), az utóbbi időben, nemrég, mostanában.