Menüt

Menüt is a term found in Hungarian grammar as the definite accusative singular form of the loanword menü, meaning "menu." The base word menü is borrowed from German Menü and appears in Hungarian with the umlaut ü. In Hungarian, the definite direct object is marked by the suffix -t, so when the menu is a definite object in a sentence, the form becomes menüt (for singular) and menüket for the plural.

The word is primarily used in contexts where the menu is the direct object of a verb and the speaker intends definiteness. For example, Megnéztem a menüt means “I looked at the menu,” and Rendeljük meg a menüt means “Let’s order the menu.” The plural form would be a menüket, as in Meghívták az asztalhoz a menüket, meaning “they brought the menus to the table.” While the -t ending marks a definite direct object, many speakers may still opt for the uninflected form menü in informal speech, relying on context or the presence of a definite article to signal definiteness.

In usage, menüt illustrates how Hungarian integrates loanwords into its case system, preserving the original meaning while adapting pronunciation and morphology to fit Hungarian phonology and grammar. It is one of several borrowed nouns that follow the standard pattern for definite direct objects, alongside native examples like könyvet and almát.

See also: Hungarian grammar, loanword adaptation, definite direct object.