Mondatbeli

Mondatbeli is a term used in linguistic descriptions of Hungarian syntax. It is formed from mondat (sentence) and the suffix -beli, meaning within or inside, so the word denotes phenomena that occur inside a single sentence. The concept contrasts with mondatközi, which describes relations that span across sentence boundaries.

In practice, mondatbeli descriptions cover intra-sentential structures and relations such as embedded clauses, relative clauses, and certain within-sentence reference patterns. It is especially common in analyses of how subordinate clauses fit into main clauses, how relatives attach to nouns inside a sentence, and how appositive phrases function without leaving the sentence.

Examples illustrate the idea. In a sentence like "Tudom, hogy eljön holnap," a mellékmondat (subordinate clause) is embedded inside the main clause, demonstrating mondatbeli subordination. In "Elmentem, és otthon maradtam," two clauses are coordinated within the same sentence, a clearly mondatbeli coordination. A sentence such as "A könyvet, amelyet régen olvasott, végre befejeztem" shows a mondatbeli relative structure where a relative clause sits inside the sentence.

The term is widely used in Hungarian grammars to differentiate internal sentence structures from discourse-level connections. It helps describe how elements relate to one another within the boundary of a single sentence rather than across multiple sentences. See also related concepts such as mellékmondat, relatív mondat, and mondatközi phenomena.