Türelmes

Türelmes is a Hungarian adjective meaning patient, tolerant, or enduring. It describes a person who can wait calmly, persevere through difficulties, or accept others’ faults without becoming easily irritated. The term is often used to characterize temperament or attitude in everyday situations such as education, caregiving, or conflict resolution. A türelmes person tends to respond with calm persistence rather than anger.

Etymology and form: türelmes derives from the noun türelem, patience, with the adjective-forming suffix -es. The related opposite is türelmetlen, meaning impatient. The word is commonly used both in attributive position (egy türelmes ember) and predicatively (ő türelmes).

Usage notes: In Hungarian, türelmes conveys steadiness and self-control in the face of delays or provocation. It can describe people, attitudes, or processes (türelmes hozzáállás, türelmes reagálás). The adverbial form is türelmesen, used to describe how actions are performed, for example, behaves or waits patiently. The comparative form is türelmesebb, and the superlative is legtürelmesebb.

Related terms and nuances: while türelmes often overlaps with calm or composed, it emphasizes patience over time and enduring difficulty. It is distinct from leniency (engedékeny) and from mere external politeness; it reflects internal constancy and tolerance. In everyday language, it is a positive descriptor across personal, educational, and professional contexts.

See also: türelem.