apának

apának is a Hungarian grammatical form: the dative case of the noun apa, meaning father. It marks the indirect object or recipient of an action, equivalent to “to the father” in English. In Hungarian, the dative is formed by adding the suffix -nak or -nek to a noun, with vowel harmony; for the word apa, the dative singular becomes apának, while the plural dative is apáknak.

The form apának is used when referring to giving something to the father, thanking the father, or speaking to the father, for example: Adtam apának egy könyvet. I gave a book to the father. Köszönöm apának a segítséget. I thank the father for the help. Mit mondtál apának? What did you say to the father? The plural form apáknak serves the same purpose for multiple fathers, as in Elküldtük a levelet apáknak. We sent the letter to the fathers.

Usage notes: apának is limited to contexts involving the father as recipient or addressee. Hungarian grammar allows other suffixes to combine with apát to form different cases, but apának specifically expresses the dative relationship. The word apa itself is native Hungarian for “father,” and its dative form apának follows standard suffixation rules for back-vowel stems.