bérben

Bérben is a Hungarian adverbial form derived from the noun bér, which can mean wage or salary as well as rent or lease. The term is used to indicate that something operates under a wage-based arrangement or under a rental agreement. In practice, bérben connotes a condition defined by compensation rather than ownership, ownership rights, or free use.

In usage, the phrase occurs chiefly in formal, legal, or economic contexts. In labor-related language, bérben dolgozó or bérben alkalmazott describes someone who works for wages. In property or tenancy contexts, terms related to bérben appear when describing occupancy or use under a lease, though everyday speech more commonly relies on dedicated terms like bérlet or ingatlan bérbeadása.

Etymologically, bérben combines the root bér (meaning wage/salary or rent) with the suffix -ben, which forms a locative or in-state meaning of “in,” “within,” or “under.” This results in a nuance that something is in a state defined by compensation, whether payment of wages or rent.

Related terms include bér, bérlet, bérbeadás, and bérlő, which cover the broader concepts of wage, tenancy, letting, and tenant. Bérben is primarily a formal or technical formulation rather than everyday conversational language.

See also: bér, bérlet, bérbeadás, bérlő.