csupán

Csupán is a Hungarian adverb meaning merely or only. It serves to limit or moderate a statement, signaling that the described amount, extent, or assertion is smaller or more restricted than one might expect. In everyday usage it sits between the more common csak and the more formal nemcsak ... hanem ... construction, adding a note of restraint or emphasis without negation.

Usage and placement

Csupán typically precedes the element it limits, for example: csupán egy nap, csupán egy perc. It can also introduce a whole clause: csupán annyit mondott, hogy ... In reporting or formal prose, csupán can appear at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis: Csupán annyi történt, hogy... It is synonymous with but slightly more formal or literary than csak. The phrase nem csupán … hanem … is frequently used to express not only … but also, with csupán functioning as a milder, more restrained alternative to csak.

Nuance and synonyms

Csupán conveys a sense of modesty or understatement, often softening a claim. Its synonyms include csak and csakis, though csak is closer to “just,” while csupán carries a tone of restraint. In contrast to nem csak, which introduces a contrast with another element, csupán reinforces restriction without asserting addition.

Etymology

The origin of csupán is uncertain, but it is commonly linked to csupa, meaning “whole, entire.” The sense of emphasis on a limited scope developed historically into its current role as an adverb of restraint.

See also

Not only … but also constructions, and the use of csak and nemcsak in Hungarian.