hétben

Hétben is the locative singular form of the Hungarian noun hét, meaning week. It is formed by adding the locative suffix -ben to hét, with the appropriate vowel-harmony variant -ben (not -ban) since hét contains a front vowel. The form is used to express location or time within a week.

In Hungarian, -ben/-ban is the standard locative suffix used with many nouns to indicate “in” or “inside.” Hétben therefore denotes “in the week” or “within the week.” It can refer to a spatial sense (inside the week as a time frame) or a broader temporal context, though in everyday language it more commonly appears in written or formal contexts. For everyday expressions of time during a week, speakers often use phrases like ezen a héten (this week) or a hét folyamán (throughout the week), and hétközben to mean on weekdays.

Examples:

- A határidő hétben van. (The deadline is within the week.)

- A találkozó hét közben lesz. (The meeting will be during the week.)

In usage, hétben is one of several ways to mark a time interval related to the week. It reflects standard Hungarian morphology, sharing the same locative pattern as other nouns (for example házban, iskolában). For broader or more colloquial references to time in a week, speakers may prefer diatheses or alternatives like ezen a héten or hétközben, depending on nuance and register.