hónapokkal

Hónapokkal is the plural instrumental form of the Hungarian noun hónap (month). In Hungarian grammar the instrumental case expresses means, manner, or time distance and is formed with the suffix -val/-vel. When attached to the plural stem hónapok, it becomes hónapokkal, producing a form used to refer to months as a unit in time expressions or to indicate a distance in time.

Usage of hónapokkal is common in phrases that signal a span or distance measured in months. Typical examples include hónapokkal ezelőtt meaning "months ago" and hónapokkal később meaning "months later." The plural form can also appear in broader temporal statements where the speaker does not specify an exact number of months, focusing instead on the general time elapsed or anticipated.

Notes on exact counts and one-month forms: when a specific number of months is stated, the singular instrumental form is normally used (for example, két hónappal ezelőtt, meaning "two months ago"). The form hónapokkal ezelőtt is less common in everyday speech for precise counts but is acceptable in contexts where months are treated as a general unit or when the exact number is not specified, such as in narrative or formal writing.

See also: hónap, hónappal, -kal/-vel suffix in Hungarian grammar, time expressions in Hungarian.