hónaptól

Hónaptól is a Hungarian ablative form derived from the noun hónap (month) with the suffix -tól. It functions as a time-reference marker meaning “from the month” and is used to indicate the starting point of a period in formal or written Hungarian. The form is part of the broader system of time-related postpositions in Hungarian, where the suffix -tól marks origin or starting point.

In use, hónaptól often appears with numerical modifiers, for example öt hónaptól (from five months) or két hónaptól (from two months). It is common in contracts, schedules, and regulatory texts to specify when rules, rates, or conditions come into effect starting from a given point in time. When a specific month is intended, Hungarian frequently uses the fused forms januártól, februártól, etc., rather than hónaptól, to indicate “from January,” “from February,” and so on.

Hónaptól can also appear in combination with phrases such as kezdve or számítva to emphasize the starting point: például öt hónaptól kezdve (beginning five months from now) or hónaptól számítva (counting from the month). In everyday speech, speakers more often use the single-month forms (e.g., januártól) or more natural calendar expressions rather than softening to hónaptól, but the ablative form remains correct and productive in formal language.

See also: tól/-tól suffix, ablative case in Hungarian, time expressions in Hungarian. Notes: while hónaptól denotes a starting point in months, the exact phrasing may vary with style and register, and the more common month-specific forms januártól or februártól are typically preferred when naming a concrete month.