idegennek

Idegennek is a Hungarian grammatical form: the dative singular of the noun/adjective idegen, meaning “foreigner” or “foreign.” It is formed by adding the dative suffix -nek to the stem idegen and is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence, typically translated as “to/for the foreigner.”

Function and usage

Idegennek is used with verbs that govern an indirect object, such as adni (to give), küldeni (to send), mutatni (to show), vagy segíteni (to help). In these constructions the action is directed toward the foreigner. The dative form agrees with number and corresponds to singular or plural referents through -nek (singular) and -eknek or -öknek (plural), depending on vowel harmony.

Examples

- Singular: Az idegennek adtam egy térképet. (I gave a map to the foreigner.)

- Plural: Az idegeneknek adtunk ételt. (We gave food to the foreigners.)

Notes

Idegennek can also appear in contexts where idegen is used as a noun meaning “the foreigner” or as an adjective phrase referring to a person or group perceived as foreign. The form is part of standard Hungarian inflection and follows regular dative patterns for nouns of this stem.

See also

Idegen (entry) for the base word, and a broader overview of Hungarian noun cases and dative usage.