kátyús

Kátyús is a Hungarian adjective used to describe surfaces that are full of potholes. It is most commonly applied to roads and streets, but can also refer to other surfaces that have many pits or cavities. The term is frequent in journalism, public discourse, and everyday speech when commenting on infrastructure quality, safety, and maintenance. In addition to its literal meaning, it can be used figuratively to describe plans, schedules, or administrative processes that are flawed or incomplete.

Etymology and form: The word derives from kátyú, pothole, with the adjectival suffix -s, creating a form that literally means “full of potholes.” It is a productive Hungarian formation used to convey a degraded or hazardous condition.

Usage notes: Kátyús is standard in Hungarian and appears in both formal reporting and informal talk. Common collocations include kátyús utak (pothole-ridden roads) and kátyús közút (a pothole-ridden main road). While widely used in Hungarian-speaking contexts, the term does not have a widely used direct English cognate beyond pothole-ridden or pothole-filled.

See also: pothole; road maintenance; infrastructure.