maradjék

Maradjék is a verb form in Hungarian that represents the third person singular present optative (also described as a jussive or subjunctive mood) derived from the verb maradni, meaning “to stay.” In modern usage it is primarily found in literary, religious, or formal language and is seldom used in everyday speech, where more common forms such as maradjon or maradjatok would be preferred depending on the subject and formality.

The form is built from the stem marad- with the optative suffix -jék. It encodes a wish or command directed at a third person: roughly “may he/she stay” or “let him/her stay.” Because the optative is a somewhat archaic or elevated mood in contemporary Hungarian, maradjék often appears in historical texts, poetry, prayers, or stylistically heightened prose.

Usage and context: maradjék signals a blessing, plea, or formal directive rather than a straightforward indicative statement. It contrasts with the indicative form marad, which simply means “stays,” and with imperatives like maradj, which address the second person directly. The form can appear with various modifiers or objects and is sometimes used in proverbs or ceremonial language.

Notes: maradjék should not be confused with related words such as maradék, meaning “remainder,” or maradni’s other conjugations. For modern reference, grammars typically discuss maradjék within the broader discussion of Hungarian subjunctive and optative moods.

See also: Hungarian grammar, subjunctive mood, jussive/mood forms, maradni.