megfogalmazhatatlan

Megfogalmazhatatlan is a Hungarian adjective meaning "unable to be formulated" or "ineffable." It is used to describe experiences, sensations, or qualities that resist precise articulation in language. In literature, philosophy, and everyday speech, the term signals that words fall short of capturing the full meaning or emotional weight of a phenomenon, such as love, awe, or grief.

Form and etymology: It is a compound formed from meg- (a prefix indicating completion or intensification) and fogalmazni (to formulate or phrase), combined with -hatlan (a suffix expressing impossibility). The result is "unable to be formulated." The related adjective megfogalmazható ("can be formulated") exists as its antonym, illustrating the binary with respect to expressibility.

Usage and nuance: Megfogalmazhatatlan often carries a sense of profundity or transcendence; it is common in fiction and philosophical prose when the subject's essence cannot be captured with words. Common collocations include megfogalmazhatatlan érzés (an ineffable feeling) and megfogalmazhatatlan szépség (ineffable beauty). English translations include ineffable or inexpressible, though nuance may depend on context. The term sits between literal "unexpressible" and more figurative "hard to put into words."