mesét

Mesét is the accusative singular form of the Hungarian noun mese, which means a fairy tale or story, particularly a traditional or children's tale with elements of the fantastic. In everyday use, mesét is the direct object in sentences, for example: "A tanár mesét mesél a gyerekeknek" (The teacher tells a fairy tale to the children) and "Az anyuka mesét olvas a kislányának" (The mother reads a fairy tale to her daughter). The term can refer to a single tale or to fairy tales as a genre.

Genre and characteristics: A mese typically includes magical elements, adventures, quests or transformations, and often carries a moral. In Hungarian tradition, tales may be transmitted as népmese (folklore fairy tale) through oral storytelling or as műmese/irodalmi mese (literary fairy tale) crafted by writers. While népmese emphasizes communal tradition, literary fairy tales adapt motifs for print or other media. Common features include archetypal characters (wise old men, cunning tricksters, magical helpers), supernatural objects, and endings that restore order.

Usage and terminology: The root "mese" also appears in adjectives such as mesés ("fabulous; magical") and in phrases like mesésen ("in a fairy-tale manner"). The word mesét remains widely used in education, publishing, and media in Hungary, reflecting the enduring prominence of fairy tales in Hungarian culture.