mióta

Mióta is a Hungarian temporal conjunction and question word meaning "since" or "for how long." It introduces a starting point in time for an action or state and can be used both in direct questions and in subordinate clauses. In questions it asks about when something began, as in “Mióta élsz itt?” or “Mióta dolgozol a cégnél?” In statements or answers, the duration from that starting point is often expressed with a separate phrase, for example “tíz éve” followed by a verb: “Már tíz éve dolgozom itt.”

Usage and grammar: Mióta typically accompanies verbs in present or past tense, directly asking about the starting point of an ongoing situation. It is commonly contrasted with phrases like “hány éve” (how many years) when the speaker wants to emphasize the length of time rather than the origin. For instance, “Mióta él itt?” and “Hány éve él itt?” are both common, but they highlight slightly different aspects: starting point versus total duration.

Indirect questions and other forms: In indirect questions, mióta can appear within a subordinate clause, e.g., “Megtudom, mióta dolgozik ott.” The word itself remains unchanged, functioning as a temporal reference inside the sentence.

See also: Hungarian time expressions, hány éve, meddig, duration expressions. Mióta is a basic element of time-related questioning in Hungarian and is widely used in everyday speech as well as formal writing.