második

Második is a Hungarian ordinal numeral meaning "second." It is used to indicate order in a sequence and can function as an adjective before a noun or as a pronoun when referring to a previously mentioned item.

As an adjective, második precedes the noun and agrees with it in number. Examples: "a második nap" (the second day), "a második hely" (the second place). When the noun is inflected for a case, the noun carries the case ending (for instance, "a második napot" in the accusative). In plural contexts the construction remains with the noun in plural, e.g., "a második napok" (the second days) or "a második helyek" depending on the sentence.

As a pronoun, második can stand alone to mean "the second one," as in "A másodikat választottam" (I chose the second one).

Origin and relation to other ordinals: it is a native Hungarian ordinal formed from the stem másod- with the standard ordinal suffix -ik. It belongs to the regular sequence of Hungarian ordinals, alongside első (first), harmadik (third), negyedik (fourth), and so on.

Usage notes: második is common in everyday speech and writing, including dates, schedules, rankings, and instructions. Like other Hungarian adjectives, it does not reflect gender; it simply precedes the noun and participates in the usual noun-adjective agreement through the noun's case and number.

See also: Hungarian grammar; Ordinals in Hungarian; Numerals in Hungarian.