szubjektum

Szubjektum is a Hungarian term borrowed from Latin that appears in two main domains: linguistics and philosophy (and related fields such as psychology and social sciences). In everyday Hungarian, the more common term for the syntactic subject is alany, but szubjektum is used in theoretical, cross-linguistic, or translated discussions of grammar and in philosophical contexts to denote the subject as a conscious agent. In philosophy, szubjektum also refers to the subjective center of experience or thought.

In linguistics, szubjektum designates the syntactic function that typically performs the action or about which the proposition asserts something. It is often the doer or the theme of a sentence. Hungarian syntax allows flexible word order, but the subject is usually in nominative and often shows agreement with the finite verb in person and number. For example, in the sentence A diák olvas könyvet, A diák is the szubjektum (alany) of the verb olvas, while könyvet is the direct object. In cross-linguistic analyses, labeling a noun phrase as szubjektum helps align Hungarian descriptions with other languages that explicitly mark subjecthood.

In philosophy and related disciplines, szubjektum refers to the knowing or experiencing agent—the conscious subject who has perceptions, thoughts, and intentions. This use contrasts with obj ektum (the object) and underpins discussions of subjectivity and agency. The term szubjektum thus signals both a grammatical function and a broader philosophical notion of the experiencing self, with szubjektivitás describing the related concept of subjectivity.