száradó

Száradó is a Hungarian term formed from the verb szárad, meaning to dry or to dry out. It is the present active participle and, when used as an adjective, describes something that is currently undergoing the drying process or is in a state likely to dry. In ordinary usage it functions as an attributive adjective before a noun, for example száradó ruhák (clothes that are drying) or száradó fa (wood that is drying).

Grammatically, száradó behaves like a normal Hungarian adjective and agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case. Its meaning emphasizes the ongoing action of drying rather than the result (fully dry). This distinguishes it from száradás, the noun for the act of drying, and from szárító, which denotes a dryer or drying device.

Common contexts include everyday life, such as describing laundry on a line or a garment left to air-dry, as well as industrial or agricultural settings where materials like fruit, herbs, wood, or other goods are undergoing a drying process. For example, száradó gyümölcsök would refer to fruit that is in the process of being dried.

Notes on usage: száradó often coexists with related terms like szárítás (the act of drying) and szárító (the device or equipment used for drying). The choice between száradó and other descriptors depends on whether the emphasis is on the ongoing process, the state of the item, or the method of drying.

In summary, száradó conveys the ongoing drying state of an object and is a standard present participle used attributively in Hungarian.