Önmagában

Önmagában is a Hungarian adverb meaning "in itself" or "per se." It signals that a property or judgment refers to the intrinsic nature of something, independent of context or external factors.

Origins and form: The expression combines ön ("self") with magában ("in it/within it"), formed with the locative suffix -ban/-ben to create a phrase that emphasizes internal, intrinsic aspects. As a compound adverb, it can modify predicates to stress essential qualities rather than contingent ones.

Usage: It is commonly used to discuss inherent characteristics, fundamental validity, or to contrast intrinsic properties with results that arise from circumstances. For example: "A festmény önmagában is megéri a látogatást." ("The painting is worth visiting in itself.") and "A döntés önmagában véve helyes, de alkalmazása nehéz lehet." ("The decision, by itself, is correct, but its implementation may be difficult.") The phrase often appears in formal or written Hungarian but is also found in everyday usage.

Nuances and translation: Ömmagában conveys a stronger emphasis on intrinsic nature than some synonymous phrases like magában. It is close to the English "in itself" or "per se," and is used to assert that a property holds independently of external factors. Care may be needed to choose between "önmagában" and related forms such as "önmagát" (reflexive) depending on the sentence structure and meaning.

See also: per se, intrinsic value, intrinsic properties.