ÖnnekÖnöknek

ÖnnekÖnöknek is a term used in linguistic discussions to describe the Hungarian formal second-person pronouns and their associated dative forms. It is not an official word in Hungarian dictionaries; rather, it is a concatenation of two related forms: Önnek, the dative form for the singular formal you, and Önöknek, the dative form for the plural formal you.

In Hungarian, the pronoun Ön is the polite second person (singular) and Önök is the polite second person (plural). The endings -nek attach to these stems to express the indirect object or recipient of an action. Thus Önnek means “to you” (singular, formal) and Önöknek means “to you all” (plural, formal). These forms appear in sentences that indicate whom an action is directed toward, such as giving, thanking, or addressing politely.

Usage and examples are typical of polite or formal register. For instance, Köszönöm Önnek a segítséget means “I thank you for the help,” using the singular formal form. Köszönöm Önöknek a segítséget means “I thank you all for the help,” using the plural formal form. Other constructions follow the same pattern, with Önnek or Önöknek appearing where Hungarian requires a dative object.

The term underscores how Hungarian treats formal address as parallel in singular and plural, while actual usage often favors ellipsis (omitting the pronoun). The distinction between te/ti (informal) and Ön/Önök (formal) remains a central feature of Hungarian politeness and sociolinguistic practice. See also Hungarian pronouns and politeness forms.