Örökbe

Örökbe is a Hungarian expression primarily used as part of the verb phrase örökbe fogad, meaning to adopt someone, most commonly a child, into permanent guardianship. The component örökbe signals a lasting change of status, akin to “into eternity/for good,” while fogad means to take in or accept. The combination is standard in both official and everyday language when referring to legal adoption. The related noun form is örökbefogadás, meaning adoption, and the related adjective örökbefogadó refers to the adoptive party (for example, adoptive parent).

Etymology and grammar: örökbe derives from örök, meaning eternal or lasting, with the directional suffix -be indicating movement into a state. Odoraki, the phrase is a fixed collocation used with various verb forms such as fogad, fogadott, or fogadni. In most contexts, örökbe fogad and örökbefogadás are the preferred terms; non-inflected forms are rarely used on their own outside of fixed expressions. The word is mainly associated with child adoption, though it can appear in broader discussions of permanent guardianship or transfer of parental rights.

Legal and social context: Adoption in Hungary is regulated by family law. The process typically involves social services assessment, the consent of guardians or biological parents where applicable, and a judicial decision that transfers parental rights to the adoptive parents. The result is a permanent parental relationship, with the adopted child gaining the same legal status as a biological child in most respects.

Examples: A férfi örökbe fogadott egy hatéves gyermeket. Az örökbefogadás hosszú eljárás volt. Ő az örökbefogadó szülő.