órak

Árak is the Hungarian word for prices. The singular ár denotes the price of a specific good or service, while the plural árak refers to prices in general or to the prices of multiple items. The term is widely used in everyday language as well as in business, media, and policy discussions.

In everyday speech speakers discuss whether prices are high or low, using phrases such as az árak emelkednek (the prices are rising) or az árak csökkennek (the prices are falling). In economic contexts, prices function as signals that help allocate resources, reflecting factors such as production costs, supply and demand, competition, taxes, subsidies, exchange rates, and market structure. Price changes influence consumer choices, retailer strategies, and decision-making across firms, including timing of purchases and inventory management.

Related terminology includes árindex, the price index used to measure changes in the cost of a basket of goods and services over time, and árszint, the general price level in an economy. Policy discussions may invoke árszabályozás (price regulation) or, in some cases, árkorlátozás. Retail and wholesale sectors commonly present prices in local currency, with regional variations or promotional pricing affecting observed árak.

The concept of árak intersects with broader topics such as inflation, purchasing power, wage dynamics, and monetary policy. While the basic idea is straightforward—the amount paid for goods and services—interpretations of árak depend on macroeconomic conditions, expectations, and regulatory frameworks.