öntudatos

Öntudatos is a Hungarian adjective meaning self-conscious or self-aware. It describes someone who is aware of themselves, their thoughts and feelings, or how they are perceived by others. The term can refer to cognitive self-awareness as well as social self-consciousness.

Etymology and form: the word is built from the prefix ön- meaning “self” and tudatos meaning “conscious,” itself derived from tudat “consciousness.” It is a native morphological formation in Hungarian rather than a loanword.

Usage and nuances: in psychology and philosophy, öntudatos corresponds to the concept of self-awareness or self-consciousness, encompassing awareness of one’s own mental states, motives, and emotions. In everyday language it often emphasizes sensitivity to social perception, i.e., being mindful of how one comes across. The connotation can be neutral, positive (reflective, self-aware) or negative (overly self-conscious or overly concerned with others’ opinions), depending on context.

Related terms: öntudat refers to self-awareness in general, and öntudatosság or állapot of being self-aware is used in broader discussions of consciousness and self-reflection. The word is commonly used in contemporary Hungarian in academic, literary, and colloquial contexts to describe the extent of a person’s self-awareness or social self-consciousness.