önéletrajzi

Önéletrajzi is a Hungarian adjective meaning autobiographical, used to describe works or passages that recount the author’s own life. It derives from ön- (self) and életrajz (biography), with önéletrajz specifically referring to an autobiography written by the author about themselves.

Common usages include önéletrajzi mű (an autobiographical work), önéletrajzi elem (an autobiographical element), or önéletrajzi regény (an autobiographical novel). The term is often contrasted with életrajzi, which describes biographical writing about others rather than the author’s own life. In practice, ötéletrajzi labeling signals a work’s self-revealing, memory-based nature rather than a third-person account.

Characteristics of önéletrajzi writing typically include first-person narration, a focus on personal experience, and a combination of chronological and thematic organization. Such works are often reflective and may rely on memory and reconstruction, which can introduce subjectivity or bias. The genre frequently intersects with related forms like memoirs and confessional writing and, in contemporary contexts, with autofikció, where autobiographical elements are blended with fiction.

In media and scholarship, önéletrajzi material can appear in literature, film, and journalism. Critics may discuss reliability, ethical considerations, and the boundary between truth and interpretation in autobiography. Related terms include életrajz (biography), önéletrajz (autobiography), and autóbografikus or autofikció as broader or cross-genre labels.