biztos

Hungarian

Etymology

From bízik (“to trust”) +‎ -t (noun-forming suffix) + -os (adjective-forming suffix).

Pronunciation

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• Hyphenation: biz‧tos
• Rhymes: -oʃ

Adjective

biztos (comparative biztosabb, superlative legbiztosabb)

1. safe, secure
2. sure, steady
3. sure of, certain, confident, positive (with -ban/-ben)

Declension

Derived terms

Adverb

biztos (not comparable)

1. surely, certainly

   Synonym: biztosan

2. probably, perhaps, maybe

   Synonym: biztosan

Usage notes

To make clear that the meaning surely, certainly is implied, one can use biztos as the adjective followed by the word hogy (“that”) as in:

Biztos, hogy ők voltak azok. ― It is sure that it was them.

This makes it clear that it is not a probability but a certainty in contrast to the ambiguous phrasing:

Biztos ők voltak azok. ― It must have been them. / It was surely them.

Noun

biztos (plural biztosok)

1. commissioner, policeman

   Biztos úr! ― Officer! (addressing a policeman)

Declension

References

Further reading

• (sure, certain): biztos in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (commissioner, policeman): biztos in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• biztos in Ittzés, Nóra (ed.). A magyar nyelv nagyszótára (‘A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published A–ez as of 2024)