Meaning
A night with very little light.
Cultural Background
The 'Luca-széke' (Lucy's stool) was traditionally made during the 12 dark nights between Dec 13 and Christmas to see witches. Poets like Endre Ady used the dark night as a symbol of the 'Hungarian fallow' or national stagnation. In small villages, 'sötét éjszaka' is a literal reality due to the lack of streetlights, leading to a strong culture of stargazing. In Budapest, a 'sötét éjszaka' is often associated with the 'ruin bar' districts and the nightlife atmosphere.
Use 'vaksötét' for drama
If you want to sound more like a native, use 'vaksötét' when it's really, really dark.
Adjective order
Always put 'sötét' before 'éjszaka'. Changing the order changes the meaning to 'The night is dark'.
Meaning
A night with very little light.
Use 'vaksötét' for drama
If you want to sound more like a native, use 'vaksötét' when it's really, really dark.
Adjective order
Always put 'sötét' before 'éjszaka'. Changing the order changes the meaning to 'The night is dark'.
Poetic 'éj'
If you're writing a song or a poem, 'sötét éj' sounds much more romantic.
The 'Betyár' connection
Mentioning the dark night often brings up images of old Hungarian outlaws in folklore.
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing word to complete the phrase.
Nagyon ______ az éjszaka, nem látok semmit.
'Sötét' is the correct adjective to describe a night with no light.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A) A sötétet éjszaka hideg. B) A sötét éjszaka hideg. C) A sötét éjszakát hideg.
Adjectives do not take endings when they precede the noun in the nominative case.
Match the Hungarian phrase with its English meaning.
1. Sötét éjszaka, 2. Világos nappal, 3. Késő este
Basic vocabulary matching for time and light.
Complete the dialogue.
Péter: Menjünk ki a kertbe! Anna: Nem akarok, mert kint ______ ______ van.
Anna doesn't want to go out because it's a dark night.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Evening vs Night
Practice Bank
4 exercisesNagyon ______ az éjszaka, nem látok semmit.
'Sötét' is the correct adjective to describe a night with no light.
A) A sötétet éjszaka hideg. B) A sötét éjszaka hideg. C) A sötét éjszakát hideg.
Adjectives do not take endings when they precede the noun in the nominative case.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Basic vocabulary matching for time and light.
Péter: Menjünk ki a kertbe! Anna: Nem akarok, mert kint ______ ______ van.
Anna doesn't want to go out because it's a dark night.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYou can, but it sounds like a literal translation from English. 'Sötét éjszaka' is much more natural.
'Éjszaka' is the common word for the night-time period. 'Éj' is shorter and more poetic.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your friends.
Use 'vaksötét' or 'szuroksötét'.
No, it stays 'sötét éjszakák'. Adjectives don't become plural before nouns.
Usually after 10 PM. Before that, it's 'este' (evening).
No, for a room just say 'sötét van a szobában'. 'Sötét éjszaka' is specifically for the time of day.
Yes, 'tök sötét' is very common in casual speech.
Sötét éjszakán.
Yes, very often in horror and crime movie titles.
Related Phrases
vaksötét
specialized formpitch black
éjszakai bagoly
builds onnight owl
sötétben tapogatózik
similarto grope in the dark
éjfél
similarmidnight
