vastag

The Hungarian word 'vastag' (pronounced approximately 'vaw-shtag') is an adjective meaning 'thick.' It's a fundamental word in Hungarian, used to describe the physical dimension of an object that has considerable depth or width relative to its other dimensions, or simply has a large cross-section.

• Physical Thickness: This is the most common use. You would use 'vastag' to describe a thick book ('vastag könyv'), a thick wall ('vastag fal'), a thick slice of bread ('vastag szelet kenyér'), or thick hair ('vastag haj').

• Consistency/Density: It can also refer to the consistency of liquids or semi-solids, implying a high density or viscosity. For instance, 'vastag leves' means a thick soup, and 'vastag köd' refers to a dense fog.

• Figurative Use: While less common than in English, 'vastag' can sometimes be used figuratively, though often in combination with other words to form idioms. For example, 'vastag bőr van a képén' literally means 'there is thick skin on his face,' but idiomatically means someone is thick-skinned or insensitive.

Like all Hungarian adjectives, 'vastag' declines to agree with the noun it modifies in terms of number and case. Here's a brief overview of its declension in common cases:

• Nominative (basic form): vastag (e.g., A vastag könyv. - The thick book.)

• Accusative (object form): vastagot (e.g., Látok egy vastag könyvet. - I see a thick book.)

• Dative (to/for): vastagnak (e.g., A vastagnak adom. - I give it to the thick one/thing. - Less common with adjectives alone.)

• Instrumental (with/by): vastaggal (e.g., Vastag fallal van körülvéve. - It is surrounded by a thick wall.)

• Superessive (on/at): vastagon (e.g., Vastagon van bevonva. - It is thickly coated.)

When 'vastag' precedes a noun, it typically remains in its base form (nominative singular) even if the noun is in a different case, as the noun itself takes the case ending. For example, 'egy vastag könyvet' (a thick book - accusative), not 'egy vastagot könyvet'. However, if 'vastag' acts as a predicate (e.g., 'A könyv vastag.' - The book is thick.), it does not decline.

• e.g., Ez vastagabb, mint az. - This is thicker than that.

• e.g., Ez a legvastagabb. - This is the thickest.

• Vastagság: (noun) thickness (e.g., A fal vastagsága. - The thickness of the wall.)

• Vastagít: (verb) to thicken (e.g., Vastagítani a szószt. - To thicken the sauce.)

• Vastagon: (adverb) thickly (e.g., Vastagon keni a vajat. - He spreads the butter thickly.)

Understanding 'vastag' is essential for describing physical attributes in Hungarian, and its declension and comparative forms follow standard Hungarian adjective patterns.