Discourse Connectors in Hungarian

In Brief

Hungarian discourse connectors make the relationship between ideas explicit. Use ezzel szemben to contrast one point with another, ennek ellenére when a fact does not produce the expected result, mindazonáltal for a formal “nevertheless,” and ráadásul to add a further, often strengthening point. They connect meanings rather than changing the grammar of the verb that follows.

Overview

Discourse connectors—Hungarian szövegkötők—are words or phrases that guide a reader or listener through a text. They show whether a new statement contrasts with an earlier one, goes against an expectation, or adds another supporting point. Here, discourse simply means connected language beyond one isolated sentence: a conversation, email, presentation, essay, or report.

At B2, basic words such as és “and” and de “but” are still useful, but they no longer express every relationship precisely. Compare “A is cheap, but B is expensive” with “A was warned; despite this, A continued.” Both contain opposition, yet the second also signals a failed expectation. Hungarian marks that distinction naturally with different connectors.

For an English-speaking learner, dictionary equivalents can be misleading. English “however” may introduce a direct contrast or a result contrary to expectation. Hungarian often makes you choose: ezzel szemben for comparison, but ennek ellenére, mégis, or mindazonáltal for concession. Learning the logical job of each phrase is more reliable than memorizing one English translation.

How It Works

Three relationships to keep separate

Relationship	Main connector	Practical question
Direct contrast	ezzel szemben	How is the second person, thing, or situation different?
Concession	ennek ellenére, mindazonáltal	What happened despite a reason to expect otherwise?
Reinforcing addition	ráadásul	What extra fact strengthens the point?

A concession is a relationship in which an obstacle or expectation is acknowledged, but the following result goes against it. For example, cold weather normally discourages people from going out; in Hideg volt. Ennek ellenére elmentünk sétálni, the walk happened anyway.

Ezzel szemben: setting two points against each other

Ezzel szemben means “by contrast” or “in contrast to this.” The element ezzel refers back to the preceding idea, so the expression works best when there is a clear comparison:

Anna szeret korán kelni. Ezzel szemben Péter délig aludna.

“Anna likes getting up early. By contrast, Péter would sleep until noon.”

The two statements need not be exact opposites, but they should be comparable. The connector is more explicit and structured than de “but.” Viszont can also mark contrast and is often lighter and more conversational:

• Ez a lakás világos, viszont kicsi. — “This apartment is bright, but small.”
• Ez a lakás kicsi. Ezzel szemben a másik tágas. — “This apartment is small. By contrast, the other one is spacious.”

Ezzel szemben can begin a new sentence or follow an opening phrase. It is normally followed by a comma when it stands at the beginning: Ezzel szemben, a másik... is not the usual pattern; write Ezzel szemben a másik... without inserting a comma immediately after the connector. A comma may still appear later for an independent reason.

Ennek ellenére: an outcome despite the preceding fact

Ennek ellenére literally has the structure “despite this”: ennek “of this” plus ellenére “in spite of.” It refers back to a concrete fact, circumstance, or argument.

Egész éjjel esett. Ennek ellenére reggel elindultunk.

“It rained all night. Despite this, we set off in the morning.”

This connector does not merely compare rain and departure. It says that the rain provided a reason not to leave, yet the departure happened. It is neutral enough for careful conversation and common writing.

Hungarian can express the same basic logic inside one complex sentence with bár or noha “although”:

• Bár egész éjjel esett, reggel elindultunk. — “Although it rained all night, we set off in the morning.”
• Egész éjjel esett. Ennek ellenére reggel elindultunk. — “It rained all night. Despite this, we set off in the morning.”

The first makes the rain a subordinate clause (a clause that depends grammatically on another clause). The second presents the rain as its own statement and then refers back to it. Do not combine both patterns automatically; Hungarian, like English, usually needs only one clear marker.

Mindazonáltal: formal concession

Mindazonáltal means “nevertheless,” “nonetheless,” or “all the same.” Its logical role overlaps with ennek ellenére, but its register is noticeably formal. It fits reports, essays, reviews, public statements, and carefully reasoned argument:

Az eljárás költséges. Mindazonáltal hosszú távon megtérülhet.

“The procedure is costly. Nevertheless, it may pay off in the long term.”

In relaxed conversation, speakers are more likely to use mégis “still/even so,” ennek ellenére, or sometimes azért in a concessive sense. That does not make mindazonáltal obsolete; it simply gives it a more deliberate written tone.

Mindazonáltal often comments on the whole preceding statement. It can occupy the beginning or an internal position:

• Mindazonáltal folytattuk a munkát. — “Nevertheless, we continued the work.”
• A terv mindazonáltal megvalósítható. — “The plan is nevertheless feasible.”

Hungarian word order is shaped heavily by information focus, so there is no special “connector inversion” comparable to a fixed English construction. Keep the normal sentence pattern unless you intentionally want to emphasize a particular element.

Ráadásul: adding weight

Ráadásul adds another fact in the same argumentative direction: “moreover,” “what is more,” or conversationally “on top of that.” The added point often makes a situation better or worse than already stated:

Drága volt a jegy, ráadásul rossz helyen ültünk.

“The ticket was expensive, and on top of that we had bad seats.”

It is not restricted to complaints:

Gyorsan elkészült, ráadásul nagyon finom lett.

“It was ready quickly, and what is more, it turned out delicious.”

Unlike plain és, ráadásul tells the listener that the new fact strengthens the case. Továbbá also adds information, but usually sounds more like an orderly formal list: “furthermore.” Sőt is stronger in a different way: it corrects or escalates the previous formulation, as in “indeed” or “what is more.”

Position and punctuation

These expressions are sentence adverbials—elements that comment on how an entire statement relates to its context. They are not conjunctions that require a particular verb form.

At the beginning of a sentence, Hungarian normally does not put a comma after these connectors by default:

• Ennek ellenére eljött.
• Mindazonáltal érdemes megpróbálni.
• Ráadásul ingyenes.

When two independent clauses appear in one sentence, punctuation follows the clause boundary:

Nem volt sok időnk, ennek ellenére befejeztük a feladatot.

A full stop is often clearer, especially in formal writing. A semicolon can also connect two closely related independent statements:

Kevés adat áll rendelkezésre; mindazonáltal néhány következtetés levonható.

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
A városban emelkedtek az árak. Ezzel szemben vidéken alig változtak.	Prices rose in the city. By contrast, they hardly changed in the countryside.	Comparison between two places
Júlia röviden válaszolt. Ezzel szemben Márk részletesen kifejtette a véleményét.	Júlia answered briefly. By contrast, Márk explained his opinion in detail.	Two people are compared
A régi rendszer egyszerűbb volt, ezzel szemben az új több lehetőséget kínál.	The old system was simpler, whereas the new one offers more options.	Contrast within one sentence
Nagyon fáradt voltam. Ennek ellenére elmentem az előadásra.	I was very tired. Despite this, I went to the lecture.	The result defies expectation
Többször figyelmeztették, ennek ellenére ugyanazt a hibát követte el.	They warned him several times; despite this, he made the same mistake.	Prior fact should have prevented the result
Az időjárás rossznak ígérkezett. Ennek ellenére sokan eljöttek.	The weather forecast looked bad. Even so, many people came.	Neutral concession
A módszernek vannak korlátai. Mindazonáltal hasznos kiindulópontot nyújt.	The method has limitations. Nevertheless, it provides a useful starting point.	Formal balanced assessment
Kevés bizonyíték maradt fenn; mindazonáltal az esemény főbb részletei ismertek.	Little evidence has survived; nevertheless, the main details of the event are known.	Formal written argument
A határidő szoros. Mindazonáltal úgy gondoljuk, hogy a terv megvalósítható.	The deadline is tight. Nevertheless, we believe the plan is feasible.	Careful professional register
A szálloda messze volt a központtól, ráadásul zajos is volt.	The hotel was far from the center, and on top of that it was noisy.	A second negative strengthens the complaint
Eszter pontosan dolgozik, ráadásul mindig segít a kollégáinak.	Eszter works accurately, and what is more, she always helps her colleagues.	Positive reinforcing addition
Nemcsak olcsó, hanem kényelmes is, ráadásul kevés energiát fogyaszt.	It is not only cheap but also comfortable, and moreover it uses little energy.	Adds a third supporting point

Common Mistakes

Using contrast when the meaning is concession

• Wrong: Szakadt az eső. Ezzel szemben elmentünk futni.
• Right: Szakadt az eső. Ennek ellenére elmentünk futni.
• Why: The run happened despite the rain; the two statements are not two comparable alternatives. Use a concessive connector.

Treating ezzel szemben as a free-standing “however”

• Wrong: Elvesztettem a kulcsomat. Ezzel szemben később megtaláltam.
• Right: Elvesztettem a kulcsomat, de később megtaláltam.
• Why: Losing and later finding the same key form a sequence, not a contrast between two subjects or situations. English “however” has wider uses than ezzel szemben.

Doubling the concession unnecessarily

• Awkward: Bár beteg volt, ennek ellenére dolgozott.
• Better: Bár beteg volt, dolgozott.
• Also right: Beteg volt. Ennek ellenére dolgozott.
• Why: Both bár and ennek ellenére signal the same concessive relationship. Double marking can occur for emphasis, especially in speech, but it is usually heavy in edited prose.

Putting a comma after an opening connector automatically

• Wrong: Mindazonáltal, folytatnunk kell a munkát.
• Right: Mindazonáltal folytatnunk kell a munkát.
• Why: Hungarian does not normally separate a sentence-initial connector from the clause with a comma. Do not copy English punctuation mechanically.

Using mindazonáltal in casual small talk

• Unnatural in a relaxed context: Nincs kedvem főzni. Mindazonáltal készítek valamit.
• Natural: Nincs kedvem főzni, de azért készítek valamit.
• Why: Mindazonáltal is correct but unusually formal for an everyday remark. Match the connector to the setting.

Using ráadásul for a neutral list

• Misleading: Vettem kenyeret, ráadásul tejet és tojást.
• Better: Vettem kenyeret, tejet és tojást.
• Why: Ráadásul presents an added fact as extra argumentative weight, not merely the next item on a shopping list.

Usage Notes

Register is part of the meaning. In ordinary conversation, ráadásul and ennek ellenére are entirely natural. Ezzel szemben is also common, especially when making an explicit comparison, though viszont is often lighter. Mindazonáltal belongs mainly to formal or carefully organized speech and writing.

Do not overfill a paragraph with connectors. English school writing sometimes encourages placing “however,” “moreover,” and “therefore” at the start of many sentences. The same habit can make Hungarian prose sound mechanical. Use a connector when the relationship would otherwise be unclear or when you want to guide the reader deliberately.

Pronunciation matters in speech too. A connector may form its own intonation unit—a spoken chunk marked by rhythm and pitch—especially when the speaker pauses to redirect the argument. Punctuation, however, should follow Hungarian sentence structure rather than every possible speaking pause.

The reference words ezzel in ezzel szemben and ennek in ennek ellenére normally point backward to something already mentioned. If that reference is vague, name the contrast or obstacle more directly: A magas árak ellenére... “Despite the high prices...” This makes longer texts easier to follow.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

At higher levels, connector choice becomes a matter of stance: how strongly and in what style the writer positions one claim against another.

Connector	Closest practical sense	Typical effect
viszont	but / on the other hand	Common, compact contrast; frequent in speech
ugyanakkor	at the same time / however	Balances two simultaneously valid points
ezzel szemben	by contrast	Explicit comparison with what precedes
mégis	still / even so	Concise, everyday counter-expectation
ennek ellenére	despite this	Clearly names the preceding fact as an obstacle
mindazonáltal	nevertheless	Formal, measured concession
emellett	besides this / in addition	Adds a parallel consideration
továbbá	furthermore	Formal enumeration
ráadásul	on top of that	Adds and strengthens, often with emotional force
sőt	indeed / what is more	Escalates or replaces a weaker statement with a stronger one

Two distinctions are particularly useful. First, ugyanakkor often balances rather than cancels: A munka nehéz, ugyanakkor érdekes presents both qualities as true. Second, sőt can intensify the wording itself: Nemcsak érdekes, sőt lenyűgöző moves from “interesting” to the stronger “fascinating.” Ráadásul normally adds a separate supporting fact instead.

Connectors can also occupy the middle of a clause to control rhythm and focus: A javaslat mindazonáltal elfogadható. This is especially common in formal prose. Beginning every sentence with the connector is grammatically possible, but varied placement often reads more naturally.

Finally, a connector cannot repair weak logic. Before choosing one, state the relationship without it: “X differs from Y,” “Y happened despite X,” or “Y adds weight to X.” If that paraphrase is unclear, the connection between the ideas probably needs rewriting rather than a more impressive linking word.

Practice Tips

1. Sort by relationship, not translation. Make three columns labeled contrast, concession, and reinforcing addition. Place each new Hungarian connector in one column and write a two-sentence example that proves the relationship.
2. Rewrite pairs in two ways. Turn Bár fáradt volt, tovább dolgozott into Fáradt volt. Ennek ellenére tovább dolgozott. This trains both subordinate-clause and sentence-linking patterns without changing the logic.
3. Edit a short paragraph aloud. Replace repeated de and és only where a more precise connector genuinely improves the argument. Then check whether the result sounds like conversation, professional writing, or a formal essay.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Conjunctions — provides the core links such as és, de, and mert that these more precise connectors build on.