játék

Uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Finno-Ugric *jukta- (“to speak, tell a tale/story”) + -ék (noun-forming suffix).^[1][2][3] Cognates include Finnish juttu (“talk, chat”) and Erzya ёвтамс (jovtams, “to say, to tell”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈjaːteːk]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: já‧ték
• Rhymes: -eːk

játék (countable and uncountable, plural játékok)

1. toy (something to play with)

   Synonym: (formal in this sense) játékszer

2. game (playful or competitive activity)
3. game (one’s manner, style, or performance in playing a game)
   • 1964, J. D. Salinger (author), Judit Gyepes (translator), Zabhegyező [The Catcher in the Rye], Budapest: Európa Könyvkiadó (1998), →ISBN, chapter 11, page 95:

     Már aznap délután együtt golfoztunk. Nyolc labdát elrontott, emlékszem. Nyolcat! Rém nehéz volt rávenni, hogy legalább kinyissa a szemét, mikor beleüt a labdába. De még így is óriásit javítottam a játékán [translating game].

     I played golf with her that same afternoon. She lost eight balls, I remember. Eight. I had a terrible time getting her to at least open her eyes when she took a swing at the ball. I improved her game immensely, though.

4. play (activity for amusement only, especially among the young; similar activity in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills; the conduct, or course, of a game; an individual’s performance in a sport or game)

• játék in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.