Hungarian

Adverb

hátha (not comparable)

1. wish, if only

   Hátha nem hal meg! - Wish he doesn't die!

2. what if, perhaps, hopefully, hoping for,

   Próbáld meg újra, hátha most sikerül! - Try it again, perhaps it will work now.

   Leírom, hátha érdekel valakit. - I write it down, in case (hopefully) someone is interested.

   Vigyázz, hátha lehallgatnak. - Be careful, they might be wiretapping you.

   Ne bántsd, hátha nem is ő a tolvaj. - Don't hurt him, what if/maybe he's not the thief.

Usage notes

This word has no equivalent in English. In the most simple case it means wish, if only. With the other more complex meaning, the clause of hátha describes the purpose or reason of a specified action, or in what case an action makes sense (is not in vain), or what one has in mind by doing something. This action is usually explicitly specified in the preceding clause (Megnézem, hátha már itt vannak. - I am going to see if they are already here). It may also be implicit, e.g. the action that the speaker is doing (Hátha még nem zárt be a bolt! - What if the shop hasn't closed yet? and then leaving).