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Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) is a subsidiary tree species found in Hungary’s hill and mountain forests and it covers about 5.2% of the forest area. It can also be found almost all over Europe, from Sweden to Western Asia. In previous studies, it was found that acetylation – wood modification using acetic anhydride – improves the physical, mechanical, and also the durability properties of this wood species. The aim of this research was to examine the change of the bonding properties of hornbeam wood after acetylating it under industrial conditions. The compatibility of adhesives with modified wood is crucial to investigate, as changes in wood chemistry affect the bonding characteristics greatly, among other productrelated properties like surface finishing and joinery with metal fasteners. In order to draw proper conclusions regarding this complex property, several tests were carried out concerning the wettability of the surface, testing the shear strength of solid wood samples and determining the bonding strength of samples glued with different adhesives. For the wettability properties, the surface energy was determined by the Sessile Drop Technique using water (polar) and diiodomethane (nonpolar) as probe liquids. The surface energy was determined for non-treated and acetylated hornbeam, on aged and non-aged surfaces, as well as on tangential and radial surfaces. Conclusions were drawn on the significance of these properties on the wettability of hornbeam. Tests regarding the shear strength of solid wood and the bonding strength were carried out on samples prepared in the same way, according to EN 205:2016. This way, conclusions were drawn regarding the bonding and shear strength change of wood before and after acetylation, as well as in conditioned, water-saturated or cooked state