Hungarian Vocabulary Examples
Note: The stress is always placed on the first syllable of each word. The remaining syllables all receive an equal, lesser stress. All syllables are pronounced clearly and evenly, even at the end of a sentence, unlike in English.
Hungarian (person, language): magyar [mɑɟɑr]
Hello!:
Formal, when addressing a stranger: "Good day!": Jó napot (kívánok)! [joːnɑpot ki:vaːnok]
Informal, when addressing someone you know very well: Szia! [siɑ] (it sounds almost exactly like American colloquialism "See ya!")
Good-bye!: Viszontlátásra! (formal) (see above), Viszlát! [vislaːt] (semi-informal), Szia (informal: same stylistic remark as for "Hello!" )
Excuse me: Elnézést! [ɛlneːzeːʃt]
Please:
Kérem (szépen) [keːrɛm seːpɛn] (This literally means "I'm asking (it/you) beautifully", as in German Danke schön, "I thank (you) beautifully". See next for a more common form of the polite request.)
Legyen szíves! [lɛɟɛn sivɛʃ] (literally: "Be (so) kind!")
I would like ____, please: Szeretnék ____ [sɛrɛtneːk] (this example illustrates the use of the conditional tense, as a common form of a polite request)
Sorry!: Bocsánat! [botʃaːnɑt]
Thank you: Köszönöm [køsønøm]
that/this: az [ɑz], ez [ɛz]
How much?: Mennyi? [mɛɲɲi]
How much does it cost?: Mennyibe kerül? [mɛɲɲibe kɛryl]
Yes: Igen [iɡɛn]
No: Nem [nɛm]
I don't understand: Nem értem [nɛm eːrtɛm]
I don't know: Nem tudom [nɛm tudom]
Where's the toilet?:
Hol van a vécé? [hol vɑn ɑ veːtseː] (vécé/veːtseː is the Hungarian pronouncation of the English abbreviation of "Water Closet")
Hol van a mosdó? [hol vɑn ɑ moʒdoː] – more polite (and word-for-word) version
generic toast: Egészségünkre! [ɛɡeːʃʃeːgynkrɛ] (literally: "To our health!")
juice: gyümölcslé [ɟymøltʃleː]
water: víz [viːz]
wine: bor [bor]
beer: sör [ʃør]
tea: tea [tɛɑ]
milk: tej [tɛj]
Do you speak English?: Tud(sz) angolul? [tud(s) ɑngolul] Note that the fact of asking is only shown by the proper intonation: continually rising until the penultimate syllable, then falling for the last one.
I love you: Szeretlek [sɛrɛtlɛk]
Help!: Segítség! [ʃɛgiːtʃeːg]
Related Articles:
Hungarian Translation ::
Basics of Hungarian grammar ::
Hungarian Lexicon ::
Hungarian Writing system ::
Vocabulary Examples ::
Some useful words and phrases
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