Want to learn a few Hungarian phrases and words? Here is a list of useful phrases for your trip and everyday life.
Most people from the younger generations will speak at least basic English, but most elderly won’t speak any English at all, and they are more likely to speak Russian or German as a second language.
If you’re traveling to Hungary, it’s often appreciated when foreigners learn a few local phrases. It will bring a smile and give you a better connection with the locals.
Hungarian Phrases
Below, you can see translations from English to Hungarian for some of the most common phrases that are good to know for your trip.
| English | Hungarian |
| My name is… | A nevem … |
| Do you speak English? | Beszél angolul? |
| How are you? | Hogy vagy? |
| Excuse me | Elnézést! |
| Have a nice day! | Szép napot! |
| Good luck! | Sok szerencsét kivánok! |
| What time is it? | Hány óra van? |
| I don’t understand | Nem értem |
| I don’t know | Nem Tudom |
| Where is the toilet? | Hol van a mosdó? |
| How much does it cost? | Ez mennyibe kerül? |
| Leave me alone! | Hagyjon engem békén! |
| Call the police! | Hívja azonnal a rendőrséget! |
| One beer, please | Egy sör, köszönöm |
| Do you have a menu in English? | Van angol nyelvű menüje? |
| Bon appétit | Jó étvágyat! |
| I’m vegetarian | Vegetáriánus vagyok |
| I would like to pay | Fizetnék |
Hungarian words
The English words are written to the left, and on the right, you can see how they are written in Hungarian.
| English | Hungarian |
| Hello | Szia |
| Bye | Szia/Viszlát |
| Good day | Jó napot kívánok |
| Thank you | Köszönöm |
| You’re welcome | Szívesen |
| Please | Kérem |
| Yes/No | Igen/Nem |
| Welcome | Isten hozott |
| Cheers! | Egészségedre |
| Beer | Sör |
| Wine | Bor |
| Sugar | Cukor |
| Coffee | Káve |
| Milk | Tej |
| Tea | Tea |
How to count in Hungarian
While you are learning a few useful phrases and words it might also be interesting to learn how to count from 1 to 10 in Hungarian.
| English | Hungarian |
| Zero | Nulla |
| One | Egy |
| Two | Kettő |
| Three | Három |
| Four | Négy |
| Five | Öt |
| Six | Hat |
| Seven | Hét |
| Eight | Nyolc |
| Nine | Kilenc |
| Ten | Tíz |
More about the Hungarian language
The Hungarian language has around 13 million people who speak it fluently. Most of them are Hungarians, but there are also some who can speak the language in the neighboring countries.
It belongs to the Uralic language family and is considered by most linguists as part of the Finno-Ugric branch, although some disagree with this theory.
The pronunciation is quite similar to both Finnish and Estonian, and also the grammar to some extent. The languages who are spoken today and are closest to Hungarian are Mansi and Khanty, which are spoken by a small group of people in the Ural mountains along the rivers of Itrysj and Ob in Siberia.
There are 44 letters in the Hungarian alphabet, and these are the following: a, á, b, c, cs, d, dz, dzs, e, é, f, g, gy, h, i, í, j, k, l, ly, m, n, ny, o, ó, ö, ő, p, q, r, s, sz, t, ty, u, ú, ü, ű, v, w, x, y, z och zs.
The Hungarians came to Europe from the steppes of Central Asia, and the language is very unique. Some even say that it is is one of the hardest languages to learn in the world.
Photo: Shutterstock
Learn Hungarian
If you want to learn Hungarian, you can do so online with a private teacher. In some countries, there will also be lessons available in universities. For example, in Sweden, you can attend a beginners course for about 200 Euro.
There are also a few apps where you can learn Hungarian and resources online where you can study grammar and learn more phrases and words. You can also buy language software where you can learn from English or your local language via the computer.
Another option is to listen to Hungarian music, watch TV-series and movies in the language with subtitles in your own language or English. In this way, you will learn how to pronounciate certain words and how to use them.
There are also online communities and platforms where you can chat with Hungarians, who are either a teacher or someone who wants to learn English, which where you can communicate and learn from each other.
Some teachers offer sessions online for 30-60 minutes for as little as 20 Euro. It’s a good way to ask questions or have someone correct your pronunciation, or just have someone to practice speaking with.
Do you want to learn more phrases and words in Hungarian? Leave a comment, and I’m happy to translate them!