Introduction To The Hungarian Language

Introduction to the Hungarian language
http://impulzus.sch.bme.hu/info/magyar.shtml#important

Table of contents:
Some facts Hungarian letters Some useful words and phrases The most important words Numbers - szmok Ordinal numbers - sorszmok Pronouns - nvmsok Days of the week - a ht napjai Transport, traveling - kzlekeds, utazs Restaurant, food - vendgl, lelmiszer Smoking - dohnyzs Post ofce - posta Entertainment - szrakozs Illness/emergency - betegsg/baleset Other useful sentences Basics of Hungarian grammar The Hungarian anthem (Ferenc Klcsey: Hymnus) Outer links: A free Hungarian Course for Beginners Magyarra - Hungarian lessons at intermediate to advanced level Hungarian/English - English/Hungarian dictionary An earthy guide to Hungarian slang Information about Hungary and Budapest
First of all, I'm not a linguist, not even an arts scientist. I'm trying not to use the technical terms of grammar (since I don't know them in English :-) If you search for a grammar book on Hungarian language, one of your rst hits may be "Teach Yourself Hungarian". However, I personally do not recommend this book. Why? Just two reviews (borrowed from amazon.com): Teach Yourself Hungarian could do a little better. It's great if you're going to visit Hungary and not gain full prociency, but it seems to fail being an effective grammatical text. First mistake -- it starts off with dialogs, afterwards giving you a lengthy vocabulary list. The book may be for you if you can learn off of phrases alone,
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rather than taking apart each phrase and looking at a language word-by-word. If you are truly looking to 'teach yourself', may it be suggested to try something else. (lennen@erols.com) Insufcient exercises and shallowness in the explanations of grammar are the biggest problems with this book. Use it as a supplement to a more thorough text, though, and it is very useful. The dialogues have very good content and the recorded versions are excellent -- easy to listen to and not at all dry or stilted. The tapes also have questionand-answer sections where you can practice your spoken Hungarian. It's better than the average Teach Yourself books, so if you like that style you can expect satisfaction from this. (siehler@cs.elte.hu)
Some facts
The Hungarian language belongs to the Ugrian group of the Finno-Ugrian language family. We don't have relatives in Europe. Closer relatives are the Kazahs. I met some Kazahs, and really, we understood some words. (As much as an Italian understands some German.) We began our "career" at the Ural mountains and left our closest relatives there appr. 1500 years ago. While travelling to the Carpathian Basin, our ancestors passed through today's Turkey. This is why the sound of our words can be similar to Turkish and there are lots of common words in the two languages. We also got some words during 150 years of Turkish occupation. Finns and Estonians belong to the Finnish group thus only the structure of grammar is common in Finnish and Hungarian. I was really not able to understand even a word in Finland. Our grammar is very different from most European languages, but you can try to learn it, anyway. Hungarian is a very nice language, so it's worth learning it, even if it is very hard to do. Hungarian language is full of very expressive, idiomatic words, too. The word for brother/sister comes from "test" (body) + "vr" (blood), meaning brothers/sisters are from the same body and are from the same blood. Or "brothers in arms" are "bajtrsak", that is, fellows in trouble. (Though the English expression is just as expressive here.) We have lived in the Carpathian Basin for 1100 years, so we have some words coming from the Slavonic languages of our neighbours. Due to the years of Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and Austria as a neighbour, lots of German word were imported and melted into Hungarian but they are alien and considered undesirable to use. The same applies to the "American" language nowadays. And if you hear a word you think you've recognized, just watch out! For example "(aut)szervz" (coming from "service") means garage, while "garzs" (coming from "garage") means parking place.
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Hungarian letters
The strict Hungarian alphabet:
The full Hungarian alphabet (including foreign letters):
We have some special vowels:

a "dot"
is much more closed than in most other European languages, similar to "hot" or is near to the usual "a" (as in "bar", "guy" etc.), but it's a bit longer is similar to the rst vowel in "make", "aim", etc. is a long "i" (as in "teeth", "feed", etc.) is a long "o" (as in "wall", "show", etc.) is equal to the German, as in the English "sir", "her", etc. is the long "", as "Bhm" or "schn" in German, or similar to the rst syllable of "dirty" is a long "u" (as in "new", "loop", etc.) is equal to the German, as in French "vue", etc. is the long "", as "Khl" or "Tr" in German, or "allure" in French The letters ("o" with double acute accents) and can be found only in the Hungarian alphabet. ("u" with double acute accents)
It is very important to use the accents right. A word means something very different with/without accent. For example "koros" means old, "kros" means diseased/pathological, "krs" means something with weed.
and some special consonants:
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c becomes "k" or "s". dz is "d"+"z"
is like "ts" (like in "itsy-bitsy") or like German "z" (like in "Zahn"), it never
cs is like in "cheep", "chat", etc. dzs is "d"+"z"+"s", like in "jungle", "jive", etc. gy is "g"+"y", soft "g", like in "during", "due", etc. j is like "y" in English ("youth", "yogurt", etc.) ly is "l"+"y", soft "l", almost equal to "j" ("youth", "yogurt", etc.) ny is "n"+"y", soft "n", like in "new", etc. s is like "sh" in English ("short", "shy", etc.) sz is like "s" in English ("spam", "spy", etc.) ty is "t"+"y", soft "t", like in English "Tudor", "tube", etc. zs is "z"+"s", like in French "Jules", "Jacques", etc.
Double consonants are really pronounced long; if you see "tt", you should say "t+t". For long consonants, only the rst character is doubled in writing: "sz"+"sz" = "ssz", "gy"+"gy" = "ggy". Finally, the accent is always on the rst syllable when speaking.
Some useful words and phrases:

The most important words:
yes = igen no/not = nem Good morning! = J reggelt (kvnok)! Good day! = J napot (kvnok)! Good evening! = J estt (kvnok)! Good night! = J jszakt! Good bye! = Viszlt!/Viszontltsra! Hi! (for one man) = Szia! Hi! (for more than one person) = Sziasztok! I understand = rtem I don't understand = nem rtem
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please = krek/krem Thanks! = Ksz/kszi! Thank you! = Ksznm! Thank you very much! = Ksznm szpen! Don't mention it!/My pleasure (as a reply for "Thank you") = Szvesen. Excuse me! = Elnzst (krek)! I'm sorry! / I beg your pardon! = Bocsnat / Bocsnatot krek! Could you help me, please? = Tudna segteni? How much is it? = Mennyibe kerl? help = segtsg where? = hol? which way/in which direction? = merre? when? = mikor? how? = hogyan? now = most later = ksbb urgent = srgs day = nap week = ht [derived from "seven" (days)] month = hnap morning (early) = reggel morning (before noon) = dleltt noon = dl afternoon = dlutn evening = este night = jszaka today = ma tomorrow = holnap the day after tomorrow = holnaputn yesterday = tegnap the day before yesterday = tegnapeltt to eat = enni to drink = inni to sleep = aludni square = tr street = utca road = t museum = mzeum post ofce = posta travel ofce = utazsi iroda right/to right = jobb/jobbra left/to left = bal/balra
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straight = egyenesen in front of = szemben and = s
Numbers - szmok:
0 nulla 1 egy 2 kett (kt) 3 hrom 4 ngy 5 t 6 hat 7 ht 8 nyolc 9 kilenc 10 tz 20 hsz 30 harminc 40 negyven 50 tven 60 hatvan 70 hetven 80 nyolcvan 90 kilencven 100 szz 1000 ezer 10^6 milli 10^9 millird 10^12 billi 10+x tizen... 11 tizenegy 12 tizenkett 20+x huszon... 30+x harminc... 40+x negyven... 200 ktszz 300 hromszz 2000 ktezer
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... 2197 ktezer-(egy)szzkilencvenht
Ordinal numbers - sorszmok:

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9
th th
els msodik harmadik negyedik tdik hatodik hetedik nyolcadik kilencedik tizedik tizenegyedik tizenkettedik huszadik szzegyedik
10
11th 12th 20th 101st
100th szzadik 1000th ezredik 10^6 th milliomodik 2197th ktezer-(egy)szzkilencvenhetedik
Pronouns - nvmsok:
the = a/az a = egy I you he/she it (this) it (that) we you n te/n ez az mi ti/nk for me for you for him/her for it (this) for it (that) for us for you nekem neked/nnek neki ennek annak neknk nektek/nknek with me with you with him/her with it (this) with it (that) with us with you velem veled/nnel vele ezzel azzal velnk veletek/nkkel
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they k for them ("te" = informal, "n" = formal)
nekik
with them
velk
Days of the week - a ht napjai:

Monday = htf Tuesday = kedd Wednesday = szerda Thursday = cstrtk Friday = pntek Saturday = szombat Sunday = vasrnap
Transport, traveling - kzlekeds, utazs:

open = nyitva closed = zrva bus = (aut)busz ship = haj tram = villamos train = vonat When does it leave? = Mikor indul? When does it arrive? = Mikor rkezik? Give me a ticket to ..., please. = Krek egy jegyet ...re! Give me a seat reservation to ..., please. = Krek egy helyjegyet ...re! (railway or coach) station = lloms railway station (bigger) = plyaudvar harbour = kikt airport = repltr ticket ofce = pnztr Where can I buy tickets? = Hol lehet jegyet vltani? ticket = jegy slow train = szemlyvonat even slower train (post train) = postavonat faster train = sebesvonat express train = gyorsvonat rst-class = els osztly second-class = msodosztly porter = hordr
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luggage = csomag left-luggage = csomagmegrz lost&found = tallt trgyak (osztlya) washroom, toilette = WC entrance = bejrat exit = kijrat woman = n man = fr girl = lny boy = parking garage = garzs parking place = parkol gas station, lling station, garage = benzinkt petrol, gas = benzin unleaded = lommentes gas (diesel oil) = gzolaj/dzelolaj oil = olaj service station = szervz
out of order = nem mkdik / zemen kvl
Restaurant, food - vendgl, lelmiszer:

restaurant = vendgl/tterem caf = kvhz sweet shop = cukrszda menu = tlap waiter = pincr to pay = zetni soup = leves meat = hs pork = sertshs beef = marhahs poultry = szrnyas/barom chicken = csirke sh = hal salt water sh = tengeri hal llet/steak/slice = szelet fried/grilled meat = slt hs goulash = gulys(leves) garnish = kret vegetable = zldsg
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boiled vegetables as garnish = zldsgkret vegetable-dish = fzelk bean = bab string beans = zldbab tomato = paradicsom potato = burgonya/krumpli cabbage = kposzta green pepper = zld paprika lettuce = salta [as vegetable] salad = salta [as food] stuffed paprika = tlttt paprika fruit = gymlcs grape = szl pear = krte apple = alma plum = szilva peach = (szi)barack apricot = srgabarack watermelon = (grg)dinnye melon = srgadinnye lemon = citrom tart (cake) = torta ice cream = fagylalt/jgkrm pastry/cake = stemny juice = gymlcsl syrup = szrp water = vz mineral water = svnyvz beer = sr wine = bor schnaps = plinka cup = cssze glass = pohr bottle = veg milk = tej yogurt = joghurt coffee = kv tea = tea bread = kenyr toast = pirts (kenyr) roll/bun = zsemle scrambled eggs = rntotta
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boiled eggs (soft) = lgy tojs boiled eggs (hard) = kemny tojs ham = sonka sausage = kolbsz frankfurter = virsli butter = vaj cheese = sajt jam = gymlcsz/dzsem/lekvr honey = mz sugar = cukor chocolate = csokold salt = s vinegar = ecet mustard = mustr red pepper = pirospaprika black pepper = bors onion = hagyma
Smoking - dohnyzs:
Do not smoke!/Smoking is forbidden! = Tilos a dohnyzs! non-smoking = nemdohnyz to smoke = dohnyozni match = gyufa cigarette = cigaretta cigar = szivar pipe = pipa tobacco = dohny
Post ofce - posta:

letter = levl mail = levl / postai kldemny registered mail = ajnlott levl parcel = csomag air mail = lgiposta telegram = tvirat stamp = blyeg postcard = levelezlap picture postcard = kpeslap
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Entertainment - szrakozs:
theatre = sznhz Opera Theatre = Operahz concert = hangverseny cinema = mozi/lmsznhz ticket = jegy free entrance = ingyen(es) admission fee = belpdj
Illness/emergency - betegsg/baleset:
doctor = orvos surgeon = sebsz pharmacy = gygyszertr hospital = krhz ambulance = ment re dept. = tzoltsg police = rendrsg
Other useful sentences:

Would you like to see my stamp collection? [to hint at getting her to your room] = Megnzed a blyeggyjtemnyem? Would you go to dance? = Jssz tncolni? May I invite you for a dance, lady? = Hlgyem, felkrhetem egy tncra? I want a fruit yogurt with peach pieces, please. = Egy darabos szibarackos joghurtot krek. I don't understand/speak Hungarian. = Nem rtek/beszlek magyarul. How to get to ...? = Hogyan jutok el a ...hez? How far is it? = Milyen messze van? Where is it? = Hol van?
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Basics of Hungarian grammar

We don't have genders in our grammar. So there is no "he" and "she", and no gender for words either. This is why Hungarian people occasionally say "he" for a girl or vice versa. Unlike in several major languages, the rst letters of certain words are not capitalised (as in German, or "Monday", "I", "English" in English). The only capitals are for names/places, etc., and for the rst letter of a sentence. The order of words is not xed, in contrast to English. Usually the sequence of the words reects decreasing importance. For example: holnap = tomorrow moziba = to the cinema megyek = I (will) go Holnap moziba megyek. = [default] Holnap moziba megyek. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow. Moziba megyek holnap. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow. Megyek holnap moziba. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow. Elmegyek moziba holnap. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow. (It's sure.) n megyek holnap moziba. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow. There is also the same order for questions: Holnap moziba megynk. = We will go to the cinema tomorrow. Holnap megynk moziba? = Will we go to the cinema tomorrow? Holnap moziba megynk? = Will we go to the cinema tomorrow? Megynk holnap moziba? = Will we go to the cinema tomorrow? etc. Generally personal pronouns are used only for emphasis, since the subject is known from the inection: I read = olvasok = n olvasok you read = olvasol = te olvasol he/she reads = olvas = olvas
The Hungarian language is "additive" which means that we meld some letters to the end of the word. Some examples for inection: table = asztal
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on table = asztalON to table = asztalHOZ onto table = asztalRA, etc. Plural is indicated by adding a "k" at the end of the word. To make pronunciation easier, sometimes a vowel is inserted: tables = asztaloK. We don't use plural for units and multiple things with their quantity given: 100 forint, 10 kg, 2 asztal, etc. Please note that Hungarian is a very rich language. We have lots of synonyms for a word. For example, there are appr. 200 different words describing the breed and the colouring of a horse. We create "new" words by adding some of them also (compounds), just like "public transport" = "tmeg+kzlekeds" but it is not so elaborate as in the German language. If a new expression is put together from at least three words and it would be longer than 6 syllables, a hyphen is compulsory: ideg-sszeroppans (nervous break-down).
A nice grammatical example: "aiibl" where: (archaic for "" - boy) = son a = someone's son ai = someone's sons ai = something belonging to/owned by someone's sons aii = more items owned by someone's sons aiibl = from the above mentioned items
Back to the page about Hungary This page is maintained by kos Dmtr (dome <at> impulzus <dot> com). Last modied at
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Introduction To The Hungarian Language

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Introduction to the Hungarian language