Essential Hungarian Phrases for Travelers - Learn Hungarian Anywhere
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Hungary offers stunning architecture, thermal baths, and rich history, but the language can feel intimidating at first. Hungarian belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family, making it completely different from neighboring Romance and Slavic languages. Don't let that stop you—learning even a handful of phrases transforms how locals receive you and opens doors that stay closed to tourists who don't try.
This guide focuses on practical phrases you'll actually use, organized by situation. Each includes pronunciation guidance using English sounds, though remember that Hungarian has sounds that don't exist in English. Locals appreciate any attempt, even imperfect ones.
Why Hungarian Matters More Than You Think
English works fine in Budapest's tourist center and at major attractions, but step into neighborhood markets, family-run restaurants, or smaller towns like Eger or Pécs, and you'll need Hungarian. Even in the capital, a simple "köszönöm" instead of "thanks" changes the entire interaction. Hungarians take pride in their difficult language—your effort signals respect.
Beyond practicality, understanding basic Hungarian helps you decode menus, read train schedules, and navigate without constantly pulling out translation apps. It's the difference between feeling like an outsider and someone making a genuine effort to connect.
Pronunciation Essentials
Before diving into phrases, understand these key sounds:
Vowels:
- á = "ah" (long, like "father")
- é = "ay" (like "day")
- í = "ee" (like "see")
- ó/ö = "oh" / "uh" with rounded lips
- ú/ű = "oo" / "ew" (lips pushed forward)
Consonants:
- cs = "ch" (like "church")
- gy = soft "d" + "y" blend
- ly = "y" sound
- ny = "ny" (like Spanish "ñ")
- sz = "s" (like "see")
- s = "sh" (like "show")
- zs = "zh" (like "measure")
Stress always falls on the first syllable. Always.
Greetings and Basic Courtesies
Szia (SEE-yah)
Hello/Hi/Bye (informal, singular)
Sziasztok (SEE-yahs-tok)
Hello/Hi/Bye (informal, plural)
Jó napot kívánok (yoh NAH-pot KEE-vah-nok)
Good day (formal greeting). Shorten to Jó napot in practice.
Jó reggelt (yoh REH-gelt)
Good morning
Jó estét (yoh ESH-tayt)
Good evening
Jó éjszakát (yoh AY-sah-kaht)
Good night
Viszontlátásra (VEE-sont-lah-tahsh-rah)
Goodbye (formal). You'll hear Viszlát (VEES-laht) more often—it's the casual version.
Köszönöm (KUH-suh-nuhm) or Kösz (kuhss)
Thank you / Thanks
Köszönöm szépen (KUH-suh-nuhm SAY-pen)
Thank you very much
Kérem (KAY-rem)
Please / You're welcome (context-dependent)
Igen (EE-gen)
Yes
Nem (nem)
No
Elnézést (EL-nay-zaysht)
Excuse me / Sorry
Bocsánat (BO-chah-not)
Pardon me / I'm sorry (slightly more apologetic)
Nincs mit (ninch meet)
Don't mention it / No problem
Essential Questions
Beszél angolul? (BEH-sayl ON-go-lool)
Do you speak English? (formal)
Nem értem (nem AYR-tem)
I don't understand
Nem beszélek magyarul (nem BEH-say-lek MAH-dyah-rool)
I don't speak Hungarian
Tudna segíteni? (TOOD-nah SHEH-ghee-teh-nee)
Could you help me?
Hol van...? (hol von)
Where is...?
Mennyibe kerül? (MEN-nyee-beh KEH-rewl)
How much does it cost?
Mikor? (MEE-kor)
When?
Miért? (MEE-ayrt)
Why?
Van...? (von)
Is there... / Do you have...?
Navigation and Directions
Hol van a mosdó? (hol von ah MOSH-doh)
Where is the bathroom?
Hol van a metró? (hol von ah MET-roh)
Where is the metro/subway?
Balra (BAHL-rah)
Left
Jobbra (YOB-rah)
Right
Egyenesen (EH-dyeh-neh-shen)
Straight ahead
Bejárat (BEH-yah-rot)
Entrance
Kijárat (KEE-yah-rot)
Exit
Megálló (MEH-gahl-loh)
Stop (bus/tram stop)
Pályaudvar (PAH-yah-ood-var)
Train station
Repülőtér (REH-pew-luh-tayr)
Airport
Központ (KUHZ-pont)
Center/downtown
Térkép (TAYR-kayp)
Map
Cím (tseem)
Address
Dining and Food
Étterem (AYT-teh-rem)
Restaurant
Kávézó (KAH-vay-zoh)
Café
Étlap (AYT-lop)
Menu
Számla (SAHM-lah)
Bill/check
Éhes vagyok (AY-hesh VAH-dyok)
I'm hungry
Szomjas vagyok (SOM-yosh VAH-dyok)
I'm thirsty
Kérek egy... (KAY-rek edgy)
I'd like a... / I'll have a...
Víz (veez)
Water
Sör (shur)
Beer
Bor (bor)
Wine
Kávé (KAH-vay)
Coffee
Tea (TEH-ah)
Tea
Kenyér (KEN-yayr)
Bread
Hús (hoosh)
Meat
Hal (hahl)
Fish
Zöldség (ZULD-shayg)
Vegetables
Sajt (shoyt)
Cheese
Tej (tey)
Milk
Cukor (TSOO-kor)
Sugar
Só (shoh)
Salt
Bors (borsh)
Pepper
Finom! (FEE-nom)
Delicious!
Egészségére! (EH-gays-shay-geh-reh)
Cheers! (formal) / Bless you! (after sneezing)
Egészségedre! (EH-gays-shay-ged-reh)
Cheers! (informal, to one person)
Shopping and Money
Mennyibe kerül ez? (MEN-nyee-beh KEH-rewl ez)
How much is this?
Túl drága (tool DRAH-gah)
Too expensive
Van olcsóbb? (von OL-chohbb)
Do you have something cheaper?
Veszek (VEH-sek)
I'll take it / I'll buy
Bolt (bolt)
Shop/store
Piac (PEE-ots)
Market
Pénz (paynz)
Money
Forint (FOR-int)
Forint (Hungarian currency)
Bankkártya (BONK-kahr-tyah)
Credit/debit card
Készpénz (KAYS-paynz)
Cash
Áfa (AH-fah)
VAT/sales tax
Visszajáró (VEES-sah-yah-roh)
Change (money back)
Accommodation
Szálloda (SAH-loh-dah)
Hotel
Szoba (SO-bah)
Room
Foglalás (FOG-lah-lahsh)
Reservation
Egyágyas szoba (EDY-ah-dyosh SO-bah)
Single room
Kétágyas szoba (KAYT-ah-dyosh SO-bah)
Double room (two beds)
Francia ágy (FRON-tsee-ah ahdy)
Double bed
Reggeli (REG-geh-lee)
Breakfast
Kulcs (koolch)
Key
Wi-Fi jelszó (WEE-fee YEL-soh)
Wi-Fi password
Transportation
Jegy (yedy)
Ticket
Vonat (VO-not)
Train
Busz (boos)
Bus
Villamos (VEEL-lah-mosh)
Tram
Taxi (TOHK-see)
Taxi
Autó (OW-toh)
Car
Kerékpár (KEH-rayk-pahr)
Bicycle
Mikor indul a ....? (MEE-kor IN-dool)
When does. the...leave?
Mikor érkezik a....? (MEE-kor AYR-keh-zik)
When does the...arrive?
Mennyi ideig tart? (MEN-nyee EE-deh-ig tort)
How long does it take?
Megálljon itt (MEH-gahl-yon eet)
Stop here (for taxi/bus)
Emergency Phrases
Segítség! (SHEH-gheet-shayg)
Help!
Tűz! (tewz)
Fire!
Rendőrség (REN-dur-shayg)
Police
Orvos (OR-vosh)
Doctor
Kórház (KOHR-hahz)
Hospital
Gyógyszertár (DYOHDY-ser-tahr)
Pharmacy
Beteg vagyok (BEH-teg VAH-dyok)
I'm sick
Fáj (fahj)
It hurts
Elvesztettem... (EL-ves-tet-tem)
I lost...
Ellopták... (EL-lop-tahk)
Someone stole...
Segítsen! (SHEH-gheet-shen)
Please help!
Numbers (0-20 and Key Numbers)
Nulla (NOOL-lah) – 0
Egy (edgy) – 1
Kettő (KET-tuh) – 2
Három (HAH-rom) – 3
Négy (naydy) – 4
Öt (ut) – 5
Hat (hot) – 6
Hét (hayt) – 7
Nyolc (nyolts) – 8
Kilenc (KEE-lents) – 9
Tíz (teez) – 10
Tizenegy (TEE-zen-edgy) – 11
Húsz (hooss) – 20
Harminc (HOR-mints) – 30
Száz (sahz) – 100
Ezer (EH-zer) – 1,000
Cultural Phrases and Expressions
Szép napot! (sayp NAH-pot)
Have a nice day!
Jó étvágyat! (yoh AYT-vah-dyot)
Enjoy your meal!
Sok szerencsét! (shok SEH-ren-chayt)
Good luck!
Boldog születésnapot! (BOL-dog SEW-leh-taysh-nah-pot)
Happy birthday!
Kellemes ünnepeket! (KEL-leh-mesh EWN-neh-peh-ket)
Happy holidays!
Minden jót! (MIN-den yoht)
All the best!
Puszi (POO-see)
Kiss (informal farewell, like "xoxo")
Common Responses You'll Hear
Tessék (TESH-shayk)
Here you go / What can I get you? / Come in (highly context-dependent—one of the most versatile words)
Rendben (REND-ben)
Okay / Alright
Persze (PER-seh)
Of course
Sajnálom (SHOY-nah-lom)
I'm sorry
Nem tudom (nem TOO-dom)
I don't know
Várjon (VAHR-yon)
Wait (formal)
Várj (vahrj)
Wait (informal)
Nincs (ninch)
There isn't / We don't have
Tips for Learning and Using Hungarian
Start with survival phrases: Focus on greetings, thank you, excuse me, and basic questions. These cover 80% of tourist interactions.
Don't fear mistakes: Hungarians rarely encounter foreigners attempting their language. Even botched pronunciation gets appreciated.
Use "Tessék" strategically: When confused by this word, context tells you everything. In a shop, it means "What would you like?" At a door, "Please come in." Handing you something, "Here you go."
Learn restaurant vocabulary: Hungarian menus rarely include English translations outside tourist zones. Knowing húsleves (meat soup), gulyás (goulash), and palacsinta (crepe/pancake) helps immensely.
Practice numbers: Prices, addresses, and times require number fluency. Focus on 1-100 and how to ask "Mennyibe kerül?"
Master the formal/informal distinction: Use formal phrases (jó napot, viszontlátásra) with strangers, older people, and service staff. Switch to informal (szia, viszlát) with young people and once someone initiates informality.
Listen for the stress pattern: First syllable stress makes Hungarian rhythmic and predictable once you recognize it.
Download offline resources: Google Translate's Hungarian package works offline—essential for remote thermal baths and wine regions where service is spotty.
Combine phrases: "Kérek" + any food/drink item works universally. "Hol van" + any location covers most navigation needs.
Watch for false friends: "Gift" means poison. "Ír" means write. "Fog" means tooth or will (future tense). Context prevents confusion.
Hungarian Language Level Test – Learn Hungarian Anywhere
Regional Variations and Dialects
Standard Hungarian (köznyelvű magyar) works everywhere, but regional accents exist. Transylvanian Hungarian speakers (from Romania) use slightly different vocabulary and softer pronunciation. Western regions near Austria show Germanic influences. Don't worry about these nuances as a traveler—standard phrases work universally.
Final Thoughts
Hungarian won't become easy overnight, but you don't need fluency for a rewarding trip. Memorize 20-30 core phrases, practice pronunciation basics, and use them fearlessly. The effort transforms you from generic tourist to welcomed guest.
Locals will often respond in English once they hear your accent, but starting in Hungarian sets a positive tone. Even if conversations switch to English, that initial "Jó napot" or "Köszönöm" creates goodwill that lasts the entire interaction.
Hungary rewards linguistic effort more than most destinations. Try, stumble, laugh with locals when you mangle pronunciation, and watch how quickly barriers dissolve. That's when travel becomes truly memorable.