Hungarian phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Hungarian with translation. | Free & useful
Hungarian phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.
They are an important part of Hungarian culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.
Hungarian phrases you should know
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Hungarian phrases and dialogues today.
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Greet someone in Hungarian
If you want to greet someone in Hungarian, it’s actually quite easy:
Common Greetings in Hungarian
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome! | Üdvözlöm! | /ˈydvøzløm/ |
| Good day to you! | Szép napot kívánok! | /seːp ˈnɒpot ˈkiːvaːnok/ |
| Good morning to you! | Jó reggelt kívánok! | /ˈjoː ˈrɛɡːɛlt ˈkiːvaːnok/ |
| Good evening! | Jó estét! | /ˈjoː ˈɛʃteːt/ |
| Good to see you. | Örülök, hogy látom. | /ˈøruløk ˈhod͡ʒ ˈlaːtom/ |
| I’m glad to see you. | Örülök, hogy találkoztunk. | /ˈøruløk ˈhod͡ʒ ˈtɒlaːkoztuŋk/ |
If you are greeted in Hungarian, the best way to respond is as follows:
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Have a nice day too! | Neked is szép napot! | /ˈnɛkɛd iʃ ˈseːp ˈnɒpot/ |
| Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. | Köszönöm, nekem is öröm látni téged. | /ˈkøsønøm ˈnɛkɛm iʃ ˈørøm ˈlaːtni ˈteːɡɛd/ |
How is my dialogue partner?
As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| How are you doing? | Hogy vagy? | /ˈhod͡ʒ ˈvɒɟ/ |
| Are you doing well? | Jól vagy? | /ˈjoːl ˈvɒɟ/ |
If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you for asking, I am fine. | Köszönöm, hogy megkérdezted, jól vagyok. | /ˈkøsønøm ˈhod͡ʒ ˈmɛɡkeːrdɛstɛd ˈjoːl ˈvɒɟok/ |
| Thank you, I am fine. | Köszönöm, jól vagyok. | /ˈkøsønøm ˈjoːl ˈvɒɟok/ |
| Thank you, I am not doing so well. | Köszönöm, nem vagyok túl jól. | /ˈkøsønøm ˈnɛm ˈvɒɟok ˈtuːl ˈjoːl/ |
| Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? | Köszi, jól vagyok. És te? | /ˈkøsi ˈjoːl ˈvɒɟok | eːʃ ˈtɛ/ |
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How do I say goodbye to someone in Hungarian?
Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Hungarian is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Goodbye! | Viszlát! | /ˈvislaːt/ |
| Take care of yourself! | Vigyázz magadra! | /ˈviɟaːzː ˈmɒɡɒdɾɒ/ |
| Goodbye | Viszontlátásra | /ˈvisontˌlaːtaːʃɾɒ/ |
| See you tomorrow | Holnap találkozunk | /ˈholnɒp ˈtɒlaːkozunk/ |
| See you soon | Hamarosan találkozunk | /ˈhɒmɒɾoʃon ˈtɒlaːkozunk/ |
| See you later | Később találkozunk | /ˈkeːʃøːb ˈtɒlaːkozunk/ |
| Good night | Jó éjszakát | /ˈjoː ˈeːjsɒkaːt/ |
| Sleep well | Aludj jól | /ˈɒlud͡j ˈjoːl/ |
| Talk to you later. | Beszélünk később. | /ˈbɛseːluːŋk ˈkeːʃøːb/ |
| Nice to have met you! | Örülök, hogy találkoztunk! | /ˈøruløk ˈhod͡ʒ ˈtɒlaːkoztuŋk/ |
How do I introduce myself in Hungarian?
When travelling in Hungary, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Hungarian and know who you’re talking to.
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| My name is Jonas. | Jonas a nevem. | /ˈjoːnɒʃ ɒ ˈnɛvɛm/ |
| What is your name? | Mi a neved? | /ˈmi ɒ ˈnɛvɛd/ |
| What is your surname? | Mi a vezetékneved? | /ˈmi ɒ ˈvɛzɛteːkˌnɛvɛd/ |
| What is your first name? | Mi a keresztneved? | /ˈmi ɒ ˈkɛrɛstˌnɛvɛd/ |
| What is your surname? | Mi a vezetékneved? | /ˈmi ɒ ˈvɛzɛteːkˌnɛvɛd/ |
If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you come from? | Honnan jöttél? | /ˈhonːɒn ˈjøtːeːl/ |
| I am from London. | Londonból jöttem. | /ˈlondonboːl ˈjøtːɛm/ |
| Are you from Birmingham? | Birminghamből jöttél? | /ˈbɛrmɪŋhæmbøːl ˈjøtːeːl/ |
| No, I’m from Madrid. | Nem, Madridból jöttem. | /ˈnɛm ˈmɒdridboːl ˈjøtːɛm/ |
| Great, I’m from Madrid too. | Szuper, én is Madridból jöttem. | /ˈsupɛr ˈeːn iʃ ˈmɒdridboːl ˈjøtːɛm/ |
| Where do you live? | Hol laksz? | /ˈhol ˈlɒks/ |
| I live in Berlin. | Berlinben lakom. | /ˈbɛrlinbɛn ˈlɒkom/ |
If you have problems with your Hungarian, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Beszélsz angolul? | /ˈbɛseːls ˈɒŋɡolul/ |
| Yes, I speak English. | Igen, beszélek angolul. | /ˈiɡɛn ˈbɛseːlɛk ˈɒŋɡolul/ |
| Yes, I speak some English. | Igen, beszélek egy kicsit angolul. | /ˈiɡɛn ˈbɛseːlɛk ˈɛɟ ˈkit͡ʃit ˈɒŋɡolul/ |
| No, I do not speak any English. | Nem, egyáltalán nem beszélek angolul. | /ˈnɛm ˈɛɟaːltaːn ˈnɛm ˈbɛseːlɛk ˈɒŋɡolul/ |
| I only speak English. | Csak angolul beszélek. | /ˈt͡ʃɒk ˈɒŋɡolul ˈbɛseːlɛk/ |
| I understand some Hungarian. | Értek egy kis magyart. | /ˈeːrtɛk ˈɛɟ ˈkiʃ ˈmɒɟɒrt/ |
Useful sentences with ‘I am…’
The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Hungarian and express your wishes and concerns:
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I am English. | Angol vagyok. | /ˈɒŋɡol ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am injured. | Megsérültem. | /ˈmɛkʃeːryl̩tɛm/ |
| I am here. | Itt vagyok. | /ˈitː ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am hungry. | Éhes vagyok. | /ˈeːhɛʃ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am thirsty. | Szomjas vagyok. | /ˈsomjɒʃ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am a single person. | Egyedülálló vagyok. | /ˈɛɟɛdylaːloː ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I need help! | Segítségre van szükségem! | /ˈʃɛɡiːt͡ʃeːɡɾɛ ˈvɒn ˈsukʃeːɡɛm/ |
| I am tired. | Fáradt vagyok. | /ˈfaːrɒt ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am happy. | Boldog vagyok. | /ˈboldoɡ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am sad. | Szomorú vagyok. | /ˈsomoruː ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am in love. | Szerelmes vagyok. | /ˈsɛrɛlmɛʃ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am ill. | Beteg vagyok. | /ˈbɛtɛɡ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am ready. | Kész vagyok. | /ˈkeːs ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am busy. | Elfoglalt vagyok. | /ˈɛlfoglɒlt ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am lost. | Elvesztem. | /ˈɛlvɛstɛm/ |
| I am a tourist. | Turista vagyok. | /ˈturiʃtɒ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am new here. | Új vagyok itt. | /ˈuːj ˈvɒɟok ˈitː/ |
| I am confident. | Magabiztos vagyok. | /ˈmɒɡɒbiztoʃ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am proud. | Büszke vagyok. | /ˈbyskɛ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am a teacher. | Tanár vagyok. | /ˈtɒnaːr ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am late. | Késtem. | /ˈkeːʃtɛm/ |
| I am 30 years old. | Harminc éves vagyok. | /ˈhɒrmint͡s ˈeːvɛʃ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am in a hurry. | Sietek. | /ˈʃiɛtɛk/ |
| I am happy. | Boldog vagyok. | /ˈboldoɡ ˈvɒɟok/ |
| I am surprised. | Meglepődtem. | /ˈmɛɡlɛpøːttɛm/ |
| I am angry. | Haragszom. | /ˈhɒrɒɡsom/ |
Apologising in Hungarian
Here’s how to apologise to a Hungarian speaker:
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I apologise. | Elnézést kérek. | /ˈɛlneːzeːʃt ˈkeːrɛk/ |
| Sorry, that was not the intention. | Bocsánat, nem ez volt a szándék. | /ˈbot͡ʃaːnɒt ˈnɛm ɛz ˈvolt ɒ ˈsaːndeːk/ |
| Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. | Bocsánat, nem szándékosan csináltam. | /ˈbot͡ʃaːnɒt ˈnɛm ˈsaːndeːkoʃɒn ˈt͡ʃiːnaːltɒm/ |
| Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. | Bocsánat, ez nagyon ügyetlen volt tőlem. | /ˈbot͡ʃaːnɒt ɛz ˈnɒɟon ˈyɟɛtlɛn ˈvolt ˈtøːlɛm/ |
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Useful signs and notices in Hungarian
Useful signs and messages in Hungarian that you will often see.
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | Bejárat | /ˈbɛjaːrɒt/ |
| Toilet | WC | /ˈveːt͡seː/ |
| Exit | Kijárat | /ˈkijaːrɒt/ |
| Attention! | Figyelem! | /ˈfiɟɛlɛm/ |
| Police | Rendőrség | /ˈrɛndøːrʃeːɡ/ |
| Emergency services | Sürgősségi szolgálat | /ˈʃyrɡøːʃːeːɡi ˈsolɡaːlɒt/ |
| Fire brigade | Tűzoltóság | /ˈtyːzolt̪oːʃaːɡ/ |
| Passage forbidden. | Áthaladás tilos. | /ˈaːtɦɒlɒdaːʃ ˈtiloʃ/ |
| Caution! | Vigyázat! | /ˈviɟaːzɒt/ |
| This building is under video surveillance. | Ez az épület videomegfigyelés alatt áll. | /ɛz ɒz ˈeːpylɛt ˈvidɛoːmɛɡfiɟɛleːʃ ˈɒlɒt ˈaːl/ |
Numbers to 25 in Hungarian
Counting in Hungarian is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Hungarian from 1 to 25.
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | egy | /ɛɟ/ |
| 2 | kettő | /ˈkɛtːøː/ |
| 3 | három | /ˈhaːrom/ |
| 4 | négy | /ˈneːɟ/ |
| 5 | öt | /øt/ |
| 6 | hat | /hɒt/ |
| 7 | hét | /heːt/ |
| 8 | nyolc | /ɲolt͡s/ |
| 9 | kilenc | /ˈkilɛnt͡s/ |
| 10 | tíz | /tiːz/ |
| 11 | tizenegy | /ˈtizɛnɛɟ/ |
| 12 | tizenkettő | /ˈtizɛnˌkɛtːøː/ |
| 13 | tizenhárom | /ˈtizɛnˌhaːrom/ |
| 14 | tizennégy | /ˈtizɛnˌneːɟ/ |
| 15 | tizenöt | /ˈtizɛnˌøt/ |
| 16 | tizenhat | /ˈtizɛnˌhɒt/ |
| 17 | tizenhét | /ˈtizɛnˌheːt/ |
| 18 | tizennyolc | /ˈtizɛnˌɲolt͡s/ |
| 19 | tizenkilenc | /ˈtizɛnˌkilɛnt͡s/ |
| 20 | húsz | /huːs/ |
| 21 | huszonegy | /ˈhusonɛɟ/ |
| 22 | huszonkettő | /ˈhusonkɛtːøː/ |
| 23 | huszonhárom | /ˈhusonhaːrom/ |
| 24 | huszonnégy | /ˈhusonneːɟ/ |
| 25 | huszonöt | /ˈhusonøt/ |
The colours in Hungarian
The most common colours in Hungarian with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Red | piros | /ˈpiroʃ/ |
| Blue | kék | /ˈkeːk/ |
| Green | zöld | /ˈzøld/ |
| Yellow | sárga | /ˈʃaːrɡɒ/ |
| Black | fekete | /ˈfɛkɛtɛ/ |
| White | fehér | /ˈfɛheːr/ |
| Orange | narancssárga | /ˈnɒrɒnt͡ʃˌʃaːrɡɒ/ |
| Pink | rózsaszín | /ˈroːʒɒˌsiːn/ |
| Purple | lila | /ˈlilɒ/ |
| Brown | barna | /ˈbɒrnɒ/ |
Days of the week, months and seasons in Hungarian
Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Hungarian and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Hungarian.
| English | Hungarian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Days of the Week | ||
| Monday | hétfő | /ˈheːtføː/ |
| Tuesday | kedd | /ˈkɛdː/ |
| Wednesday | szerda | /ˈsɛrdɒ/ |
| Thursday | csütörtök | /ˈt͡ʃytørtøk/ |
| Friday | péntek | /ˈpeːntɛk/ |
| Saturday | szombat | /ˈsombɒt/ |
| Sunday | vasárnap | /ˈvɒʃaːrnɒp/ |
| Months | ||
| January | január | /ˈjɒnuɑːr/ |
| February | február | /ˈfɛbruaːr/ |
| March | március | /ˈmaːrt͡siuʃ/ |
| April | április | /ˈaːpriliʃ/ |
| May | május | /ˈmaːjuʃ/ |
| June | június | /ˈjuːniuʃ/ |
| July | július | /ˈjuːliuʃ/ |
| August | augusztus | /ˈɒuɡustuʃ/ |
| September | szeptember | /ˈsɛptɛmbɛr/ |
| October | október | /ˈoktoːbɛr/ |
| November | november | /ˈnovɛmbɛr/ |
| December | december | /ˈdɛt͡sɛmbɛr/ |
| Seasons | ||
| Spring | tavasz | /ˈtɒvɒs/ |
| Summer | nyár | /ˈɲaːr/ |
| Autumn | ősz | /øːs/ |
| Winter | tél | /teːl/ |
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these Hungarian phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Hungarian phrases and dialogues.
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More information about the Hungarian Business Course.
Additional links
- Learn Hungarian with Mondly
- The different ways of learning languages
- Learning vocabulary successfully
- Motivated language learning
- It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
- Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
- The different types of learners when learning languages
More information about the Hungarian Course for Children.