Lesson 1 of 19
Free sample lesson — the whole lesson, no account needed
Talking about yourself
The main course already covers greetings, names, and jobs — this lesson fills in the specific personal-detail questions that come up on the application form and in conversation: age, marital status, how long you've lived somewhere, and your citizenship.
Hungarian officials use the formal Ön ('you') form, not the informal te — so every question here is phrased the way you'll actually hear it.
By the end you can:
- answer how old you are, formally
- say your marital status and whether you have children
- say how long you've lived somewhere and state your citizenship
1.The official speaks to you as Ön
At your appointment, every question comes in the formal Ön form — the he/she form of the verb, with no -sz ending. The main course mostly taught the friendly versions, so learn to recognise the formal ones by ear.
| Informal (te) | Formal (Ön) — what you’ll hear | |
|---|---|---|
| Hány éves vagy? | Hány éves? | How old are you? |
| Hol laksz? | Hol lakik? | Where do you live? |
| Mióta élsz itt? | Mennyi ideje él itt? | How long have you lived here? |
| Házas vagy? | Házas? | Are you married? |
The official asks Mennyi ideje él itt? Who is the question about?
2.Age and family status
Answer in the “I” form. Gyermek is the slightly more formal word for child — good for an official setting; everyday speech says gyerek.
Negyvenkét éves vagyok.
I’m forty-two.
Házas vagyok.
I’m married.
Két gyermekem van.
I have two children.
Nincs gyermekem.
I don’t have children.
“I don’t have children” is…
3.How long: éve and óta
Two ways to say how long, both with the present tense: öt éve (for five years) or 2015 óta (since 2015 — read kétezer-tizenöt óta). If you’ve never moved, say Egész életemben itt éltem.
Öt éve élek itt.
I’ve lived here for five years.
Kétezer-tizenöt óta itt élek.
I’ve lived here since 2015.
Egész életemben itt éltem.
I’ve lived here all my life.
“I’ve lived here since 2010” is…
4.Your citizenship
Nationality adjectives are lowercase and usually end in -i: amerikai, kanadai. Put állampolgár after it.
Amerikai állampolgár vagyok.
I’m an American citizen.
Kanadai állampolgár vagyok.
I’m a Canadian citizen.
Brit állampolgár vagyok.
I’m a British citizen.
Your phrases (14)
Hány éves?
Say it: HAANY AY-vesh
How old are you? (formal)
Negyvenkét éves vagyok.
Say it: NEDY-ven-kayt AY-vesh VAW-dyok
I am forty-two years old.
Házas vagyok.
Say it: HAA-zawsh VAW-dyok
I am married.
Egyedülálló vagyok.
Say it: E-dye-dewl-aal-loh VAW-dyok
I am single.
Elvált vagyok.
Say it: EL-vaalt VAW-dyok
I am divorced.
Van gyermekem.
Say it: vawn DYER-me-kem
I have a child / children.
Két gyermekem van.
Say it: kayt DYER-me-kem vawn
I have two children.
Nincs gyermekem.
Say it: ninch DYER-me-kem
I don't have children.
Mennyi ideje él itt?
Say it: MEN-nyi I-de-ye ayl itt
How long have you lived here? (formal)
Öt éve élek itt.
Say it: urt AY-ve AY-lek itt
I've lived here for five years.
2015 óta itt élek.
Say it: KAYT-ez-er-TI-zen-urt OH-taw itt AY-lek
I've lived here since 2015.
állampolgár
Say it: AAL-lawm-pol-gaar
citizen
Amerikai állampolgár vagyok.
Say it: AW-me-ri-kaw-i AAL-lawm-pol-gaar VAW-dyok
I am an American citizen.
Egész életemben itt éltem.
Say it: E-gays AY-le-tem-ben itt AYL-tem
I have lived here my whole life.
See it in context
- Tisztviselő
Hány éves?
Say it: HAANY AY-vesh
How old are you?
- Kérelmező
Negyvenkét éves vagyok.
Say it: NEDY-ven-kayt AY-vesh VAW-dyok
I am forty-two years old.
- Tisztviselő
Házas, vagy egyedülálló?
Say it: HAA-zawsh vawdy E-dye-dewl-aal-loh
Are you married or single?
- Kérelmező
Házas vagyok. Két gyermekem van.
Say it: HAA-zawsh VAW-dyok kayt DYER-me-kem vawn
I am married. I have two children.
- Tisztviselő
Mennyi ideje él itt?
Say it: MEN-nyi I-de-ye ayl itt
How long have you lived here?
- Kérelmező
2015 óta itt élek.
Say it: KAYT-ez-er-TI-zen-urt OH-taw itt AY-lek
I've lived here since 2015.
Did you follow it?
What is the official’s first question about?
Which question asks how long you’ve lived somewhere?
Say it in Hungarian
Read the English, say the sentence out loud, then check yourself.
I’m married.
I have two children.
I’ve lived here for five years.
I’m an American citizen.
Flashcards and a quick quiz
14 words. Flip through them, then take the quiz: multiple choice, typing, listening, and matching.
Meaning
I have two children.
Két gyermekem van.
kayt DYER-me-kem vawn
Remember
- Officials use Ön forms: Hány éves?, Mennyi ideje él itt?
- … éves vagyok; Házas / Egyedülálló / Elvált vagyok.
- … gyermekem van / Nincs gyermekem.
- öt éve or 2015 óta + present tense; amerikai állampolgár vagyok.
A few points of grammar
Házas — the standard word for 'married'
Házas vagyok works for anyone. Hungarian also has gendered words you may hear — nős for a married man (common in everyday speech), and férjezett (official) or férjnél van (everyday) for a married woman — but you don't need to use them yourself.
éve and óta: 'for' and 'since'
Both answer 'how long': öt éve ('for five years', a duration) and 2015 óta ('since 2015', a starting point). Éve is év ('year') with an ending; óta is a separate word placed after the noun or date, not an ending. Either is fine at your appointment.
That was the free sample
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