Lesson 2 of 74 · A1, Unit 1: First words
Meeting people
These are the lines you need the first time you meet someone: exchanging names, saying where you live and where you're from, and — the useful one — explaining that your Hungarian is still basic.
Hungarian word order is flexible, but the thing you most want to stress comes first. In a plain statement the pattern is often subject, then the rest.
By the end you can:
- ask for and give a name, formally and informally
- say where you live and where you are from
- explain that you speak only a little Hungarian and ask someone to slow down
1.Asking and giving a name
There are two everyday ways to ask a name. Hogy hívnak? is literally “how do they call you?”, and Mi a neved? is “what is your name?”. Both are informal. To someone you call Ön, use Hogy hívják? or Mi a neve? — the he/she form again, as in lesson 1.
To answer, the simplest way is your name plus vagyok (“I am”). A nevem… (“my name is…”) works too, and so does …-nak/-nek hívnak (“they call me…”).
Anna vagyok.
Say it: AWN-naw VAW-dyok
I’m Anna.
A nevem Kovács Péter.
My name is Péter Kovács.
Annának hívnak.
My name is Anna. (literally: they call me Anna)
How do you ask a stranger in an office for their name?
2.Nice to meet you
The full phrase is a mouthful: Örülök, hogy megismerhetlek — “I’m glad I can get to know you.” To someone you call Ön it becomes Örülök, hogy megismerhetem. The short Örvendek (“I’m pleased”) works with everyone, and the easiest reply of all is Én is — “me too”.
Örülök, hogy megismerhetlek.
Say it: UR-rew-lurk, hody MEG-ish-mer-het-lek
Nice to meet you. (informal)
Örvendek.
Say it: UR-ven-dek
Pleased to meet you.
Én is.
Say it: ayn ish
Me too.
3.Where are you from? Where do you live?
“Where are you from?” is Honnan jössz? (informal) or Honnan jön? (formal) — literally “from where do you come?”. You answer with the country plus a “from” ending and jövök, “I come”. For most countries the ending is -ból or -ből, chosen by vowel harmony.
| Country | From there | |
|---|---|---|
| Amerika | Amerikából jövök. | I’m from America. |
| Anglia | Angliából jövök. | I’m from England. |
| Kanada | Kanadából jövök. | I’m from Canada. |
| Németország | Németországból jövök. | I’m from Germany. |
| Magyarország | Magyarországról jövök. | I’m from Hungary. |
Where you live is Hol laksz? (informal) or Hol lakik? (formal). The answer is the place with an “in” ending and lakom: Londonban lakom, Budapesten lakom.
“I’m from Canada” is…
4.Languages: -ul and -ül
To say “in English” or “in Hungarian”, add -ul or -ül to the language’s name — again by vowel harmony. That’s the form you use after “speak”: Beszélsz angolul? — “Do you speak English?”
| Language | In that language |
|---|---|
| magyar | magyarul |
| angol | angolul |
| német | németül |
| francia | franciául |
| olasz | olaszul |
Beszélek egy kicsit magyarul.
Say it: BE-say-lek edy KI-chit MAW-dyaw-rool
I speak a little Hungarian.
Nem beszélek jól magyarul.
I don’t speak Hungarian well.
“In German” is…
5.When you get lost
These are the sentences that keep a conversation going when your Hungarian runs out. Learn them before anything else in this lesson.
Nem értem.
Say it: nem AYR-tem
I don’t understand.
Elnézést, nem értettem.
Sorry, I didn’t catch that.
Még egyszer, legyen szíves.
Once more, please.
Tudna lassabban beszélni?
Say it: TOOD-naw LAWSH-shawb-bawn BE-sayl-ni
Could you speak more slowly? (formal)
Hogy mondják ezt magyarul?
How do you say this in Hungarian?
Mit jelent ez?
Say it: mit YE-lent ez
What does this mean?
Words in this lesson (23)
Hogy hívnak?
Say it: hody HEEV-nawk
What's your name? (informal)
literally how they-call-you
Mi a neved?
Say it: mi aw NE-ved
What is your name? (informal)
Mi a neve?
Say it: mi aw NE-ve
What is your name? (formal)
A nevem...
Say it: aw NE-vem
My name is...
A nevem Anna.
My name is Anna.
...vagyok
Say it: VAW-dyok
I am... (after your name)
Kovács Péter vagyok.
I'm Péter Kovács.
Hungarians say the family name first: Kovács Péter, not Péter Kovács.
Örülök, hogy megismerhetlek.
Say it: UR-rew-lurk, hody MEG-ish-mer-het-lek
Nice to meet you. (informal)
Örvendek.
Say it: UR-ven-dek
Pleased to meet you.
Honnan jössz?
Say it: HON-nawn yurss
Where are you from? (informal)
literally from-where you-come
Honnan jön?
Say it: HON-nawn yurn
Where are you from? (formal)
Magyarországról jövök.
Say it: MAW-dyawr-or-saag-rohl YUR-vurk
I'm from Hungary.
The 'from' ending is -ból / -ből / -ról / -ről, picked by vowel harmony. That is why the next two lines differ.
Amerikából jövök.
Say it: AW-me-ri-kaa-bohl YUR-vurk
I'm from America.
Angliából jövök.
Say it: AWN-gli-aa-bohl YUR-vurk
I'm from England.
Hol laksz?
Say it: hol lawks
Where do you live? (informal)
Budapesten lakom.
Say it: BOO-daw-pesh-ten LAW-kom
I live in Budapest.
Beszélsz angolul?
Say it: BE-sayls AWN-go-lool
Do you speak English? (informal)
Beszél angolul?
Say it: BE-sayl AWN-go-lool
Do you speak English? (formal)
Beszélek egy kicsit magyarul.
Say it: BE-say-lek edy KI-chit MAW-dyaw-rool
I speak a little Hungarian.
Nem beszélek jól magyarul.
Say it: nem BE-say-lek yohl MAW-dyaw-rool
I don't speak Hungarian well.
Nem értem.
Say it: nem AYR-tem
I don't understand.
Elnézést, nem értettem.
Say it: EL-nay-zaysht, nem AYR-tet-tem
Sorry, I didn't catch that.
Tudna lassabban beszélni?
Say it: TOOD-naw LAWSH-shawb-bawn BE-sayl-ni
Could you speak more slowly? (formal)
Hogy mondják ezt magyarul?
Say it: hody MOND-yaak ezt MAW-dyaw-rool
How do you say this in Hungarian?
Mit jelent ez?
Say it: mit YE-lent ez
What does this mean?
See it in context
- Kata
Szia! Kata vagyok. És te?
Say it: SEE-yaw! KAW-taw VAW-dyok. aysh te
Hi! I’m Kata. And you?
- Tom
Szia, Tom vagyok.
Say it: SEE-yaw, tom VAW-dyok
Hi, I’m Tom.
- Kata
Örülök, hogy megismerhetlek. Honnan jössz?
Say it: UR-rew-lurk, hody MEG-ish-mer-het-lek. HON-nawn yurss
Nice to meet you. Where are you from?
- Tom
Angliából jövök, de Budapesten lakom.
Say it: AWN-gli-aa-bohl YUR-vurk, de BOO-daw-pesh-ten LAW-kom
I’m from England, but I live in Budapest.
- Kata
Jól beszélsz magyarul!
Say it: yohl BE-sayls MAW-dyaw-rool
You speak Hungarian well!
- Tom
Köszönöm, de csak egy kicsit. Tudnál lassabban beszélni?
Say it: KUR-sur-nurm, de chawk edy KI-chit. TOOD-naal LAWSH-shawb-bawn BE-sayl-ni
Thanks, but only a little. Could you speak more slowly?
- Kata
Persze!
Say it: PER-se
Of course!
Did you follow it?
Where is Tom from?
Where does Tom live?
What does Tom ask Kata to do?
Say it in Hungarian
Read the English, say the sentence out loud, then check yourself.
My name is Anna.
I live in Budapest, but I’m from England.
I speak a little Hungarian.
How do you say this in Hungarian?
Flashcards and a quick quiz
23 words. Flip through them, then take the quiz: multiple choice, typing, listening, and matching.
Meaning
Do you speak English? (formal)
Beszél angolul?
BE-sayl AWN-go-lool
Or drill every lesson together.
Remember
- Ask a name with Hogy hívnak? or Mi a neved? — Mi a neve? to a stranger.
- Answer with your name + vagyok. Family name first: Kovács Péter.
- “From” is -ból/-ből: Angliából jövök — but Hungary and its towns use -ról/-ről.
- Languages take -ul/-ül: magyarul, angolul, németül.
- When lost: Nem értem, Tudna lassabban beszélni?