Learn some common phrases you may hear every day while traveling
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| INTRODUCTION |
| Simone: All about lesson #5. Top Five Must Know Hungarian Phrases. In this lesson, we are taking years of experience in Hungary and boiling it down to a few essential phrases that are a great place to start in Hungarian. |
| Csaba: I am Csaba and yes, these are real life Hungarian words that will help you every day. |
| Simone: That would guarantee to be the best things you ever learned in Hungarian. Csaba, where should we begin? |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Csaba: Well we want to make a good impression right off the bat. So I think the place to start is with a simple greeting, Szia! |
| Simone: And if you don’t know Szia! yet, we don’t know where you’ve been. We would be remiss if we didn’t teach you hi. Could you please say it one more time slowly please. |
| Csaba: Szia! Szia! |
| Simone: And to be even more friendly, just add Hogy vagy? |
| Csaba: Szia! Hogy vagy? meaning hello, how are you? |
| Simone: Can we have that again Csaba? |
| Csaba: Szia! Hogy vagy? |
| Simone: Szia is very informal right? |
| Csaba: It sure is. It is usually kept for friends, people you already know and kids. You probably don’t want to say this to your superior unless you agree to do that which happens very quickly these days. |
| Simone: So you really don’t have anything to worry about because people use this very often now in Hungary regardless of their station. |
| Csaba: Next we of course need to mention köszönöm which is Hungarian for thank you. |
| Simone: Showing good manners is very important and a simple thank you will do the job. Could you say it again please? |
| Csaba: Indeed. Köszönöm, köszönöm. And this phrase can be used at any time just to show manners and appreciation. |
| Simone: It’s very simple but it will put a smile on people’s faces. |
| Csaba: That’s Hungarian for you. |
| Simone: I am while around the topic of politeness, you are welcome will always come in handy. |
| Csaba: In such case, just say szívesen. |
| Simone: Szívesen is used after someone has thanked you right? |
| Csaba: Right and they surely will. Whenever you give up your seat on the tram or on the always crowded long distance buses that roam throughout Hungary. |
| Simone: Great and can we have that again? |
| Csaba: Szívesen. |
| Simone: And I remember, when I was still a beginner, when people said thanks, I always just mumbled and said something along the lines of shmshmshm. |
| Csaba: You shouldn’t be shy. People in Hungary are always happy to become impromptu language teachers. |
| Simone: I think that’s a pretty general thing about people. Wouldn’t you say? People are the happiest when they can explain stuff to others. |
| Csaba: You are right and here is another phrase just for that occasion. Nem értem. |
| Simone: Nem értem means I don’t understand. |
| Csaba: This is such a common phrase. |
| Simone: Can we have it again? |
| Csaba: Nem értem. Nem értem. |
| Simone: It’s perfect when you want help reading Hungarian. |
| Csaba: Yes Hungarians always appreciate enthusiasm. |
| Simone: Here is another phrase that can come in handy when you are apologizing. |
| Csaba: It’s elnézést It literally means sorry. |
| Simone: Yes this is also used when you want attention right? |
| Csaba: Right. Sorry or excuse me, that sort of thing. |
| Simone: So can we have that one more time? |
| Csaba: Elnézést. |
| Simone: You are likely to going to need elnézést a lot on your travels when asking the locals for directions and advice. |
| Csaba: Yes that always seems to happen. |
| Simone: We are equipping you well to wore off slaps to the face. In fact, you should just throw this word out at random just to be on the safe side of etiquette. When are some other occasions when elnézést will come in handy? |
| Csaba: When you step on someone’s foot. |
| Simone: Yes you can apologize to all the dainty toes your foreign feet will step on in the crowded subway. |
| Csaba: Yes elnézést. |
| Simone: Just like that or to repent over some Cultural Faux Pas you likely don’t know you have committed. |
| Csaba: It doesn’t hurt to be on the safe side. |
| Simone: Okay we know that’s 5 already but hey, some of them were pretty short. So we are including a bonus phrase just because it’s nice and polite and we have to share it. |
| Csaba: Sziasztok meaning hi but it is addressed to more than one person. |
| Simone: Can you say that again? |
| Csaba: Sziasztok. Sziasztok. |
Outro |
| Simone: Being able to say hi or bye to all the people in the pub in just three syllables, that’s wonderful. |
| Csaba: Yeah you will make many friends and you will not be forgotten for sure. Hungarians tend to remember you whether you like it or not. |
| Simone: Well is that a threat? |
| Csaba: Just a mild-mannered one. Anyway, I think those are all great phrases Simone. We’ve really narrowed it down. |
| Simone: I agree. |
Comments
Hide