Let’s talk business. 

If you’re planning to start your own business in Hungary, want to find a job here, or need to talk with Hungarian clients or partners, you need to know how to speak the language. Knowing even a few basic phrases can give you a huge advantage in the business world—and that’s exactly what you’re going to learn today.

Of course, in addition to knowing Hungarian business phrases, it’s important that you have a solid understanding of other Hungarian basics. To help you with this, HungarianPod101.com has created an Absolute Beginner Pathway to get you started in the right direction. 

But if you’re already confident in your everyday Hungarian skills and feel like you can get onboard with business Hungarian, you’re in the right place.

In this article, we’re going to provide you with business phrases in Hungarian for common business situations, from nailing a job interview to interacting with your new coworkers. We’ll also teach you how to handle business phone calls and emails, as well as the must-know Hungarian words and phrases for your business trip.

Ready to be the best Hungarian businessman or businesswoman who ever existed? Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Nailing a Job Interview
2. Interacting with Coworkers
3. Sounding Smart in a Meeting
4. Handling Business Phone Calls and Emails
5. Going on a Business Trip
6. HungarianPod101.com Can Boost Your Career

1. Nailing a Job Interview

Even though you’re a foreigner applying for a job in Hungary, it will leave a good first impression on your interviewer if you know some business phrases in Hungarian. It will show your potential employer how dedicated and eager you are to learn and work with them. While there are lots of business terms in Hungarian you could use, you can usually get by knowing just one or two.

→ If you want to learn more vocabulary related to work, see our vocabulary list of terms for the Workplace.

1- Hi. My name is ___ [name]. I’m from ___ [country / city].

In Hungarian: Jó napot kívánok! A nevem ___ [name]. ___ [country / city]-ból származom.

This is the perfect way to hit it off instantly with your interviewers. Do you remember that first impression we talked about earlier, and the importance of making an effort? This introduction is the best way to start your interview.

→ If you want to mix it up a little, you can check out our list of 10 Lines You Need for Introducing Yourself.

2- I’ve been working in this field for three years. I have a lot of experience.

In Hungarian: Három éve dolgozom ezen a területen. Sok tapasztalatom van.

During any job interview, you’ll likely be asked about your previous experience. But if the question doesn’t come up, it’s always good to mention it so that your interviewers see that you’re competent for the position you’re applying for.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “for three years” – három éve
• “in this field” – ezen a területen
• “a lot of experience” – sok tapasztalat

Concerning the last phrase, note that in the example, tapasztalatom has the linking vowel o and the suffix -m. This causes the word to mean “my experience.”

3- I have great communication skills and math is a strength of mine.

In Hungarian: Nagyszerűek a kommunikációs készségeim, és a matek az egyik erősségem.

The interviewer will also want to know what your strengths are when deciding whether they want to hire you or someone else.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “communication skill” – kommunikációs készség* 
• “great” – nagyszerű** 
• “strength of mine” – erősségem
• “mathematics,” “maths,” or “math” – matematika vagy matek

* Készségeim means “my skills.” E is a linking vowel, i is an indication of the plural form, and -m is a suffix that refers to the first person singular.

** In the original sentence, nagyszerű is in the plural form with a k at the end and an e linking vowel. This word is in the plural because it refers to “my skills,” which is also plural.

4- Sorry, could you please repeat this sentence? I didn’t understand you well.

In Hungarian: Elnézést, volna szíves megismételni ezt a mondatot? Nem értettem Önt jól.

This is one of the best Hungarian business phrases you could learn, because you never know when it will come in handy. In this case, you can use it to ask your interviewer to repeat what they said if you didn’t quite hear or understand. In Hungarian, make sure that you say this phrase using formal language (like the French ‘vouvoyer’), and not using informal language.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “Could you please ___?” – Volna szíves___?
• “to repeat” – megismételni
• “this sentence” – ez a mondat* 

* In the sentence above, “this sentence” is the object. In Hungarian, the object takes a suffix, in this case -t. This is how it becomes ezt a mondatot.

5- May I ask when I can expect a response about the job?

In Hungarian: Megkérdezhetem, hogy mikorra várhatom a visszajelzést a munkával kapcsolatban?

This is another one of the most important Hungarian business phrases, because you’ll probably want to know when to expect a response.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “May I ask ___?” – Megkérdezhetem ___?
• “can expect” – várhat
• “response” – visszajelzés
• “about the job” – a munkával kapcsolatban

6- Thank you for reaching out to me and for this opportunity.

In Hungarian: Köszönöm a megkeresést és a lehetőséget!

In Hungarian business culture, it’s very polite to thank your interviewers for the opportunity. 

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “thank you” – köszönöm
• “opportunity” – lehetőség

2. Interacting with Coworkers

Interacting with coworkers is an important aspect of work life, no matter what your job is or where you work. It’s crucial to your work performance to be able to discuss the outcome of a project with your partner, or chit-chat with a fellow worker during coffee breaks to preserve your sanity. 

In this section, you’ll learn about Hungarian business phrases that you can use to connect with coworkers. Keep in mind that we’ve also created a vocabulary list of Phrases for Doing Business Successfully that you can check out to broaden your workplace vocabulary.

1- Hi all. I’d like to introduce myself. I’m going to be working with you from now on as well.

In Hungarian: Sziasztok! Szeretnék bemutatkozni. Mostantól én is veletek fogok dolgozni.

You might want to start your self-introduction with this phrase after you’ve joined a new company. Even though you have the job now, it’s important that you leave a good impression on your coworkers.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “to introduce oneself” – bemutatkozni
• “to be working” – dolgozni
• “from now on” – mostantól
• “as well” – is

2- Could you help me with this task, please?

In Hungarian: Tudnál segíteni nekem ebben a feladatban, kérlek?

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “Could you ___?” – Tudnál ___?
• “to help” – segíteni
• “task” – feladat

3- I apologize for having submitted the report late.

In Hungarian: Elnézést kérek, hogy későn adtam le a jelentést.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “I apologize” – elnézést kérek
• “to submit late” – későn ad le
• “report” – jelentés

4- Thank you for the persistent hard work.

In Hungarian: Köszönöm a kitartó, kemény munkát!

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “persistent” – kitartó
• “hard work” – kemény munka

5- Unfortunately, I’m not satisfied with your work. You submit the reports too late too often. 

In Hungarian: Sajnos nem vagyok megelégedve a munkájával. Túl gyakran adja le túl későn a jelentéseket.

You have to be honest with each other in the workplace, even if it means criticizing the other party. But don’t forget that there is a difference between constructive criticism and being arrogant and disrespectful.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “unfortunately” – sajnos
• “satisfied” – elégedett
• “too late” – túl későn
• “too often” – túl gyakran

6- Are you free today after work? How about going out together? 

In Hungarian: Szabadok vagytok ma munka után? Mit szólnátok, ha mind elmennénk szórakozni?

In addition to talking business with your coworkers, it’s important to really hit it off with them and form a good relationship. Try inviting them out for a drink sometime.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “free” – szabad
• “after work” – munka után
• “How about ___?” – Mit szólnátok ___?
• “going out” – szórakozni

3. Sounding Smart in a Meeting

If you’re anxious about your first business meeting in your new company, you’re going to love this section. You can use any of the following Hungarian phrases for business meetings to impress your boss and coworkers. 

1- In my opinion, this presentation would be more expressive if you used graphs.

In Hungarian: Szerintem szemléletesebb lenne ez a prezentáció, ha grafikonokat használnál.

When doing business in Hungary, giving constructive criticism in the workplace is always welcome. Everybody wants to do a nice job and better themselves, so if you have a good idea or advice about what the person could have done better, feel free to let them know. Remember that sharing is caring.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “in my opinion” – szerintem
• “presentation” – prezentáció
• “expressive” – szemléletes
• “graph” – grafikon

2- Maybe if you illustrated this data on a pie chart, the presentation would be easier to follow.

In Hungarian: Talán ha kördiagramon szemléltetnéd ezeket az adatokat, a prezentáció könnyebben követhető lenne.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “to illustrate” – szemléltetni
• “data” – adat
• “pie chart” – kördiagram
• “easy to follow” – könnyen követhető

3- I have to agree with you. Holding a conference would be the best publicity for our company.

In Hungarian: Egyet kell értenem Önnel. Egy konferencia megtartása lenne a legjobb reklám a cégünknek.

Expressing your feelings is crucial when working with other people. If you don’t speak up, nobody is going to know what you think.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “to agree” – egyetérteni
• “conference” – konferencia
• “best” – legjobb
• “publicity” – reklám
• “our company” – cégünk

4- I don’t agree with you. Your argument is weak.

In Hungarian: Nem értek egyet Önnel. Gyenge az érvelése.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “argument” – érvelés
• “weak” – gyenge

5- I’d like these financial reports to be on my desk by Wednesday.

In Hungarian: Szeretném, ha ezek a pénzügyi jelentések az íróasztalomon lennének szerdára.

When you’re working with others, especially at a relatively big company, demands are almost impossible to avoid. It’s important to note that everyone working there probably depends on another person within the firm, so if somebody is late with a report, another person might get in trouble for it. Requests and demands are just a normal part of worklife, and they should be given politely. 

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “financial” – pénzügyi
• “report” – jelentés
• “desk” – íróasztal
• “Wednesday” – szerda

6- Would you please ask the contract manager if they already sent out the invoice?

In Hungarian: Megkérdeznéd, kérlek, a szerződésmenedzsert, hogy kiküldték-e már a számlát?

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “Would you ask ___?” – Megkérdeznéd ___?
• “contract” – szerződés
• “manager” – menedzser
• “already” – már
• “invoice” – számla

4. Handling Business Phone Calls and Emails

There are a few Hungarian business words you need to learn for handling business phone calls and emails. When you communicate this way, you don’t have direct contact with the person you’re talking to, so you can’t rely on non-verbal cues—all you have is words. This makes it extra-important to compose your Hungarian business phrases well. 

But don’t worry! We’ve listed some of the most common business phrases in Hungarian that you’re likely to encounter in these contexts.

1- Hello. This is ___ [name]’s office. You’re speaking to his / her assistant. 

In Hungarian: Halló! ___ [name] irodája. Az asszisztensével beszél.

This is how you would pick up the phone if you were an assistant in somebody’s office. Pretty easy, huh?

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “office” – iroda
• “assistant” – asszisztens

2- She / He is not in the office at the moment. Can I take a message?

In Hungarian: Per pillanat nem tartózkodik az irodában. Átadhatok egy üzenetet?

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “at the moment” – per pillanat
• “message” – üzenet

3- As soon as she / he is back in the office, I will deliver your urgent message to her / him.

In Hungarian: Amint visszaérkezik az irodába, átadom neki az Ön sürgős üzenetét.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “as soon as” – amint
• “to deliver” – átadni
• “urgent” – sürgős

4- Thank you for your call. We’ll try to notify you about the news as soon as possible.

In Hungarian: Köszönjük a hívását! Igyekszünk minél hamarabb értesíteni Önt a fejleményekről.

This is a very polite way to end a call. The person on the other end of the phone will probably be very pleased to hear it. A little politeness never hurt anybody.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “call” – hívás
• “to notify” – értesíteni
• “news” – fejlemény, hír
• “as soon as possible” – minél hamarabb, amint lehet

5- Dear Sir / Madam,

In Hungarian: Kedves Hölgyem / Uram!

This is how you would address a Hungarian business email or a letter. However, if you know the person’s name, it’s always better and more personal to use that instead of just “sir” or “madam.”

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “dear” – kedves
• “sir” – úr
• “madam” – hölgy* 

* In the sentence above, hölgyem and uram mean “my lady” and “my lord” in Hungarian, respectively. 

6- I’m looking forward to your reply. Best wishes,

In Hungarian: Várom mielőbbi válaszát. Üdvözlettel,

This is a standard way to end Hungarian business emails and letters.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “to be looking forward to” – várni
• “reply” – válasz
• “best wishes” – üdvözlet

5. Going on a Business Trip

Most people go on a business trip at least once in their lifetime. If you want to navigate your business trip like a pro, make sure to memorize these common business phrases in Hungarian. 

→ By the way, don’t forget to learn the Top 10 Verbs for Travel.

1- I’d like to make a hotel room reservation for one for two nights.

In Hungarian: Hotelszobát szeretnék foglalni egy főre két éjszakára.

When on a business trip, you’ll probably be sleeping in a hotel. This phrase will help you make a reservation.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “hotel room” – hotelszoba
• “reservation” – foglalás
• “for one” – egy főre
• “for two nights” – két éjszakára

2- Thank you for the great service. I’ll be sure to come back to your hotel.

In Hungarian: Köszönöm a remek kiszolgálást! Mindenképp visszatérek még a szállodájukba.

And of course, it’s always nice to say goodbye politely and make sure the staff knows you had a great time.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “great” – remek
• “service” – kiszolgálás
• “to be sure to” – mindenképp
• “to come back” – visszatérni
• “hotel” – szálloda, hotel

3- I’d like to buy a return plane ticket from London to Paris.

In Hungarian: Szeretnék retúr repülőjegyet vásárolni Londonból Párizsba.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “to buy” – vásárolni
• “return” – retúr
• “ticket” – jegy
• “plane ticket” – repülőjegy

4- Hi. It’s nice to finally meet you in person. I’ve come, on behalf of our company, to pick you up.

In Hungarian: Jónapot! Örülök, hogy végre személyesen is találkoztunk. Én jöttem, a cégünk nevében, hogy üdvözöljem Önt.

This sentence can be useful when you come to pick somebody up on behalf of your company. It’s a nice gesture to address someone in their own language, and it’s a great way to earn points with a Hungarian client.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “finally” – végre
• “to meet” – találkozni
• “to come” – jönni
• “on behalf of” – ___ nevében

5- We’ve had a great conference. We’re going to have a meeting with my team and we will let you know about our decision during next week.

In Hungarian: Remek tárgyalás volt. Megbeszélést tartunk majd a csapatommal, és a jövő hét folyamán értesítjük Önöket a döntésünkről.

If you’re going on a business trip, it’s very likely to involve a meeting or a conference.

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “conference” – tárgyalás
• “meeting” – megbeszélés
• “team” – csapat
• “to let know” – értesíteni
• “decision” – döntés
• “next week” – jövő hét

6- This is a one-time offer. Consider it.

In Hungarian: Ez egy egyszeri ajánlat. Fontolja meg!

For after negotiations…

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• “one-time” – egyszeri
• “offer” – ajánlat
• “to consider” – megfontol

6. HungarianPod101.com Can Boost Your Career

Now that you know the thirty most important Hungarian business phrases, you’re one step closer to a successful business experience in Hungary. You can go straight into the Hungarian labor market, set up your own business, and even negotiate with potential business partners.

If you want to pick up even more business vocabulary in Hungarian, we advise you to join the HungarianPod101 family. With us, you’ll get unlimited access to many articles, vocabulary lists, and video / audio content to make studying way easier.

Another benefit of becoming a member of our community is that you’ll always have someone to help when things get tough, be it us or your fellow language learners. With us, you’ll never be alone on this exciting journey.

We hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any questions or suggestions about what we could include in our next article, let us know in the comments section.

Which Hungarian business phrase do you wish you had known sooner? And which are you likely to use in the future?