The Most Useful Hungarian Phrases for Tourists (With Pronunciation)

Hungarian has a reputation as one of the hardest languages in the world — and honestly, it deserves it! But here is what I know after years of guiding visitors through Budapest: a handful of words spoken with genuine effort will earn you more warmth, smiles, and open doors than almost anything else you can do. Hungarians are deeply proud of their language, and they are genuinely moved when a visitor tries.

You don't need to become fluent. You just need these phrases.

How to Read the Pronunciation Guide

Before we dive in, a few sounds that trip up most English speakers:

s — sounds like sh in "shoe" (not like the English "s")

sz — sounds like a normal English s in "sun"

cs — sounds like ch in "church"

gy — a soft dy sound, like "d" and "y" said quickly together

ny — like the ni in "onion"

á — a long, open ah sound, like "father"

é — a long ay sound, like "day"

ö / ő — like the German ö, or the u in "burn" with rounded lips

ü / ű — round your lips as if to say "oo" but say "ee" instead

One more rule: stress always falls on the first syllable of a Hungarian word. Always. No exceptions. This alone will make you sound far more convincing than most visitors.

Greetings & Basic Politeness

These are the words you will use every single day. Learn these before anything else.

Szia — SEE-ya — Hi / Bye The casual, friendly greeting. Use it with anyone who seems relaxed and approachable — shop staff, young locals, your tour guide.

Jó napot kívánok — YOH NAH-pot KEE-vah-nok — Good day (formal) Use this when entering a shop, restaurant, or speaking with older people. It signals respect and will be warmly received every time

Jó reggelt — YOH REG-gelt — Good morning

Jó estét — YOH ESH-tayt — Good evening

Köszönöm — KUH-suh-nuhm — Thank you The single most useful word you will learn. Use it constantly — in shops, when someone holds a door, when your waiter brings the bill. It sounds tricky at first, but once you have it, it becomes second nature.

Köszönöm szépen — KUH-suh-nuhm SAY-pen — Thank you very much Add szépen (meaning "nicely") and you've just made someone's day.

Kérem — KAY-rem — Please / Here you are — Also used when handing something to someone, the way you might say "here you go."

Bocsánat — BO-chah-not — Sorry / Excuse me For squeezing past someone on a tram, bumping into a stranger, or apologising. Essential on a busy Saturday in the ruin bar district.

Igen — EE-gen — Yes

Nem — nem — No

Viszontlátásra — VEE-sont-lah-tash-ra — Goodbye (formal) Long and impressive. Locals will visibly brighten when a tourist attempts this one. Worth practising in the mirror before your trip.

Want to actually use these phrases with a local? On a private tour, I'll help you practice as we go — and you'll get way more smiles from Hungarians than you would from a phrasebook alone. 🙂

Let's explore Budapest →

Essential Everyday Phrases

Beszél angolul? — BEH-sayl ON-go-lool? — Do you speak English? Always ask this before launching into English. It's polite, and Hungarians genuinely appreciate it.

Nem értem. — nem AIR-tem — I don't understand.

Lasabban kérem. — LOSH-shab-bon KAY-rem — More slowly, please.

Hogy hívják? — HOJ HEEV-yak? — What is it called? Useful when pointing at something in a market or menu you don't recognise.

Hol van a...? — hol von a...? — Where is the...? Fill in the blank: mosdó (MOSH-doh) = toilet, metróállomás (MET-roh-AHL-lo-mash) = metro station, gyógyszertár (DYOH-dy-sair-tahr) = pharmacy.

Segíthet? — SHEH-geet-het? — Can you help me?

Nem tudom. — nem TOO-dom — I don't know.

Mennyi az idő? — MEN-yee oz EE-duh? — What time is it?

Ordering Food & Drink

Budapest's food scene is wonderful, and these phrases will serve you everywhere from a lángos stand to a fine-dining restaurant.

Asztal kettő személyre, kérem. — OS-tol KET-tuh SEH-may-reh KAY-rem — A table for two, please.

Az étlapot kérem. — oz AYT-la-pot KAY-rem — The menu, please.

Mit ajánl? — meet OY-ahl? — What do you recommend? Ask this and watch the waiter's face light up. Hungarians love to share their food culture.

Ezt kérem. — est KAY-rem — I'll have this, please. Point at the menu as you say it. Perfectly sufficient everywhere.

Finom! — FEE-nom! — Delicious! Use this after your first bite and you will be the waiter's favourite table all evening.

Egy sört kérek. — EJ shurt KAY-rek — One beer, please.

Egy pohár bort kérek. — EJ PO-hahr bort KAY-rek — A glass of wine, please.

Vizet kérek. — VEE-zet KAY-rek — Water, please. In Hungary, water is not always brought automatically. Ask for it.

Egészségére! — EH-gays-shay-geh-reh! — Cheers! The Hungarian toast. It literally means "to your health." Raise your glass, make eye contact with everyone at the table, and never put your glass down before everyone has clinked. Hungarians take this seriously — skipping eye contact is considered bad luck.

A számlát kérem. — a SAHM-laht KAY-rem — The bill, please.

Mennyibe kerül? — MEN-yee-beh KEH-rull? — How much does it cost?

Getting Around

Hol van a metróállomás? — hol von a MET-roh-AHL-lo-mash? — Where is the metro station?

Hol van a WC? — hol von a VAY-tsay? — Where is the toilet? WC (pronounced vay-tsay) is universally understood across Hungary. More useful than you might hope.

Jobbra — YOB-ra — Right

Balra — BOL-ra — Left

Egyenesen — EH-dyeh-neh-shen — Straight ahead

Megállna itt? — MEG-ahl-na eet? — Could you stop here? For taxis when you want to be let out.

Kérem, vigyen a... — KAY-rem VEE-dyen a... — Please take me to... Follow with your hotel name or address.

Emergencies

Hopefully you won't need these — but know them.

Segítség! — SHEH-geet-shayg! — Help!

Orvost kérek. — OR-vosht KAY-rek — I need a doctor.

Mentőt kívánok. — MEN-tuht KEE-vah-nok — I need an ambulance.

Rendőrség — REND-ur-shayg — Police

Rosszul vagyok. — ROS-sool VOD-yok — I feel ill.

Elvesztem a pénztárcámat. — EL-ves-tem a PAYNZ-tar-tsah-mot — I've lost my wallet.

Elvesztem a útlevelemet. — EL-ves-tem a OOT-leh-veh-leh-met — I've lost my passport.

The emergency number in Hungary is 112 — the same as across the EU.

Fun & Cultural Phrases

These aren't strictly necessary — but they are the ones that create real moments with locals.

Szép város! — sayp VAH-rosh! — Beautiful city! Say this to any Hungarian and watch what happens.

Nagyon szeretem Budapestet. — NOD-yon SEH-reh-tem BOO-da-pesh-tet — I love Budapest very much.

Magyar konyha fantasztikus. — MOD-yor KON-ya fon-TOS-tee-koosh — Hungarian cuisine is fantastic.

Egészségedre! — EH-gays-shay-ged-reh! — Cheers! (informal, to one person)

Hogy tetszik Magyarország? — HOJ TET-seek MOD-yor-or-sahg? — How do you like Hungary? Locals will ask you this. Now you know what they said.

Szép napot! — sayp NOD-yot! — Have a lovely day! A warm send-off that will often earn you a surprised smile, because so few visitors bother.

One Last Thought

Nobody expects you to speak Hungarian. Locals in Budapest — especially in the tourist areas — speak good English. But language is about more than communication. When you try even a single word in the local language, you are saying: I see you. I respect where I am. I made an effort.

That matters more than perfect pronunciation. In all my years as a guide, I have never seen a local respond badly to a visitor making a genuine attempt. Quite the opposite.

Take three or four phrases from this list, practise them on your first morning, and see what happens! I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 😌

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Planning a trip to Budapest? I offer private walking tours in English, designed around your interests and pace — and if you fancy practicing a little Hungarian with me too, just let me know. Get in touch here.