The Most Useful Hungarian Phrases for Tourists (With Pronunciation)
By Kata | katabudapest.com | Updated Oct 6, 2026
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 Pronunciation Hungarian
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.
Hungarian Greetings and Polite Words
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.
Phrases stick much faster when you use them with a real person. On my private tours we practice as we walk, and by the end you'll be greeting, thanking and toasting like a local. 🙂
See my private Budapest tours →Essential Everyday Hungarian 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.
Lassabban 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 and Drink in Hungarian
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 Budapest: Directions in Hungarian
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.
Hungarian Words You'll See and Hear
Most phrase lists only teach you what to say. Half the battle is reading the signs around you and understanding what people say back.
Tolni — TOL-nee — Push
Húzni — HOOZ-nee — Pull. You will push a door marked húzni at least once. Everyone does.
Nyitva — NYEET-vo — Open
Zárva — ZAHR-vo — Closed
Bejárat — BEH-yah-rot — Entrance
Kijárat — KEE-yah-rot — Exit
Férfi — FAYR-fee — Men
Női — NUH-ee — Women. These are the two words on toilet doors. Worth memorising before you need them in a hurry.
Foglalt — FOG-lolt — Reserved / Occupied. On a restaurant table it means the table is taken.
Tessék — TESH-shayk — The word visitors hear constantly and never quite catch, because it means several things. When someone hands you something: "Here you go." From behind a counter: "Yes, what would you like?" At a door: "After you." And as a question, Tessék? means "Sorry, what did you say?"
Szívesen — SEE-veh-shen — You're welcome. This is what you'll hear back after köszönöm.
Jó étvágyat! — YOH AYT-vah-dyot — Enjoy your meal! Your waiter will say it as the food arrives. A simple köszönöm is the right reply.
Kártyával vagy készpénzzel? — KAHR-tyah-vol vodj KAYS-paynz-zel? — Card or cash? You only need one word to answer:
Kártyával — KAHR-tyah-vol — By card
Készpénzzel — KAYS-paynz-zel — With cash
Numbers 1 to 10
egy — EJ — one
kettő — KET-tuh — two
három — HAH-rom — three
négy — NAYJ — four
öt — uht — five
hat — hot — six
hét — hayt — seven
nyolc — nyolts — eight
kilenc — KEE-lents — nine
tíz — teez — ten
Hungarian Phrases for 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.
Elvesztettem a pénztárcámat. — EL-ves-tem a PAYNZ-tar-tsah-mot — I've lost my wallet.
Elvesztettem 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 Hungarian Phrases That Win Locals Over
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.
A 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 NAH-pot! — 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. 😌
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hungarian hard to learn? For English speakers, yes. Hungarian isn't related to English, German or the Slavic languages around us; its best-known relatives are Finnish and Estonian, and even those are distant. The good news is that pronunciation is completely regular: once you know what each letter sounds like, you can read any word aloud.
Do people speak English in Budapest? In the city centre, yes. Hotels, restaurants, shops and most younger Hungarians speak good English. You'll find less of it with the older generation, at neighbourhood markets and in the countryside, which is exactly where a few Hungarian words help most.
How do you say thank you in Hungarian? Köszönöm (KUH-suh-nuhm). With friends or in casual situations you'll also hear the short version, köszi (KUH-see). For "thank you very much", say köszönöm szépen.
How do you say cheers in Hungarian? Egészségedre! (EH-gays-shay-ged-reh) with friends, or Egészségére! in more formal company. Look everyone in the eye as you clink. One exception: many Hungarians still don't clink beer glasses, a tradition that goes back to 1849.
How do you say hello in Hungarian? Szia (SEE-ya) to one person, sziasztok (SEE-ya-stok) to a group, and jó napot kívánok when you want to be polite. Don't be surprised when someone says szia or even "hello" as they leave: we use both for goodbye too.
Coming to Budapest? I'm Kata, a licensed local guide, and my private tours are built around your interests and pace. Tell me your dates and what you're curious about, and I'll suggest a plan. And yes, I'm happy to be your Hungarian practice partner along the way. Get in touch here.
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