Here are 100 of the most used words in Hungarian, grouped by type. Print this page and tick off each word once you know it.
Small words
| Hungarian | English | Note |
|---|
| a, az | the | az before a vowel: az alma |
| egy | a, an; one | |
| és | and | |
| nem | no; not | |
| hogy | that; how | Tudom, hogy ... = I know that ... |
| is | also, too | Comes after the word: én is |
| de | but | |
| csak | only, just | |
| már | already | már nem = not any more |
| még | still, yet; more | még nem = not yet |
| meg | and (spoken) | Also the prefix meg-. |
| mint | as, like; than | |
| ha | if | |
| vagy | or | Also "you are". |
| mert | because | |
| amikor | when | In statements. In questions: mikor? |
| igen | yes | |
| sem | not ... either, neither | én sem = me neither |
| pedig | and, but, whereas | Second in its clause. |
| így | like this, this way; so | |
| úgy | like that, that way; so | |
| akkor | then | |
| most | now | |
| itt | here | |
| ott | there | |
| nagyon | very; very much | |
| sok | much, many, a lot | sok ember = many people (singular noun) |
| jól | well | |
| mindig | always | |
| soha | never | With nem: soha nem jön |
| ma | today | |
Pronouns and question words
| Hungarian | English | Note |
|---|
| én | I | |
| te | you | |
| ő | he, she | |
| mi | we; what | mi? = what? |
| ti | you (plural) | |
| ők | they | |
| Ön, Önök | you (formal) | Takes third person verb forms. |
| ez | this | accusative ezt |
| az | that | accusative azt |
| ki | who | Also the prefix ki- (out). |
| hol | where | |
| hova | where to | Also written hová. |
| honnan | where from | |
| mikor | when | |
| miért | why | |
| hogyan | how | Often just hogy: Hogy vagy? |
| melyik | which | Takes the definite conjugation: melyiket kéred? |
| milyen | what kind of, what ... like | |
| mennyi | how much, how many | |
| valaki | someone, anyone | |
| valami | something, anything | |
| senki | no one | With nem: senki nem jött |
| semmi | nothing | With nem: nem tudok semmit |
| minden | every, everything | mindenki = everyone |
Verbs
| Hungarian | English | Note |
|---|
| van | to be; there is | past volt, future lesz |
| lesz | will be; to become | |
| tud | to know; can | |
| kell | must; to need | |
| lehet | it is possible; may | |
| megy | to go | past ment, infinitive menni |
| jön | to come | past jött, infinitive jönni |
| akar | to want | |
| szeret | to like, to love | |
| csinál | to do, to make | |
| mond | to say, to tell | past mondott |
| lát | to see | past látott |
| ad | to give | |
| kap | to get, to receive | past kapott |
| vesz | to buy; to take | past vett, infinitive venni |
| gondol | to think | gondol vmire = to think of |
| beszél | to speak, to talk | |
| kér | to ask for | |
| ért | to understand | past értett |
| marad | to stay, to remain | past maradt |
Nouns
| Hungarian | English | Note |
|---|
| ember | person, human being | plural emberek = people |
| év | year | |
| nap | day; sun | accusative napot |
| idő | time; weather | |
| élet | life | |
| ház | house | plural házak |
| gyerek | child | |
| ország | country | |
| város | town, city | accusative várost |
| világ | world | |
| munka | work, job | |
| kéz | hand | accusative kezet, plural kezek |
| szó | word | plural szavak |
| rész | part | accusative részt |
| dolog | thing | accusative dolgot, plural dolgok |
| víz | water | accusative vizet |
| pénz | money | accusative pénzt |
| család | family | |
| nyelv | language; tongue | |
| hely | place | accusative helyet |
Adjectives
| Hungarian | English | Note |
|---|
| jó | good | better: jobb |
| nagy | big, large | |
| kicsi, kis | small, little | kis only before a noun |
| új | new | |
| magyar | Hungarian | Small letter: a magyar nyelv |