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Hungarian for free
Why learn Hungarian?
Hungarian is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
Hungarian is written in the Latin script. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Hungarian is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Hungarian belongs to the Uralic family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Finnish or Estonian.
The 50 most common Hungarian words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Hungarian sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | a | aw | the (definite article) |
| 2 | és | aysh | and |
| 3 | van | vawn | is |
| 4 | hogy | hohdy | that (conjunction) |
| 5 | nem | nem | no |
| 6 | egy | edy | one |
| 7 | ez | ez | this |
| 8 | az | awz | that |
| 9 | én | ayn | I |
| 10 | ő | ur | he / she |
| 11 | mi | mee | we |
| 12 | te | teh | you |
| 13 | ki | kee | who |
| 14 | de | deh | but |
| 15 | is | eesh | too |
| 16 | még | mayg | still |
| 17 | már | mahr | already |
| 18 | csak | chawk | only |
| 19 | nagy | nawdy | big |
| 20 | év | ayv | year |
| 21 | idő | EE-dur | time |
| 22 | nap | nawp | day |
| 23 | jó | yoh | good |
| 24 | ember | EM-behr | person |
| 25 | tud | tood | know |
| 26 | mond | mohnd | say |
| 27 | lát | laht | see |
| 28 | megy | medy | go |
| 29 | ad | awd | give |
| 30 | új | ooy | new |
| 31 | dolog | DOH-lohg | thing |
| 32 | sok | shohk | many |
| 33 | kettő | KET-tur | two |
| 34 | első | EL-shur | first |
| 35 | akar | AW-kawr | want |
| 36 | hol | hohl | where |
| 37 | mert | mehrt | because |
| 38 | akkor | AWK-kohr | then |
| 39 | ott | oht | there |
| 40 | együtt | EDY-ewt | together |
| 41 | munka | MOON-kaw | work |
| 42 | vagy | vawdy | or |
| 43 | élet | AY-let | life |
| 44 | kell | kel | must |
| 45 | minden | MIN-den | all |
| 46 | más | mahsh | other |
| 47 | itt | eet | here |
| 48 | most | mohsht | now |
| 49 | nagyon | NAW-dyohn | very |
| 50 | világ | VEE-lahg | world |
Useful phrases in Hungarian
- Jó napot · yoh NAH-poht · Hello / Good day
- Hogy vagy? · hodj vahdj · How are you?
- Köszönöm · KUH-suh-nuhm · Thank you
- Kérem · KEH-rem · Please
- A nevem... · ah NEH-vem · My name is...
- Hol van...? · hohl vahn · Where is...?
- Viszontlátásra · VEE-sont-lah-tahsh-rah · Goodbye
- Elnézést · EL-nay-zaysht · Excuse me
- Nem értem · nem AYR-tem · I don't understand
- Tud segíteni? · tood SHEH-gee-teh-nee · Can you help me?
- Mennyibe kerül? · MEN-nyee-beh KEH-rewl · How much is it?
- Holnap találkozunk! · HOL-nop TAH-lahl-ko-zoonk · See you tomorrow!
Learn Hungarian with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Hungarian, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Hungarian learning community
Collaborate with native Hungarian speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Hungarian online · Create an online Hungarian school · Build a Hungarian curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Hungarian
How difficult is it to learn Hungarian?
How difficult Hungarian is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Hungarian is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Hungarian?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Hungarian?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Hungarian within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 13 million people across 1 countries speak Hungarian, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Hungarian vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Hungarian pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Hungarian pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Hungarian speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Hungarian alphabet first?
If Hungarian uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.