What Hungarian phrases should I learn before visiting Hungary?

Greetings and goodbyes

Jó napot kívánok ("I wish you a good day") is the polite greeting for strangers and the one to use walking into a shop; Jó napot is a slightly shorter version. Szia is the casual hello and also the casual goodbye, said to one person; to a group it becomes Sziasztok.

You may hear older Hungarians, and children speaking to older women, say Csókolom (CHOH-ko-lom), short for "I kiss your hand". It is a traditional respectful greeting; visitors don't need to use it.

Polite essentials

Köszönöm is "thank you" and köszi the casual version. Kérem means "please" with strangers (it also means "here you are"); kérlek is the casual form for a friend.

Elnézést is the word for getting someone's attention or squeezing past; bocsánat is "sorry". To turn something down politely, Hungarians usually put the thanks first: köszönöm, nem.

Eating and drinking

The toast is Egészségére! to someone you address politely, or Egészségedre! to a friend: "to your health", also said after a sneeze. Traditionally Hungarians do not clink beer glasses. The story is that Austrian officers clinked beer to celebrate the execution of 13 Hungarian generals at Arad in 1849, and Hungarians vowed not to clink beer for 150 years. Historians doubt the story and the vow "expired" in 1999, but many older Hungarians still skip the clink with beer. The custom is about beer only.

Check the bill before tipping: many Budapest restaurants add a service charge (szervizdíj), often 10% to 15%, and if it is there no extra tip is expected. Our Budapest tipping guide covers the rest.

Shopping and markets

Prices are fixed in shops and in market halls such as Budapest's Central Market Hall, and haggling is not done. Hungary uses the forint (HUF), not the euro, and paying by card is normal in Budapest, though small market stalls may prefer cash.

Say Jó napot kívánok when you walk into a shop and Viszontlátásra when you leave.

Getting around

Budapest's big railway stations are each a pályaudvar (Keleti, Nyugati and Déli pályaudvar); smaller stations are vasútállomás. Toilet signs say mosdó, WC or vécé.

Hungarian adds endings to place names instead of using a word for "to", so the easiest way to buy a ticket is Egy jegyet kérek ("one ticket, please") followed by the destination's name.

Numbers 1 to 10, 100 and 1,000

Two has two forms: kettő on its own and két in front of a noun (két jegy, two tickets). Prices in forints run into thousands, so ezer (1,000) is a number you will hear constantly.

Help and emergencies

112 is the general emergency number in Hungary. The older direct lines, 104 (ambulance), 105 (fire) and 107 (police), still work.

Etiquette that matters more than words

Greet when you walk in. A Jó napot kívánok to the shop assistant, pharmacist or ticket clerk is expected; Szia to a stranger older than you sounds too familiar.

Use the polite form until invited not to. Hungarian has a formal "you" for strangers, and the phrases above use it (Hogy van?, Beszél angolul?). Hungarians will tell you when to switch to the casual form.

Names run surname first. A Hungarian called Kovács Péter in Hungarian is Péter Kovács in English. Úr (Mr) goes after the surname: Kovács úr.

Skip the beer clink unless your hosts do it. With older Hungarians especially, raise your beer and say Egészségére without touching glasses. Our things to know before visiting Hungary covers money, transport and the thermal baths.

Frequently asked questions