5 sentences to learn before coming to Hungary!

Hungary is a widely loved place. Tourists from all over the world visit our country from year to year. However, not all of them are familiar with Hungarian  which is considered to be one of the hardest languages. Of course, it is absolutely not compulsory to be able to speak the language – however, it does make some situations easier. Read our article to learn 5 of the most helpful sentences before coming to Hungary!

1. Ez mennyibe kerül? – How much does this cost?

Evidently, when travelling somewhere, whether for a business trip or a vacation, it is inevitable to have to pay for things. For example, a sandwich at the airport, a train ticket, a meal at a restaurant. When the price is not displayed, you can ask the following:

• Ez mennyibe kerül? /ɛz mɛɲːibɛ kɛɾʏl?/

Our currency is the Hungarian forint. In case you do not see prices displayed in euro, only forint fear not: just divide the given number by four and you get the price in euro. For example: HUF 1600 is EUR 4.

• Read also: Could anything save the Hungarian forint?

2. Kérhetném a számlát? – May I have the bill?

When you are done having breakfast, lunch or dinner in a restaurant or bar, you can ask for the bill by asking:

• Kérhetném a számlát? /keːɾhɛtneːm ɒ saːmlaːt?/

In some places, you might only see the total amount only in forint – in that case, remember the aforementioned fact: that nowadays, one euro costs 400 forints.

3. Ingyenes a Wi-Fi? – Is the WiFi free?

You might get into a situation when you run out of mobile data and you need WiFi to check Google Maps or any other useful thing on the internet. If you find a place that has WiFi but you do not know whether you can use it or not, ask the following question:

• Ingyenes a Wi-Fi? /iɲɟɛnɛʃ ɒ wifi?/

They might reply by saying “igen” (yes) or “nem” (no). They also might point to a sign that tells you the name of the Wi-Fi network you can use and the password.

• Read also: New details on the fuel limit introduced in Hungary!

4. Kínálnak vegetáriánus/vegán ételeket is? – Do you offer vegetarian/vegan meals?

Many places in Hungary, especially in the capital, Budapest, have a huge selection of vegetarian and/or vegan meals – some restaurants are even specialised for these kinds of lifestyle. However, if you go to a place that does not explicitly say they have vegetarian/vegan food, you can ask using the following question:

• Kínálnak vegetáriánus/vegán ételeket is? /kiːnaːlnɒk vɛgɛtaːɾiaːnuʃ / vɛgaːn eːtɛlɛkɛt iʃ?/

Evidently, they might give you an “igen” or a “nem” – or, they might even guide you to the corresponding part of their menu.

5. Merre van a vasútállomás? – Where is the train station?

Sometimes, it is easier to ask someone on the street for directions than trying to figure out where Google Maps or a map tries to take us. If you want to find the nearest train station, just ask someone the following question:

• Merre van a vasútállomás? /mɛɾːɛ vɒn ɒ vɒʃuːtaːlːomaːʃ?/

Hopefully, a helpful person can help you get to the train station to reach your next destination.

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