How to learn Hungarian effectively? Here are some tips

Hungarian is definitely not among the easiest languages. However, with enough persistence and effort, you might find yourself not only knowing but also enjoying the language. Here are some tips on how to learn Hungarian effectively!

Set a study routine and know your learning style

When learning a new language, having an established study routine is of key importance. No matter how much you study if you do it inconsistently. Therefore, you should take into consideration what your goals with the language are. Are you learning Hungarian to make new friends? Do you need it for your workplace? Are you participating in an exchange programme? No matter which one is the case, the main idea is to be conscious about the reason of learning Hungarian.

After this, you should consider what kind of study style suits you best. If you are a visual learner, seeing pictures of the words might help you. Auditory learners prefer learning via listening to native speakers and tactile learners enjoy touching objects. Last but not least, if you believe you are a kinesthetic learner, you should move when studying.

• Read also: Want to sound more like a native Hungarian? Here are some tips!

Learn the alphabet

Skipping the alphabet sounds inviting, however, you should definitely not miss out on the basics of the Hungarian language. In order to proceed to learning words and sentences, first you need to get familiar with the letters. Although English has only 26 letters and Hungarian has 44,  English words are not pronounced according to the alphabet. In comparison, if you learn the Hungarian letters, you are already halfway to success.

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Here are some of the most difficult sounds to pronounce collected by catchbudapest.com:

• CS – pronounced as the “ch” in “check” or cheek”
• DZ – pronounced as the “ds” in “kids”
• DZS (the only trigraph) – pronounced as the “j” in “jam”
• GY – pronounced as the “d” in “during”
• LY – pronounced as the “y” in “yes”
• NY – pronounced as the “n” in “new”
• SZ – pronounced as the “s” in “sister”
• TY – pronounced as the “t” in “tube”
• ZS – pronounced as the “s” in “pleasure

Basic Hungarian expressions

After having learned the alphabet, you can move on to the next phase, which is learning basic Hungarian expressions. Basic expressions are useful to learn in order to make the first conversation with a native. In addition, it is highly motivating to understand these everyday expressions on the street or when watching videos. The basic Hungarian expressions include greetings such as Hi, Hello = Szia, Sziasztok or Good afternoon = Jó napot. Moreover, you should be able to introduce yourself or ask for directions.

Here is a chart compiled by Elte:

Read alsoThe funniest Hungarian expressions

Source: elte.hu, catchbudapest.com