Hungarian is a language that sounds totally different from the dialects spoken by the country’s neighbours. Although Hungary is located in the middle of Europe, the language locals speak does not belong to the Indo-European language family. Have ever wondered why? Read on to find the answer.
Different language families
If people who do not know the origin of the Hungarian language were to guess what language family it belongs to, they would most likely pick one of the three groups those languages around us are parts of: Germanic, Slavic or Romance. However, Hungarian does not belong to either of them!
In fact, the Hungarian language belongs to the Uralic language family. Some of its “relatives” are Finnish, Estonian, Sami (another term for Sami is Lapp or Lappish, but these two are considered pejorative). However, these languages are still closer to each other than they are to Hungarian. Hungarian stands out even among its relatives!
On top of that, since there are 13 million native Hungarian speakers, it is the most widely spoken language in the Uralic language family.
A pinch of history
This video talks about why Hungarian is such an isolated language in Central Europe and provides some historical background.
How come the Hungarian language is so unique in the middle of Europe? The answer lies in history. In the 9th century, Hungarian (Magyar) tribes migrated from their original home in the Ural Mountains (today it is situated in Central Russia) to the Carpathian Basin where they eventually settled.
Out of the 13 million native speakers of the language, only 9.8 million people live within the borders of Hungary. The rest of them live in the neighbouring countries: Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and Croatia. Apart from these countries, many native Hungarian speakers live all across the globe, for example in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Hungarian is often said to be one of the hardest languages to learn. Of course, this is not black and white, it depends on many factors such as one’s native language. It can also depend on what techniques one uses to learn the language. In one of our previous articles, we shared some of the first steps you can take if you are determined to learn this beautiful unique language.
This video goes into depth as regards the history of Hungarians and the rich language.
Hungarian is a beautifully complex language. Many foreigners are staggered by this very complexity at first, but do not fret! Continue reading to find out the best way to begin your Hungarian language learning journey!
There is no getting around it: without a firm knowledge of the alphabet, you will run into difficulties further on. In addition to studying the alphabet, learn to pronounce each letter as well! This learning hack does not apply only to the Hungarian language. All languages require a firm understanding of basic fundamentals The following video from Hungarian Pronunciation might be handy.
#2 Learn the number in Hungarian
It is important to know the numbers, even if only at a very basic level, no matter which language you study. Do not worry, compared to many other languages’ complex numerical systems, you will get the hang of the Hungarian way of counting in no time! Here is another video from Hungarian Pronunciation that helps you master this facet of the language.
#3 Understanding agglutination
This is where Hungarian linguistics turns confusing. If you are a beginner, you should not try to grasp all the morphology of the language overnight. The main point is to have an idea of what agglutination is. The Glossary of Linguistic Terms defines it as such: “An agglutinative language is a language in which words are made up of a linear sequence of distinct morphemes and each component of meaning is represented by its morpheme.”
At its core, Hungarian expresses the time, location, relation, and various grammatical functions through gluing together affixes.
While in English you might say “I ate it.” in Hungarian you can express the same with a single word: “Megettem.”
#4 The word order
One of the most interesting aspects of our language is its sentence structure. Instead of being defined by the subject-verb-object principle, speakers can zero in on the emphasis of the sentence. Even if Hungarian is a more topic-oriented language, that does not mean it can defy linguistic rules. HungarianPod101 published an excellent article on this, delving into the subject more thoroughly.
#5 The most frequently used Hungarian words
Before reaching our last point, here is one that will most certainly improve your knowledge of Hungarian in no time. All languages have a certain list of words that most commonly appear in that given language, Hungarian is the same. Learning some core words can really get you far. Core words refer to the language that we use most frequently in our day-to-day communication.
Thus, by possessing this all-important knowledge, you are guaranteed to improve your learning experience. HungarianPod101 published its core list of 100 words in Hungarian.
#6 Immersion
Last, but not least, is the importance of immersion. Take the term immersion in an all-encompassing sense; be it the linguistics, history, culture, or people of a given language, immersing ourselves in these is one of the best ways to improve our language skills. After you studied some grammar, why not look up key events that influenced the language? While you are at it, exploring the culture and tradition of the people of Hungary can establish a more personal connection with the language. And of course, actively speaking the language, preferably around locals, is key!
We hope that you found this short list inspiring to dig deeper to the riches of the Hungarian language. Happy learning!
The Hungarian language is wonderful. It has many unusual expressions and irregularities, as well as a rich vocabulary. All this makes it one of the most difficult languages to learn. We would like to back up this claim with the following article, which presents a number of interesting Hungarian idioms.
1. As one makes his bed, so he sleeps his dream — Ki mint veti ágyát, úgy alussza álmát
The English equivalent would be: you make the bed you lie in. The meaning of this saying is that you can make your fate. If you make the bed good, you will have good dreams. So, if you work and put in the effort, you can achieve anything.
2. Backwards with the greyhounds — Hátrább az agarakkal
The meaning of this is to hold back. But it is not a threat, it is more a piece of advice.
3. The stake of the play is not beans — Nem babra megy a játék
The stakes are high. So, there is a serious risk in what we do. The origin of the saying is that in the old days, in various card and dice games, the bets were not in money but in beans. When the game was not played for beans, the stakes were money instead of beans.
4. The owl tells the sparrow that her head is big — Bagoly mondja verébnek, hogy nagyfejű
Imagine this situation. One person mocks another person for something, but that person is even more guilty of it.
5. He swallows the frog — Lenyeli a békát
That is, he puts up with something and endures it. In English, the expression ‘he swallows the bitter pill’ is used.
This probably needs no explanation. Alcohol makes it easy to make bad decisions.
7. Even a mother cannot understand the words of a mute child — Néma gyereknek az anyja sem ért a szavát
This proverb highlights the importance of communication. Because if we do not say what we want, the other person cannot help us.
8. Each should sweep before his own house — Mindenki a maga háza előtt söpörjön
Everyone should mind their own business. Instead of interfering in other people’s lives, let’s first see what we can improve in our own lives.
9. Have a close look at the mother and then marry her daughter — Nézd meg az anyját, vedd el a lányát
There are two interpretations of this. On the one hand, if you look at the mother, you can see how she will look when she is older. On the other hand, you can often see the mother’s inner qualities in her daughter.
10. He who works has no time to earn money — Aki dolgozik, az nem ér rá pénzt keresni
If a job is hard and pays little, then one cannot earn additionally in a second job.
10+1 He is the kid of our dog — A mi kutyánk kölyke
A child of somebody related to the speaker, who was granted – or will be granted – preferential treatment at the expense of outsiders. Among others, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán used this phrase. In 2018, during the Croatian–French World Cup final, Orbán said that “Croatian football is the kid of our dog.”
The government aims to ensure that every Hungarian child in the Carpathian Basin should have access to kindergarten care or school education in the mother tongue, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Satu Mare (Máréfalva) in Transylvania on Friday.
“An important message of the parliamentary election and referendum in April was that our children should be protected from extremist liberal gender propaganda and we should not allow NGOs to confuse their thoughts,” Szijjártó said at the groundbreaking ceremony of a kindergarten.
He said it was “fantastic news” that the community of ethnic Hungarians was constantly growing and they needed a new kindergarten, which, he added, was a testament to the success of the
Hungarian government’s scheme to develop kindergartens throughout the Carpathian Basin.
Szijjártó said good progress was being made but allies were needed for success. The historic churches have been fulfilling this role in Transylvania, with their institutions acting as “pledges to the survival of the nation”.
The government is contributing 220 million forints (EUR 570,000) to the 400 million forint development started in Satu Mare,
he said. The kindergarten will be owned by the local church and run by the local council, he said. Fully eighty children will receive language training and kindergarten care in the mother tongue, he added.
Szijjártó said that in the April general election, a record number of ethnic Hungarians living beyond the borders cast their votes, proving that the mother country could rely on these communities and vice-versa. This confirms the principle that
“every Hungarian is responsible for every other Hungarian,”
Living as an expat in the Hungarian capital is certainly an experience. What if you want a memorable movie night but you do not speak Hungarian?! No need to worry, you can choose from a wide range of foreign-language films in these Budapest cinemas. 3,2,1, action!
Puskin Art Cinema
As one of the most important representatives of Budapest’s art cinemas, Puskin Art Cinema offers a wide selection of foreign-language films for movie lovers visiting Budapest. Visitors can watch a wide range of artistic movies in the original language, with Hungarian subtitles.
Photo: puskinmozi.hu
Currently, blockbusters are available such as Military Wives, The French Dispatch, Per tutta la vita / Former Marriages, Supereroi or the movie with four Academy Award nominations Doraibu mai kâ / Drive My Car.
Művész Art Cinema
Művész Art Cinema offers a similarly exciting programme, including 15 movies in foreign languages.
In addition to the blockbusters mentioned before, we can view Pedro Almodóvar’s great success Madres paralelas or Verdens verste menneske / The Worst Person in the World. But we will not have to wait long for Nicolas Cage’s new comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent either, which can be watched in cinemas from 12 May.
Toldi Art Cinema
Photo: www.facebook.com/toldiartmozi/
According to some critics, Toldi Art Cinema is one of the most outstanding artists’ cinemas in Budapest. The cinema, located in the 5th district of the Hungarian capital, awaits visitors with a very pleasant atmosphere and a wide range of thought-provoking art films. Among these, many can be watched in the original language, with Hungarian subtitles. Currently, the repertoire includes Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Tout s’est bien passé, and Alle hater Johan. In addition, Tom Cruise’s latest Top Gun film is also coming soon, premiering on 26 May.
Urania
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Urania National Film Theatre also offers a range of arthouse films for English-language cinema fans. One of the most prominent ones currently on offer is the new episode of the highly successful British historical drama television series, Downton Abbey. A New Era can be watched in English, with Hungarian subtitles. In addition, the music documentary, Nick Cave – This much I know to be true is also available in the original language, with Hungarian subtitles. For the fans of Italian movies, it is the perfect time to visit Urania. Italian blockbusters are on the programme, such as Botticelli, Florence and the Medici, L’Arminuta (A girl returned), I Basilischi, Odio l’estate (I hate summer), Si muore solo da vivi, Qui rido io (The king of laughter). The movies can be watched in Italian, with Hungarian subtitles. We should not miss the Spanish blockbuster Competencia oficial (Official competition) either, starring Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, and Oscar Martínez, in which we can get to know how a wealthy businessman hires a famous filmmaker to help make a smash hit film. The movie can be watched in Spanish, with Hungarian subtitles.
If you would like to enjoy a movie night on the Buda side, you should definitely visit Tabán Art Cinema. Here, you can watch impressive art movies such as Les Olympiades, Bergman Island, or Petite lecon d´amour. Additionally, Hungarian speakers can soon watch the new biopic of the Hungarian Iron Lady, Katinka Hosszú.
Budapest Independent Film Festival – Double Edition
Photo: www.facebook.com/grandbudapestfestival/
The 2-day-long annual event is dedicated to independent filmmakers from all over the world, celebrated in the heart of lively Budapest.
On 13th and 14th May, the Budapest Independent Film Festival awaits international culture lovers and art movie fans.
As Artmozi reports, the festival’s aim is to provide a platform for filmmakers who do not necessarily have a large budget, but who do have a vision and an important story to tell. Attendants of the event can enjoy a wide variety of genres and styles and can get to know impressive art from international filmmakers. Additionally, an awards ceremony will also take place in a number of categories, selected and evaluated by the festival’s professional jury. Free tickets are available from 5th May at the cinema.
Reformatus.hu interviewed Mária Benedek-Micsinay, a woman born in Hungary and raised in Argentina.
The site interviewed Argentina-born Mária Benedek-Micsinay. She is the general administrator of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Argentina and the founder of the Language Polishing Course (Nyelvcsiszoló Tanfolyam). She has taught all eight of her grandchildren her mother tongue, Hungarian.
How did she get to Argentina?
She left Hungary with her family in April 1945, and they went to Germany. They lived on a barge near Passau. Her father was taken to a collection camp to be handed over to the Russians, but he managed to escape. The family then fled to Austria. They were eventually resettled in Argentina with the help of the IRO (International Refugee Organisation), and their ship docked in Buenos Aires on 28 February 1949.
Maria said that people in Argentina were nice, her family never felt discriminated against, and they learned Spanish very quickly. They always spoke Hungarian at home, and her mother taught her and her sister Hungarian grammar, geography, history, and literature. Mária still feels Hungarian today, as she was born in Hungary, her parents raised her in a Hungarian atmosphere, and she has lived almost her entire life in a Hungarian environment.
Her paternal grandfather’s family was of Transylvanian origin, from Kisbacon, and the other side of the family was related to Elek Benedek, the famous Hungarian writer.
In the family’s living room, the pillowcases have Hungarian patterns on them, and the walls are decorated with Hungarian landscapes: Budapest, Hollókő, and several Alföld (Great Hungarian Plain) villages.
Scouts
Wedding of Mária Benedek-Micsinay and László Benedek. Source: reformatus.hu
Being a scout also plays a very important role in Mária’s life. She was initiated as a scout at a scout camp her father organised in 1959. A year later, in 1960, she married a young scout officer, László Benedek. They had two children, László and Zsuzsi. Unfortunately, László died young.
Mária and László have eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Mária has led Scout Leader training camps in Argentina and Brazil, and Scout Auxiliary Officer training camps in the United States.
“I went to Hungary with my husband for the first time, it was a traumatic experience for both of us. My maternal grandmother, my father and my mother’s brothers and sisters, whom I only knew through letters, were still alive,”
she said.
“And my husband had an aunt and uncle, first cousins, with whom he played until 1945. Suddenly, everything was there in front of me in reality, not on a postcard or in a book:
The Parliament, the Buda Castle, Matthias Church, the National Museum, Győr, Székesfehérvár, Esztergom, Lébény, Ják, Zsámbék, Pannonhalma, Lake Balaton, the Danube, the meandering Tisza…
And all the signs were Hungarian, and everyone spoke only Hungarian. It was like a dream.”
Easter with the Argentine Calvinists
Presbytery of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Argentina. Source: reformatus.hu
According to Mária, the Hungarians in Argentina celebrate Easter in a traditional way: by painting eggs, sprinkling girls, and saying Hungarian Easter poems. She says that when she was little, a refugee in Germany, she was very much looking forward to what the Easter bunny would bring. The most exciting part was when they got a real, live bunny for the holiday.
The Hungarian language has a rich vocabulary. As a result, there are many Hungarian sayings and proverbs. There are some that are used abroad, but there are also some that, if we were to translate them for our English friends, they would certainly look at us very strangely.
1. They howl like a worm stuck in a tree — Ordít, mint a fába szorult féreg
In this saying, it is not a worm or a beetle shouting in a tree. The old folk term for wolf was worm, while the tree referred to a wooden trap. So, the howl of a worm trapped in a tree is actually the howl of a trapped wolf.
2. Putting the wrong wood on the fire — Rossz fát tesz a tűzre
The meaning of this saying is that someone is doing something wrong. Because if you put the wrong type of wood on the fire, for example, wet wood, it will produce a lot of smoke. Just like doing the wrong thing can have negative consequences.
3. You leave me hanging by a wooden picture — Faképnél hagy
Do we leave one wooden picture behind the other? Woodcuts used to be made of religiously venerated figures. The saying went that if you left someone behind, you left them to their fate, and let anything happen to them, as God and fate would have it.
4. An old goat also licks the salt — Vén kecske is megnyalja a sót
This is meant for the elderly people who, despite their age, are still often romantic. One’s love life does not stop above a certain age, i.e. an old goat also licks the salt.
5. It is worth as much as a kiss to a dead person — Annyit ér, mint halottnak a csók
Even if this saying is not used in other countries, it is easy to guess what it means. It is used to describe pointless, useless, futile actions and situations. It is not worth the effort.
6. Many geese can fight a pig — Sok lúd disznót győz
This saying sums up the fact that even if a group is not so strong, if they outnumber the opponent, it is worth fighting. This phrase underlines the importance of teamwork because there is power in numbers.
7. The horse ran away with him — Elszaladt vele a ló
If the horse ran away with him, he trusts himself too much. Hungarians are often described as a nation of horses. Usually, the rider leads the horse, but when the horse runs away, the rider is not the true leader.
8. Why are you giving drinks to the mice? — Miért itatod az egereket?
It is not often used, but in the old days, when someone cried, people said “why are you giving drinks to the mice”? English people would simply ask: “why are you crying over spilt milk” or “what is the problem”?
9. Behind the back of God — Isten háta mögött
Hungarians use this for something that is very, very far away.
10. One swallow does not make a summer — Egy fecske nem csinál nyarat
This is related to the saying that many geese can beat a pig. This saying is also about how it is difficult to succeed alone. If you see one swallow in the sky, it is not certain that it will be summer, but if you see many swallows, it is almost certain that winter has passed.
10+1 Someone is looking for a needle in a haystack
If someone is looking for a needle in a haystack, they are tackling an impossible task.
Just recently, the lower house of the Romanian Parliament has accepted legislation that positively affects the Hungarian minority living in the country.
From now on, it will be mandatory that, on monuments related to the Hungarian minority in any way, the plaques placed there must also contain the text in Hungarian.
There is a large Hungarian population living in Romania because of the Treaty of Trianon, which annexed Transylvania and a significant part of the Eastern Great Plain. Historically, after WWII, Romanian chauvinists killed many Hungarians, and in 1965, power was taken over by Nicolae Ceaușescu, who built a personal cult, intensified political repression, and was openly anti-Hungarian.
However, history finally seems to take a turn for the better;
Nowadays, the state of Hungarians living in Romania is not desperate, as the use of their mother tongue, education in the Hungarian language, and the application for Hungarian citizenship are all allowed. Although there are still some cases of conflict between the two peoples, legislations like the one just accepted help greatly.
According to Telex, out of the 329 members of the House of Representatives, the legislation was supported by 277 members, while 9 abstained, and no member opposed the decision.
Since the Senate has already accepted it, now only the President needs to sign the legislation before it can take effect.
The amendment of the law to include Hungarian inscriptions on monuments related to the Hungarian minority was put forward by Ödön Szabó, a representative of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (DAHR).
According to the party’s newsletter, the representative said that with this legislation, the Romanian government makes it possible that both Hungarians living in areas densely populated by the minority and Hungarians living in areas with low ethnic population can now read about the monuments relating to their history in their own language.
In relation to previous regulation, the administrative units had to apply for a permit at the Ministry of Culture to be able to include Hungarian inscriptions on plaques.
Szabó said that the aim of the law amendment was to make this process rely less on paperwork and become easier, as well as to ensure to include inscription about the history of ethnic Hungarians in their own mother tongue.
Hungary’s government has set up a 24-hour multilingual hotline for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, the government spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
The hotline operators offer information in Hungarian, Ukrainian and English on topics such as the asylum procedure, entry into the country and the issuance of official documents, Alexandra Szentkirályi said on Facebook.
The hotline can be reached on the Hungarian and Ukrainian toll-free numbers 06 80 310 310 and 0 800 504 546 as well as on the mobile number +36 1 550 1828. Those in need of help can also send an email to me**********@me.hu, Szentkirályi said.
Innovation and Technology Minister László Palkovics on Monday inaugurated the first module of an AI supercomputer built in partnership between the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (ITM) and OTP Bank.
The three-year project cost 7.3 billion forints (EUR 20.3m), 2.5 billion of which is being covered by ITM, they said. At Monday’s demonstration, the supercomputer uttered words in the voice of Palkovics.
Addressing the event, the minister said
the government aimed to make Hungary more competitive by 2030, which required constant and close cooperation between the public and private sectors.
One area in which the two can cooperate, Palkovics said, was the use of artificial intelligence.
The new supercomputer is being used to develop a one-of-a-kind Hungarian language model which will be capable, among other things, of managing phone banking operations in their entirety, the minister said.
OTP Bank chairman-CEO Sándor Csányi said the agreement on digital developments signed with ITM was also an important milestone for Hungary.
OTP Bank, he said, had been able to maintain its competitive advantage because it was a leader in digital developments.
Have you ever wondered how Hungarians appear from the viewpoint of a foreigner? Well, thanks to the Internet and people with experience visiting or living in Hungary and making funny videos on TikTok, you can now find out.
Hungarian language
Hungarian is one of the hardest languages to learn in the entire world. It is very unique and for foreigners, it has many quirks and peculiarities, which are difficult to understand. From double-glyph letters to two or even three consonant letters to a plethora of vowels with accents and the flexibility of word order, not to mention the oddity of prefixes and suffixes make this language pretty hard to learn, especially for English natives.
Plenty of people have tried to learn Hungarian and reported that it was quite a journey. In the following videos, you can see the valiant efforts of English natives trying to speak the language:
When you move abroad and surround yourself with people of different nationalities, you will soon start to realise that each nation has its own characteristics. Now, these characteristics can be felt even more when you happen to date someone from a different cultural background.
We have previously posted some articles on the things to look out for when dating Hungarian WOMENand MEN. Check them out if you are interested.
There are also some tricky things when it comes to Hungarian names. By Hungarian law, a name has to be on the list of qualified names suitable for registration. In case it is not, there are still some loopholes. If a child has foreign ancestors, for example, and it can be proven that the name is suitable for registration in the respective foreign country, then the parents need to get a document that proves that in order to name their child. This might be the reason many foreigners say that Hungarians often have the same names.
Hungarians do not typically hold huge house parties you see in movies. It still occurs sometimes, but since many Hungarians live in smaller apartments, especially in cities, they typically go out to bars, pubs or ruin bars.
House parties in Hungary usually involve outdoor activities. Garden parties or holiday house gatherings tend to be common where partying and drinking as well as the obligatory “bográcsozás” take place. If you ever visit rural Hungary or get invited to the house of an older Hungarian man (bácsi), it is guaranteed that you will be offered a shot of pálinka.
It is not just the stereotypes or the memes, they really do offer you to drink pálinka on every possible occasion, whether it is to cure an illness, throw a party, refill your empty glass, relieve heartburn from the previous round of pálinka, you name it.
Gastronomy is a huge part of Hungarian culture and the everyday life of Hungarians. We often think about the next meal throughout the day and we do love our dishes. Paprika and sour cream go with almost anything.
It is seriously cringey to watch someone eat kakaóscsiga (similar to a cinnamon roll but with cocoa) the way like in the clip above. Hungarians typically untwirl the roll and leave the middle, which has the most filling, to the end.
It might come across as strange or unusual for foreigners, but Hungarian cuisine does include a few types of sweet pasta dishes, such as vargabéles (seen in the video), túrós csusza (pasta with cottage cheese/milk curd and powdered sugar, the sweet variant of another pasta dish that comes with bacon) or darás tészta (pasta with semolina, usually served with marmalade/jam), to mention a few.
People often do not realise how different they can appear to a person who comes from another country, and András Lincoln’s videos are good examples to demonstrate that. He is an American guy of Hungarian descent, who makes funny videos comparing customs in Hungary and the USA. In this video, he features some of the things that Americans found “so Hungarian”.
Hungarians may not realise, but people around the world have different handwritings. In the following video, the TikToker shows the difference between the ways Hungarians and Americans write the numbers. In the first two rows, you can see how Hungarians write the numbers. The main differences come with number 7, and number 4, while 9 and 1 are written in only slightly different ways. This video might be useful if you ever ask for the number of a Hungarian.
Hungarians can sleep almost anywhere and under almost any condition. Although this video is in Hungarian, it perfectly depicts how we perceive Americans’ sleeping habits versus Hungarians’.
Central government and local officials commemorated the 76th anniversary of the start of the expulsion of ethnic Germans from the settlement of Budaörs, on the outskirts of the capital, on Sunday.
Tamás Menczer, a foreign ministry state secretary and a candidate to represent the settlement in parliament, said the expulsion of the Germans from Budaörs “cannot be forgotten” and “cannot be changed”, but added that action can be taken to address the matter, even today.
Photo: MTI/Kovács Attila
He said the government has spent 28 billion forints (€ 78 million) since 2010 to help the German minority in Hungary preserve their language, culture and traditions.
Imre Ritter, an MP who represents the German minority, noted the importance of passing on knowledge, memories and experience to today’s youth.
Czechs and Hungarians are among the world’s hardest-working nations in terms of learning a new language. If we take the number of single lessons completed per learner, we can say that the Czechs rank first in the world, followed by the Japanese, Belarusians, Germans and Hungarians.
According to blog.duolingo.com, their 2021 Duolingo Language Report presents the latest language trends and learner behaviors based on data from over 500 million Duolingo learners around the globe. Duolingo is the world’s most downloaded education app,
offering over 100 courses teaching 40 languages—all for free.
As a result, their data offers unique insights into what languages learners worldwide want to study and how their interests change over time and geography. In 2020, the Duolingo Language Report noted record growth of new learners who started studying a language during the pandemic, whether to keep up with schoolwork or connect with people around the world. This year’s report investigates how those patterns have evolved in 2021.
Love for Asian languages continues to grow around the globe
In 2021, Asian languages—especially Japanese and Korean—attracted learners worldwide, building on the impressive growth observed in 2020.
Japanese surpassed Italian globally to become the 5th most popular language to study, and it’s the fastest-growing language in the U.S. and U.K.
Korean—holding strong at the 7th most popular language to study around the world—is the fastest-growing language in Brazil, France, Germany, India, and Mexico, and it ranks as the second-fastest growing language in Japan!
Chinese, which was the 10th most popular language to study in 2020, has overtaken Russian and Portuguese for the 8th spot worldwide. It is also one of the top 5 fastest-growing languages in Mexico and Brazil.
World interest in under-studied languages increases—again!
English, Spanish, and French remain the most popular languages to study globally.
The languages occupying the #2 spot in each country are also becoming increasingly diverse: this year, old favorites like French, Spanish, and German are joined by two new additions to this list: Finnish and Guaraní. Finnish has become the second most popular language to study in Finland, and similarly Guaraní, an indigenous language from South America, is now the #2 language studied in Paraguay, where it is an official language.
Family and culture drive learners to study new languages
Family and culture have become important motivators for language study, and this is especially true for learners studying Asian languages. For example, over 18% of new learners studying Japanese are motivated by culture; in contrast, only 8% of English learners, 9% of Spanish learners, and 10% of French learners in 2021 chose
culture as their primary reason for language learning.
The importance of family and culture for U.S. language learners was echoed in a recent national consumer survey Duolingo conducted in collaboration with DKC Analytics. Across all respondents, including those not currently learning a language, 65% said learning about a new culture would be their top reason for studying a new language—and culture ranked ahead of all other potential motivators.
Of those respondents who had started learning a language during the pandemic,
70% say their learning is related to family heritage, ancestry, or culture.
In fact, 94% of learners whose family language is endangered, indigenous, or otherwise under-studied said they would be interested (or very interested!) in learning that language. Data from learners on Duolingo supports this finding: when learners have access to more diverse course offerings, including less-commonly studied languages that better represent their interests, families, and communities, people are excited to start studying a language.
Language learning highlights from around the world
There’s even more to uncover in our data about how interests in languages grow and change over time. Below are some other notable findings from around the world.
Top 10 languages studied around the world (in order): English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese.
In 2021, the hardest-working countries were (in order): Czechia, Japan, Belarus, Germany, and Hungary. These are the countries that complete the most lessons per learner. This year’s ranking marks gains for Czechia and Belarus, and slight drops for Germany (the former #1) and Hungary (formerly #3).
Like the rest of the world, Brazil is excited to study Japanese and Korean: Japanese is the fastest-growing language in Brazil, and Korean is 4th—reversing the 2020 order, which had Korean ahead of Japanese. But the fastest-growing language in the country is Turkish, likely due to Brazilians’ interest in Turkish soap operas!
The fight for Australia continues: French was the most popular language to study there in 2016, ahead of #2 Spanish, but Spanish pulled ahead to #1 in 2020. This year, French is back on top.
South Africa, on the other hand, has seen its Spanish-learning population just overtake the number of French learners: while French was #1 in 2016 and 2020, Spanish is now the most popular language to learn. South African learners will be an especially interesting group to watch in the coming years, as Duolingo is launching new courses in 2022 to teach Zulu and Xhosa, two languages from South Africa. Will interest in Spanish and French decline when learners are able to study the languages of their country?
Welsh continues to be one of the fastest-growing languages in the U.K., even six years after the course was introduced. In 2020, Welsh ranked #1 among fastest-growing languages, and it made a strong showing at #2 in 2021. This year, Welsh was beat out by Japanese for the top spot, and British learners’ growing interest in these languages demonstrates what we see around the world: people are studying more Asian languages and more languages with personal significance.
In Japan, Korean has skyrocketed to become the second most popular language to study—and it wasn’t even in Japan’s top 5 last year!
Learners throughout Africa are also studying a wider variety of languages. In 2020, English and French were the #1 languages to learn in Africa, but this year five languages reached #1 across the continent: English, French, Spanish, German, and Swahili! Irish has retained its popularity in Ireland as the #1 language to study, and it has beat out Spanish for the second year in a row.
In 2020, Japanese and Korean were on the map as the most popular languages to study in some of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and their popularity has grown: there are now more Korean learners than English learners in Mongolia, and these languages occupy both of the top spots in Bhutan, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.
Proverbs and sayings are traditional,pithy, often formulaic and/or figurative, fairly stable and generally recognisable expressions that constitute an important part of everyday language use. They may come up in any situation, often express some commonplace truth or useful thought, and mostly originate from folk culture. Proverbs are passed from generation to generation by word of mouth until they become integral elements in the given language.
In this article, we have collected some Hungarian proverbs and sayings that are related to winter and Christmas.
A kutya nem eszi meg a telet. / Egy telet sem evett még meg a farkas. [ʌ kʊtjʌ nɛm ɛsɪ mɛg tɛlɛt / ɛɟ tɛlɛt sɛm ɛvɛt meːg mɛg ʌ fʌrkʌʃ]
literal translation: Dogs do not eat winter. / Wolves have eaten not one winter yet.
meaning: Winters usually do not pass without snow and at least a few really cold days.
Aki nyárban nem gyűjt, télen keveset fűt. [ʌkɪ ɲɑːrbʌn nɛm ɟyːjt, teːlɛn kɛvɛsɛt fyːt]
literal translation: Those who do not collect in the summer have little to heat with in the winter.
meaning: It is advisable to save money when you have the opportunity, otherwise, you will have to face difficulties later.
Elmúlt, mint a tavalyi hó. [ɛlmuːlt mɪnt ʌ tʌvʌji hɔː]
literal translation: It is gone like last year’s snow.
meaning: Someone or something is gone. Something disappeared without a trace.
Fekete karácsony, fehér húsvét. Fehér karácsony, zöld húsvét. [fɛkɛtɛ kʌrɑːtʃɒɲ, fɛheːr huːʃveːt; fɛheːr kʌrɑːtʃɒɲ, zəld huːʃveːt]
literal translation: White Christmas, green Easter. Black Christmas, white Easter.
meaning: According to common observation, if there is no snow on Christmas Day, the weather will be cold and snowy during Easter. The next saying states the opposite: if we have a white Christmas, we can expect warm and spring-like weather during Easter.
(There is a similar saying in German: grüne Weihnachten, weiße Ostern (green Christmas, white Easter).
Ha Katalin kopog, karácsony locsog. Ha Katalin locsog, karácsony kopog. [hʌ kʌtʌlɪn kɒpɒg, kʌrɑːtʃɒɲ lɒtʃɒg; hʌ kʌtʌlɪn lɒtʃɒg, kʌrɑːtʃɒɲ kɒpɒg]
literal translation: If Katalin knocks, Christmas will be slushy. If Katalin is slushy, Christmas will knock.
meaning: If the temperature is below freezing on Katalin’s name day (25 November), the weather will probably be mild during Christmas. The next saying states the opposite: if the weather is mild on Katalin’s name day, we can expect a cold and white Christmas.
Hosszú, mint a téli nap karácsony felé. [hɒsuː, mɪnt ʌ teːlɪ nʌp kʌrɑːtʃɒɲ fɛleː]
literal translation: Long as the winter days approaching Christmas.
meaning: If you know that something good is going to happen soon but still have to wait for it to happen, it is very difficult to wait patiently.
Kapós, mint télen a szalmakalap. [kʌpɔːʃ, mɪnt teːlɛn ʌ sʌlmʌkʌlʌp]
literal translation: In demand, like a straw hat in the winter. (The demand for something is similar to the demand for a straw hat in the winter.)
meaning: There is no need for something.
Tele van a hócipője. [tɛlɛ vʌn ʌ hɔːtsɪpøːjɛ]
literal translation: His or her snowboots are full.
meaning: He or she is fed up with something or someone.
It can be hard getting a business to run smoothly. There are so many factors to consider. To make it more difficult, the world is expanding for most people as we are all becoming better-connected and have more contact with people from other countries for the sake of business and technical projects. The language barrier that this causes can be a staggering issue for people to overcome. Luckily, technical translation services are there to help your business move past this problem so you can get on with the important technical aspects.
It might seem strange to rely on someone outside your industry to translate such sensitive and technical documents. Lots of people worry that the person they hire may not understand the complex language of their documents, but the truth is that professional linguists are highly trained to deal with specialist terminology, and they have a range of skills that can be vital for helping you get your documents properly translated.
What is technical translation?
Technical translation is just what it sounds like – it is the skill of translating technical documents from one language, known as the source language, to another language, known as the target language. While translation is very common – there are, after all, over 6000 languages in the world, and communication is vitally important – technical translation is a specialist skill.
What kind of documents need technical translation?
Technical translation skills are needed for items that use technical or specialist language. This can include technical instruction manuals, datasheets, software user guides, and patents. All of these are highly technical and generally, they use a lot of technical terminologies unique to your industry.
This is why it is vitally important to get a qualified and trained technical translator who can properly understand and translate the difficult and complex words used in your documents.
Just as engineers have to college to learn their skills and the associated terminology, technical translators have to learn what all these terms means in order to properly translate them.
Why not use machine translation?
For those unfamiliar with it, machine translation is when you use an advanced computer program to translate a document instead of a human.
This can have some upsides, for example, it is often cheaper and quicker – in fact, Google Translate is so popular because it is free and instant. However, if you have ever translated something using Google Translate or other translation software, you will no doubt have seen the limitations of this kind of software. Computers translate text using algorithms, which are complex sets of rules for it to follow. A computer will translate individual words or short sentences this way without actually reading or understanding the content of the document. This means that the translation may be correct, but it will likely be stilted, clunky, and difficult for native-language speakers to understand. This can severely impact the trust and reliability that people have in your product or manual. This is an even bigger problem with technical terminology as the computer may fail to recognize it at all, or may mistranslate it. This is why it is better to go with a human translation expert.
If you have any doubts about the dangers of using machine translation for technical documents, there are too many shocking examples of technical manuals and product instructions where the translations are almost unintelligible once they have been translated into English!
From “the smoke is the normal operation” to “Recover the triggle and then can do it” (Both real examples of text from instruction manuals!), it can be hard for people to trust your products, manuals, or technical know-how if your technical documents get mistranslated. Language is important, and studies have shown that people are cautious of badly-translated items.
Is it safe to get my technical documents translated by a human?
Many people worry about privacy when getting items translated. This however is a completely unfounded concern. Human translators are highly trained professionals who do not reveal the nature of any documents they translate. Professional linguists understand that privacy is important, and they respect this. It is absolutely safe to get items translated without fear, while making sure that you get the best translation you can for your technical documents.
Final thoughts
Technical translation, as discussed, is a very complex subject. Whatever the nuance and technical details of your product, manuals, datasheets, or other text, professional linguists will understand that there is a wealth of knowledge you and your company put into making it. They understand this and know how to best interpret your documents. While machine translation may seem like an attractive alternative, the programs are not advanced enough to guarantee accuracy. That is why it is always best to go with a fully trained technical translation service for your documents.
A global community of more than 300 library and information professionals from the region and around the world have reinforced their commitment to sharing ideas and expertise to learn from one another and to advance libraries to serve societies better at the 8th Sharjah International Library Conference (SILC), which opened Wednesday, November 10, on the sidelines of the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA), the two-day annual conference is fostering the professional excellence of participants through insightful discussions on new trends and technologies and exploring ways to enhance resources and services to support learning, literacy, and education to shape creative and innovative societies.
The conference also addressed the ongoing challenges facing libraries worldwide and served as a networking platform for participants.
The 8th edition of SILC opened in the presence of HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA; Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, USA; HE Meghan Gregonis, US Consul General in Dubai, UAE; Patty M. Wong, President of ALA; Sean Murphy, Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy Abu Dhabi, UAE; Julius Jefferson Jr, Immediate Past President of ALA; and Eman Bushulaibi, Director of the Sharjah Public Library (SPL).
Other dignitaries at the opening session included Tracie Hall, Executive Director, ALA, and Michael Dowling, Director, International Relations Office, Chapter Relations Office, ALA.
Welcoming guests and participants at the start of the two-day conference, HE Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, shared his joy at the historic achievement of SIBF as the world’s largest book fair in terms of buying and selling copyrights for this year, and underlined how the 2021 edition marked the rebuilding of the post-pandemic growth of the book industry.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA
The SBA Chairman said: “Under the guidance and vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, investments in knowledge, books and culture are steering progress in the emirate and advancing research and human development. As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries have preserved and strengthened the arts, sciences, poetry, humanities, and the world’s collective cultural heritage for future generations.”
He added: “Sharjah is the only city outside of the US, where a conference of this stature is held, and that gives us every reason to be proud. Libraries are the backbone of human development and organising the Sharjah International Library Conference reinforces our commitment to enhance the capabilities of libraries in both managing and strengthening operations, and enhancing services to empower communities to discover, access, and use of information.”
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Carla Hayden – the first woman and the first African American to lead the national library of the United States, commended the emirate of Sharjah for its pioneering initiatives to develop a knowledge community and nurture a culture of reading.
Pointing out that visibility, engagement, impact, and collaboration are at the heart of what libraries do worldwide, she said: “Librarians are the original search engines; and it is our universal mission to expand access to trusted information and deliver superior services to bridge the gaps in technology and literacy by providing the essential tools that our communities need.”
Dr. Hayden stated that the pandemic amplified the inherent gaps in digital access amongst communities worldwide while describing how libraries responded quickly to become the “digital front doors” and ensure equitable access to a new digital infrastructure for those in need.
Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, USA
Thanking all conference participants for their belief in the power of the book and for coming together to strengthen partnerships, she said, “Libraries are empowerment agencies and librarians are the trusted sources in the digital age. We are the knowledge advocates; and we are at the heart of the world of literacy and books. I thank each one of you for the work that you do.”
Enriching learning experience
An international roster of experts led discussions and presentations on the opening day of the conference. Dr. Hassan A. Alsereihy, Department of Information Science, King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, and President of AFLI, provided insights into the way forward for libraries in the MENA region at a session titled, ‘Libraries in the MENA Region During Covid and Beyond’. Dr. Huda Abbas, Director of Library and Research, King’s Academy, Jordan, discussed ways of ‘Helping Students Cope and Recover through Bibliotherapy’; while in a session titled, ‘Go Together!’, Tracie Hall, Executive Director, American Library Association explored the critical role of libraries in fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion and closing the information and digital divide.
Sonia Alnahawi, recipient of the 2021 School Librarian of the Year Award, organised by the Emirates Literature Foundation, discussed how to create successful school library programmes in ‘School Librarians of the Year: Sharing Stories, Lessons, and Keys to Successes’.
Dr. Fatma Elzahraa Mohamed Abdo, Library and Assistive Technology consultant, American University in Cairo, Egypt, discussed ways of ‘Serving the Visually Impaired’.
Rania Osman, Head of Library of the Future Section, Innovation, Research, and Technology Directorate, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, enhanced the cataloguing skills of participants at the session titled, ‘Cataloging in Arabic with the new RDA’; Kara Jones, University Librarian, American University of Sharjah, delved into the concept of ‘Library as Place and Space: Adjusting during Covid and Beyond’; and Abeer Al Kuwari, Director, Research & Learning Services, Qatar National Library, shared strategies for engaging with the community in ‘Public Engagement During the Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities’.
The 8th Sharjah International Library Conference will continue its programming tomorrow (November 11) to spotlight successful initiatives and enhance the knowledge, skills and capabilities of library professionals. The day’s events will commence with a keynote address by Patty Wong, President of ALA. Conference participants will also have the opportunity for one-on-one and group discussions with experts on the key issues and challenges facing libraries.
In the lead up to the Sharjah International Library Conference, two interactive pre-conference workshops were held to outline ways to improve library services and advocacy
In the lead up to the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), diverse voices representing the global publishing ecosystem have come together for the 11th edition of the three-day Publishers Conference to network and unite industrywide efforts to build a roadmap for post-pandemic recovery.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) in partnership with the International Publishers Association (IPA) at Expo Centre Sharjah, the three-day conference began today (Sunday, 31 October) highlighting the need for stronger stakeholder collaboration and cooperation.
In a keynote address, Bodour Al Qasimi, President of IPA, reiterated their commitment to help support publishers emerge stronger from the pandemic.
“As we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the IPA this year, we are reminded of its long-standing role in giving a voice to publishers around the world”, said Al Qasimi, recounting the role IPA has played not just during global crises but throughout history to address key issues like protection of copyright, freedom to publish and the development of literacy, which affect industry stakeholders worldwide.
Referring to IPA discussions in context of Covid-19 over the past 18 months, Bodour Al Qasimi emphasised, “we want to enhance multi-stakeholder cooperation and strengthen solidarity between each. This is why the IPA worked with many partners to develop the International Sustainable Publishing and Industry Resilience Plan, also known as the Inspire Plan.
Bodour Al Qasimi, President of IPA during her keynote address
Photo: Press Release
HE Ahmed Al Ameri, SBA chairman, during his welcome remarks
Photo: Press Release
More than 50 publishing stakeholders have already committed to collaborating on its 10 objectives, following its recent launch. “We hope to see more trade organisations endorse the Plan during the Sharjah International Book Fair, and strengthen our chance of a strong recovery through collective action and increased dialogue”, the IPA President added.
Bodour Al Qasimi also reiterated to the conference attendees that IPA is working with different partners to help bridge the skills gap through the launch of IPA Academy.
Upon its launch, “the Academy will offer online masterclasses in multiple languages to all our members, which will help bridge the skills gap, and help our members adapt to rapidly changing readership and consumer behavior trends,” IPA President explained.
Welcoming participants to the conference, HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, SBA Chairman, reflected on Sharjah’s exemplary human-centric journey of development as envisioned by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
He noted: “In 2001, the world agreed on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and in 2015, the United Nations announced the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The vital sectors of growth as identified by these Goals included health, education, services and food security. I suggest putting the publishing sector on this list too as it fulfills functions vital to life and progress”.
Al Ameri also suggested that the publishing sector’s contributions feature in global developmental plans and strategies, and that stakeholders collectively agree on indicators to measure the growth, flexibility and sustainability of the global publishing industry.
“If the eradication of illiteracy is the starting point for nation’s development, then the development of skills, conscience and imagination will guarantee that this development is continuous and long-term. The sustainability of the publishing sector, therefore, becomes not an isolated goal but a vital piece in the global developmental,” the SBA Chairman concluded.
Landmark Inspire Charter to build industry solidarity, drive resiliency
Leading the professional agenda of the 11th Publishers Conference was a panel discussion that explored IPA’s Inspire Plan roadmap which sets the stage for the creation of a more united, resilient, and inclusive post-pandemic publishing industry, and paves the way for coordinated action to strengthen and elevate the entire publishing ecosystem.
Moderating a conversation on ‘Coming Together in Crisis: How the International Sustainable Publishing and Industry Resilience (Inspire) Initiative is Supporting Industry Recovery in Unprecedented Times’, Karine Pansa, Vice President of IPA, said: “Inspire was born from a landmark IPA report From Response to Recovery: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Publishing Industry, published in November 2020.
A headline finding was a universal call for solidarity in working together towards a more coherent and resilient publishing industry. Our future will be even more co-dependent, and stakeholders need the support of IPA, of governments, and local and international agencies and bodies.”
Lawrence Njagi, Chairperson, Kenya Publishers Association, said: “The pandemic caught us flat footed, crippled our operations; we were not prepared as an industry as a whole, like several other sectors. Issues of overreliance on textbooks over trade books affected us in a huge way with school closures. We lacked marketing plans and teams and work-from-home infrastructure too. So, we started looking at different ways of doing things and the Inspire Plan serves as an excellent guide to overcome these challenges in an inclusive, sustainable manner.”
Bodour Al Qasimi, President of IPA, HE Ahmed Al Ameri, and other attendees of the Publishers Conference
Photo: Press Release
Image from the first panel session
Photo: Press Release
Mingzhou Zhang, President, International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), said: “The impact of the pandemic on the children’s and YA book industries were unprecedented as most writers and illustrators of children’s books make the lion’s share of their sales in schools – Covid-19 completed blocked their entry into school campuses”.
“However, the industry-wide solidarity we have seen and experienced has been so positive and encouraging. Moreover, the acceleration of digitalisation, especially in the children’s book industry, is a welcome revolution and will continue as a trend long after the pandemic is over,” he added.
Patrici Tixis, Vice President, LIBER Book Fair, and Acting President, Spanish Federation of Publishers’ Guilds, said: “The pandemic has changed everything. We need to see things in a new way. We still don’t know the full impact of these changes, but in Spain for instance, consumer behaviour has already experienced new patterns. In pre-pandemic times, 85 out of 100 books were sold in bookshops and 50 out of 100 were sold on e-commerce platforms.
That is not the reality anymore, especially as bookshops are probably the weakest part of our publishing value chain. They are fragmented and needed financial support. Post-pandemic, they started working closely with printers, publishers and other stakeholders and the current reality is that our book market has grown by 15% compared not only to 2020 but also to pre-pandemic revenues. We are trying to open Spain to global markets like Latin America and Sharjah is going to be a key player in enabling our expansion into regional markets.”
Yuliia Кozlovets, Coordinator of the International Book Arsenal Festival in Kiev, Ukraine, said: “Even before Covid-19, Ukraine’s publishing industry was facing several challenges. During the lockdown, we launched a programme for Ukrainian writers abroad.
This year we organised the Book Arsenal Festival in an online format, applying the lessons we learned during the pandemic. How should we be organising book festivals in the new normal?
The physical presence of publishers at a book fair, the reader’s interaction with books – these are vital to the industry’s growth prospects, but are currently a challenge for us to execute safely. I am, therefore, personally extremely inspired by the Inspire Plan because it addresses common challenges faced by publishing industry worldwide, and at the same time, looks into individual roadblocks. The Plan brings us closer together in addressing these issues collaboratively and cohesively, making sure no one is left behind.”
St Hugh’s College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford organises the Mary Renault Prize each year. It is a Classical reception essay prize for school or college sixth form pupils.Both domestic and international students can compete alike.
The Prize
The Mary Renault Prize is awarded by St Hugh’s College and is funded by the royalties from Mary Renault’s novels, the college’s website says.
“The Principal and Fellows of St Hugh’s College offer two or more Prizes, worth up to £300 each, for essays on classical reception or influence. The prizes are in memory of the author Mary Renault, who is best known for her historical novels set in ancient Greece.”
Mary Renault herself was a student at St Hugh’s College in the 1920s.
Hungarian winner
Edulinereported, that for the first time, a Hungarian student has won the prestigious essay competition. Olivér Csákány, an 18-year-old from Veszprém, graduate at László Lovassy High School and part of the Milestone Institute’s senior program.
Last year, Olivér won second place on OKTV in French. OKTV roughly translates to ‘National Secondary School Academic Competition’. It is a prestigious high-level competition in Hungary for 15-18-year-olds. He wants to compete again, this year.
Furthermore, Olivér Csákány already knows four languages and holds French lessons for his fellow students for free.
He said to Eduline, that in primary school, he wanted to become a mechanical engineer, but in high school, he became interested in languages. Olivér recalled that he started learning German and French in high school. He immediately fell in love with French so much he had already taken an international C2 language exam.
Olivér Csákány
Photo: facebook.com/msinst/
He later started studying Latin, but by the age of 18, he already had his C1 from that too. As he says, he is currently learning Russian and plans to have a language exam of that language before the end of this school year as well.
Olivér Csákány’s essay was on the reception of Theocritus in the 19-20th century, titled: ‘Uranian Literature and Pastoral Poetry; or, Edward Cracroft Lefroy’s Echoes from Theocritus’.
With this essay, he won first place, besting a student from Singapore, who became second and two English students, who both took third place in a draw.
Olivér is looking forward to studying abroad. He would like to go to the United Kingdom, preferably to Cambridge, but due to Brexit, the cost of education is too high. Olivér is hoping to get some sort of scholarship. He would also be happy to study in France, but the US is also a possibility. He added that he might want to come back to Hungary someday.
Another bright star
However, according to Telex, Olivér is not the only Hungarian students who won a British essay competition recently. The Milestone Institute said on their Facebook page that Simon Rózsa, a student at ELTE’s Radnóti Miklós training high school has won first place at the essay competition organised by University College London’s Department of Greek and Latin. Her 2,000 word winning essay was ‘The Light and Shadow of Xenophon’s Cyropaedia’.
