booley

Does anyone have any experience with the Fungarian language and orientation programs for tourists in Budapest? I have been to Budapest, so am more interested in the brief introduction to the language that these programs advertise. Thanks for your help.

Tiffan

I'd be interested in a brief introduction to the language as well. We are planning a Central Europe (Budapest, Vienna, Prague) trip in December and I'm picking up a 3 month subscription to Rosetta Stone for German, I feel like it might help the most with chatting people up. But I'm most excited about the time in Budapest, so a little language lesson might be great!

Cowboy1968

I don't want to rain on your parade, but Hungarian is a very, very, very difficult language to learn.
You have no similarities regarding grammar, syntax and very few regarding vocabulary.

The most common phrases are like these:
http://visitbudapest.travel/budapest...el-dictionary/
While no one in Budapest will expect you to speak more Hungarian than kérem or köszönöm, some words are helpful to learn, like man/woman (think restrooms or clothing stores) or entrance/exit.
Hungarians are very well aware of the fact that their language is almost unique (just loosely related to Finnish).

Aside from that, you will never ever be able to participate in even the most basic conversation about the weather unless you invest a serious amount of time and efforts.
I think you will need one week alone to properly pronounce the Hungarian word for "one"
As even the word for good-bye can be a bit of a tongue-twister, the usual abbreviation "visla" (first syllable pronounced as vis in vista) is easy to say.

StCirq

I don't want to rain on your parade, either, but Hungarian is impossible, and I speak and read and write several languages. And what's the point? It's only useful in Hungary, where most people speak English anyway.

I am possibly one of the world's greatest advocates of learning other languages, but just forget learning Hungarian. It's an impossibly complicated mess of sounds and tonal and mouth-twisting assumptions and low-gut bowel irritations -just don't go there unless you have many years to devote to it.

Speak English or German or French or just point and grunt.

I will also mention that I really did not like Budapest, a city that is demonstrably dour and sour, IMO, and has absolutely no river culture, which every city in Europe should have, IMO. We live in Europe and travel all over and Budapest was our very least favorite destination ever, except for the synagogue and the area around it.

booley

I'm well aware that Hungarian is a very difficult language and don't expect to carry on a conversation with only an hour or two of instruction. I have studied a lot of languages, including some difficult ones. I am hoping to find out about the structure of the language and learn a few phrases more as an intellectual exercise to satisfy my curiosity. In my experience it is much better to meet a native speaker. even for a short while, than to depend on textbooks or tapes to get the proper pronunciation (think Arabic for example). I will be in Budapest anyway and hope that this will be a good opportunity to learn a little.

kappa1

> In my experience it is much better to meet a native speaker.

You would do better posting your question on T.Advisor, Budapest forum, where locals ( Hungarians and Expats ) and frequent visitors reply. It would be interesting to hear what Hugarians and expats say.

quokka

The language is the key to any culture. I would never discourage anyone who wants to leatrn a language, no matter which one. But then, in our narrow Europe, language skills are valued much higher than beyond the pond.