Vocabulary

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...vagyok I am...
örvendek nice to meet you, I'm glad
jó napot kívánok. good day.
szia hello, hi (informal)

Lesson Notes

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Grammar

The focus of this lesson is Self Introduction in Hungarian

Topic 1: How to introduce yourself

Sentence from the lesson:

Szia, Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
"Hi, I'm Livia. Nice to meet you."

  1. Let's first see how Hungarian people introduce themselves in an *informal* situation.
    Szia, Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
    "Hi, I'm Livia. Nice to meet you."
    Start by saying: Szia then, say your name and then vagyok. Finally, say Örvendek.
  2. Let's see the same sentence in formal speech,
    Jó napot kívánok, Szöllősi Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
    "Good day, I'm Livia Szöllősi. Nice to meet you."
  3. Szia has been substituted with the formal greeting, Hungarian for "good day."
    Lívia vagyok has not been changed;
    vagyok stands in both cases for "I am," however during a formal self introduction we also say our last name, so I said Szöllősi Lívia. Here, you would say your full name.
    Note that for Hungarian people family names come first, followed by the given name. However, you don't have to reverse your name when introducing yourself.
    You can say Örvendek in both situations.


Language Tip!

When you introduce yourself, it's a good habit to shake hands. Jó napot kívánok is a very formal expression—sometimes people just say Jó napot when greeting each other. Both are polite, so you don't have to worry about making a mistake.

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Lesson Transcript

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Welcome to HungarianPod101.com’s “Magyar nyelvleckék három percben”. The fastest, easiest, and most fun way to learn Hungarian.
Sziasztok, Lívia vagyok. Hi, I’m Livia. Nice to meet you.
In this series, we’re going to learn basic Hungarian expressions. It’s super easy and it only takes three minutes!
In this lesson, you’re going to learn how to introduce yourself in Hungarian. There are only two sentences you need to do it, but first it is important to clarify that in Hungarian there is a difference between the formal and the informal language.
Let’s first see how Hungarian people introduce themselves in an *informal* situation.
Szia, Lívia vagyok. Örvendek. Hi, I’m Livia. Nice to meet you.
[slowly]
Szia, Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
Start by saying: Szia then, say your name and then vagyok.
Szia, Lívia vagyok. Finally, say Örvendek.
Szia, Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
And now let’s see the same sentence in formal speech,
Jó napot kívánok, Szöllősi Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
Good morning, I’m Livia Szöllősi. Nice to meet you.
[slowly] Jó napot kívánok, Szöllősi Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
So, what has changed from the previous introduction?
Let’s take a look at close look at these together.
Szia has been substituted with the formal greeting Jó napot kívánok, Hungarian for "good day."
Lívia vagyok has not been changed; vagyok stands in both cases for "I am," however during a formal self introduction we also say our last name, so I said Szöllősi Lívia. Here, you would say your full name. Note that for Hungarian people family names come first, followed by the given name. However, you don’t have to reverse your name when introducing yourself.
You can say Örvendek in both situations.
One more time: The informal way to introduce yourself in Hungarian is Szia, Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
The formal way to introduce yourself is
Jó napot kívánok, Szöllősi Lívia vagyok. Örvendek.
And now it’s time for Livia’s Tips.
When you introduce yourself, it's a good habit to shake hands. Jó napot kívánok is a very formal expression – sometimes people just say “Jó napot” when greeting each other. Both are polite, so you don’t have to worry about making a mistake.
Do you know how we say “thank you” in Hungarian? You’ll learn how to say this and many other words in the next lesson. Legközelebb innen folytatjuk! See you then!
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