Foreign Service Institute

Hungarian Basic Course

Unit 1

Augustus A. Koski

Ilona Mihalyfy

Basic Course Series

Edited by Carleton T. Hodge

Department of State

This work was compiled and published with the support of the Office of Education, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, United States of America

Washington, D.C., 1962

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
Stock No. 044-000-00266-3 / Catalog No. S 1.114/2:H89

Unit 1

Basic Sentences: Halló, itt Budapest!

I

Hello (Good day)

Jó napot!

Mr.,sir. gentleman

úr

little, small

kis

Hello, Mr. Little!

Jó napot. Kis úr!(1)

Good morning!

Jó reggelt!

Taylor

Szabó

Miss, young lady

kisasszony

Good morning. Miss Taylor!

Jó reggelt, Szabó kisasszony! (1)

Good evening!

Jó estét!

Mrs

-né

Good evening. Mrs. Little!

Jó estét, Kisné!

how

hogy

is

van

How are you?

Hogy van?

I thank

köszönöm

well

jól

I am

vagyok

I'm fine, thank you.

Köszönöm, jól vagyok.

and

és

you

maga

And you, Mr. Little?

És maga, Kis úr?

I

én

also, too

is

I'm fine too, thank you.

Köszönöm, én is jól vagyok.

you speak; he. she speaks

beszél

in English

angolul

Do you speak English?

Beszél angolul?

yes

igen

I speak

beszélek

Yes, I speak English.

Igen, beszélek angolul.

you understand; he, she understands

ért

in Hungarian

magyarul

Do you understand Hungarian?

Ért magyarul?

no, not

nem

I understand

értek

I don't understand Hungarian well.

Nem értek jól magyarul.

where

hol

the railroad station

az állomás

Where's the railroad station?

Hol van az állomás?

here (in this place)

itt

there (in that place)

ott

Here's the railroad station.

Itt van az állomás.

this

ez

that

az

Is this the railroad station?

Ez az állomás?

Yes, this is the station.

Igen, ez az állomás.

what's it like (what kind of)

milyen

big, large

nagy

What's the station like? Is it big?

Milyen az állomás? Nagy?

Yes, it's big.

Igen, nagy.

which is the way to

merre

the airport

a repülőtér

Which is the way to the airport?

Merre van a repülőtér?

straight

egyenesen

ahead

előre

It's straight ahead.

Egyenesen előre van.

What's the airport like? Is it big?

Milyen a repülőtér? Nagy?

small

kicsi

It's not big, it's small.

Nem nagy, kicsi.

II

what

mi

What's this?

Mi ez?

American

amerikai

embassy

követség

This is the American Embassy.

Ez az amerikai követség.

And what's that?

És mi az?

a (one) hotel

egy szálloda

That's a hotel.

Az egy szálloda.

clean

tiszta

dirty

piszkos

Is the hotel clean?

A szálloda tiszta?

It's clean.

Tiszta.

nice, pretty, beautiful

szép

Is it nice?

Szép?

Yes, it's nice.

Igen, szép.

a restaurant

egy vendéglő

Where's there a restaurant?

Hol van egy vendéglő?

to the right

jobbra

There's a restaurant to the right.

Jobbra van egy vendéglő.

Is the restaurant good?

A vendéglő jó?

Yes, it's good.

Igen, jó.

a café

egy kávéház

And where' s there a café?

És hol van egy kávéház?

to the left

balra

There's a café to the left.

Balra van egy kávéház.

Is the café big?

A kávéház nagy?

No, it's not big.

Nem, nem nagy.

III

the toilet

a w.c. (vécé)

Where's the toilet?

Hol van a w.c.?

The toilet's to the left.

A W.C. balra van.

Thank you.

Köszönöm.

gladly, with pleasure

szívesen

Don't mention it.

Szívesen.

IV

What's "thanks a lot" in Hungarian?

Mi az magyarul "thanks a lot"?

nicely

szépen

"Köszönöm szépen".

Köszönöm szépen.

And "goodby"?

És "goodby"?

see you again

viszontlátásra

"Viszontlátásra".

Viszontlátásra

Thank you very much.

Köszönöm szépen.

Don't mention it.

Szívesen.

Good night!

Jó éjszakát!

Good night!

Jó éjszakát!

V

pleases

tetszik

What would you like to have?

Mi tetszik?

I ask, I want, I beg

kérek

stamp

bélyeg

stamp (object)

bélyeget (accusative)

I want a stamp.

Kérek egy bélyeget.

else, other, different

más

else, other, different(object)

mást (accusative)

you want; he, she wants

parancsol

Don't you want anything else?

Mást nem parancsol?

but

de

cigarette

cigaretta

cigarette (object)

cigarettát (accusative)

Oh, yes. I also want some cigarettes.

De igen. Cigarettát is kérek.

how many

hány

how many (object)

hányat (accusative)

How many do you want?

Hányat parancsol?

ten

tíz

ten (object)

tizet (accusative)

Ten, please.

Tizet kérek.

what does it cost

mibe kerül

How much is it?

Mibe kerül?

four

négy

forint

forint (2)

It costs four forints.

Négy forintba kerül.

very

nagyon

expensive

drága

That's very expensive.

Az nagyon drága.

please

tessék

cheap

olcsó

Here's a cheap one.

Tessék, itt van egy olcsó.

How much is this?

Ez mibe kerül?

two

kettő, két

Two forints.

Két forintba.

match

gyufa

match (object)

gyufát (accusative)

I want some matches also.

Gyufát is kérek.

five

öt

twenty

húsz

fillér

fillér (3)

its price

az ára

Here you are. The price is five fillérs.

Tessék. Öt fillér az ára.

VI

hungry

éhes

I'm hungry.

Éhes vagyok.

to eat

enni

I'd like

szeretnék

I'd like to eat.

Enni szeretnék.

what (object)

mit (accusative)

What would you like to have?

Mit parancsol?

ham

sonka

ham (object)

sonkát (accusative)

I want ham.

sonkát kérek.

some, a little

egy kis

water

viz

water (object)

vizet (accusative)

And some water.

És egy kis vizet.

bread

kenyér

bread (object)

kenyeret (accusative)

What kind of bread do you want?

Milyen kenyeret parancsol?

white

fehér

or

vagy

brown

barna

We have white or brown.

Van fehér vagy barna.

I want white bread.

Fehér kenyeret kérek.

beer

sör

milk

tej

cold

hideg

Is the beer cold?

A sör hideg?

It isn't cold.

Nem hideg.

wine

bor

And the wine?

És a bor?

The wine is very good.

A bor nagyon jó.

coffee

kávé

tea

tea

warm

meleg

The coffee and the tea are very good also. They're good and hot.

A kávé és a tea is jó. Jó meleg.

that (object)

azt (accusative)

I don't want any. I'd like wine.

Azt nem kérek. Bort szeretnék.

VII

pardon

bocsánat

I beg your pardon. excuse me

bocsánatot kérek

hour

óra

Excuse me, what time is it?

Bocsánatot kérek, hány óra van?

three

három

It's three o'clock.

Három óra van.

when

mikor

you leave, start, depart; he, she, it leaves, starts, departs

indul

train

vonat

When does the train leave?

Mikor indul a vonat?

six

hat

The train leaves at six.

Hatkor indul a vonat.

you arrive;he, she, it arrives

érkezik

At what time does the train arrive?

Mikor érkezik a vonat?

seven

hét

At seven.

Hétkor.

begins, starts

kezdődik

movie

mozi

At what time does the movie begin?

Mikor kezdődik a mozi?

eight

nyolc

nine

kilenc

eleven

tizenegy

twelve

tizenkettő

The movie begins at eight.

Nyolckor kezdődik a mozi.

VIII

how much

mennyi

and

meg

How much is two and three?

Mennyi kettő meg három?

Two and three is five.

Kettó meg három az öt.

How much is five and six?

Mennyi öt meg hat?

Five and six is eleven.

Öt meg hat az tizenegy.

How much is four and eight?

Mennyi négy meg nyolc?

Four and eight is twelve.

Négy meg nyolc az tizenkettó.

How much is five and five?

Mennyi öt meg öt?

Five and five is ten.

Öt meg öt az tíz.

Notes to the Basic Sentences

1 - Whenever a title, such as Mr., Mrs., Miss, is used before a person's name in English the corresponding Hungarian usage will require the title to follow the name.

2 - Medium of exchange in Hungary, equal to less than 10 cents.

3 - Hungarian monetary unit equal to 1/100 of a forint.

Notes on Pronunciation

Although Hungarian spelling does not present the difficulties encountered in English, there is no writing system existent that can begin to reproduce speec or to represent adequately the features of stress and intonation that are such fundamental elements of any spoken language. So at the beginning of your course do not expect to get much help from your Hungarian textbook in your efforts to acquire and develop proficiency in the Hungarian sound system and in its stress and intonation patterns. These features you can best learn through ~itation and oral practice with your instructor in the classroom and through systematic use of the taped drills.

Since Hungarian spelling is for the most part regular and uses the same alphabet as English, the American student should not have much difficulty in reading Hungarian. The standard Hungarian written style is used throughout the textbook, and no use is made of phonemic script. A word of caution at this point, however, is necessary. The student must keep in mind that, although the letter symbols used in Hungarian are in most cases the same as we use in written English, these Hungarian written symb013 do not represent the same sound values you know in English. The student will need much drill and practice in the Hungarian sounds in ordet to reflect these differences in his speech. For that reason we will present for particular drill and attention in the first few units those sound features of Hungarian which experience has shown present particular difficulty for American students.

The Hungarian alphabet consists of the following single letters and digraphs (single speech sounds represented by a combination of two letters, as ph in phone) listed in conventional order:

a, á, b, c, cs, d, e, é, f, g, gy, h, i, í, j, k, l, ly, m, n, ny, o, ó, ö, ő, p, r, s, sz, t, ty, u, ú, ü, ű, v, z, zs. The letters q, w, x and y occur only in borrowed words.

These letters are conventionally divided into two types of sounds: vowels and consonants. The vowels consist of the letters a, á, e, é, i, í, o, ó, ö, ő, u, ú, ü, ű. All the remaining letters of the alphabet are classified as consonants.

A. Short Vowels

Hungarian distinguishes between short and long vowels. The writing system shows this distinction with the mark ´ or ˝ over a long vowel, and no mark over a short one, with the exception of ö and ü. The vowels a, e, i and u are not vastly different from the corresponding English sounds: the sound represented by a is a back open rounded vowel somewhat like the a in hall, but pronounced short. The sound represented by e is an open low front sound something like the vowel in English hat, but short. The vowel i is pronounced approximately like the double e in see, but short and produced well forward in the mouth, with narrower opening and lips more extended than in English. U is a sound very close to the double o in moon, but short.

The Hungarian front rounded vowels ö and ü do not occur in English. To produce ö, pronounce e as in bed with your lips rounded as for whistling. Likewise, to get the sound ü, pronounce e as in he (but short) with your lips rounded again as for whistling. (Note that lip rounding is the only feature which differentiates ü from i and ö from e.)

Experiment with the following groups of words containing the above vowel sounds until your instructor is satisfied with your pronunciation. Do not worry about the meaning of the words in these practices, but concentrate only on the sounds. Be sure that in each word you pronounce the vowels short. The duration of a sound is a highly important feature of Hungarian pronunciation, and in many cases makes a big difference in the meaning of an utterance.

Practice 1-A

Practice 1-B.

B. Long Vowels

There are no sounds in English exactly like the Hungarian long vowels. If you will pronounce English 'hate' and then ask your instructor to pronounce Hungarian hét, you will notice that the English vowel sound seems to change during its pronunciation, but the Hungarian sound seems ten se and stable throughout its duration. Your tongue actually moves during the production of the English vowel sound, but during the production of the Hungarian sound the tongue remains in the same position. The long ó, ő, ú, and ű are formed approximately like the short o, ö, u and ü. Thus, the basic difference between the long and the short vowels, with the exception of a - á, and e - é, is one of length rather than quality. The long á is a sound between 'a' in 'father' and 'a' in 'cat'; é as indicated above, is like the 'a' in 'hate'. but pronounced more tensely, without any suggestion of the y glide typical in English. (The distinction between the two sounds i and í is rapidly disappearing in the speech of the younger generation of Hungarians. Likewise, as you will observe from the pronunciation of your tutor, for practical purposes a distinction is not always made between u and ú.)

Practice 2. A.

Practice 2. B.

c. Digraphs

Each of the consonant combinations cs, gy, ly, ny, sz, ty and zs represents a separate sound in the Hungarian writing system, and as such is considered a separate letter of the Hungarian alphabet. The following comparisons with English sounds are for general guidance: (In Hungarian the pronunciation of a sound may be affected and modified by adjacent sounds, as we shall see later.)

CS is pronounced like ch in child.

GY - like the d in duke, with strong palatalization, that is, the tongue pressing hard against the upper gum ridge.

LY - like the y in yes.

NY - like ny in canyon.

SZ - like s in sun.

TY - like t in tune, with strong palatalization.

ZS - like s in pleasure.

Practice 3.

Notes on Grammar

A. The Article

Hungarian, as English, uses both definite and indefinite articles. The definite article 'the' has two forms: a before words beginning with a consonant, and az before words beginning with a vowel. The Hungarian definite article is not always used in the same way as the English 'the'. The differences in usage will be discussed in subseguent units.

In an unstressed position the indefinite article egy corresponds in meaning to the English 'a' or 'an', but when emphasized or used alone it is eguivalent in meaning to 'one'. It likewise does not correspond exactly to the English indefinite article in its usage. The tendency in colloguial speech in general is not to use it except when attention is directed to the singleness of an object or when it has the meaning of 'a certain'.

B. Omission of Subject Pronoun

Note the following expressions from the Basic Sentences:

Jól vagyok.

I am well.

Kérek egy bélyeget.

I want a stamp.

Beszél magyarul?

Do you speak Hungarian?

Mibe kerűl?

What does it cost?

One striking difference between the above Hungarian statements and the corresponding English equivalents is that in English the pronoun subject ('I', 'you', 'it') is expressed, whereas in Hungarian it is left out. The form of the Hungarian verb usually shows clearly what the subject is, so the Hungarian does not have to depend on the pronoun to complete the meaning expressed by the verb. As a rule, the pronoun subject is not used much in conversation; its use is generally limited for purposes of emphasis or clarification:

Én beszélek magyarul.

It is I (not you) who speak Hungarian.

C. Equational Sentences

Ez a követség.

This is the embassy.

Az egy vendéglő.

That's a restaurant.

A szálloda tiszta.

The hotel is clean.

A sör nem drága.

The beer is not expensive.

Maga Kovács úr?

Are you Mr. Smith?

The English equivalents of the above Hungarian expressions have the word 'is' (or 'are') in common. In Hungarian the subject and the pred'cate noun or adjective are simply juxtaposed, with no verb. Note that maga 'you' patterns with third person subjects, as in the last example.

D. Negative Sentences

In English a sentence may be made negative by the use of the auxiliary verb 'do' followed by the word 'not' plus the action wordi for example, the negative of 'I go' is 'I do not go'. Hungarian uses no auxiliary in the formation of the negativei the form nem (not) is simply placed before the verb: kér ('he wants') - nem kér ('he doesn't want').

E. Word Order

Word order in a Hungarian sentence is much more flexible than it is in English. However, one simple pattern, common to Hungarian as well as English and illustrated in some of the Basic Sentences of this unit, consists of subject plus predicate (verb):

A bor is nagyon jó.

A basic principle of Hungarian word order that the student will do well to keep in mind is that the most emphatic element in the Hungarian sentence always comes immediately before the predicate (verb).

Substitution Drill

This section is made up of a number of model sentences. One or two words in each sentence are underscored. Below each group will be found a series of isolated words. The drill consists in substituting these words, one by one, for the one that is underscored in the model sentence, and making necessary changes in the rest of the sentence.

The instructor says the model sentence out loud, and the class repeats after him. The first student makes the first substitution, the next student the second, and so on. Repeat until alI students have had a chance to make each substitution at least once. then proceed to the next model sentence.

This drill may be done,with books closed. The instructor then gives the students the item to be substituted.

Keep things moving along. Maintain a lively pace. If one student gets stuck, the next one takes over after three or four seconds, or the instructor supplies the cue.

1. Hol van egy vendéglő?
hotel - toilet - movie - café - cigarette

Where's there a restaurant?
szálloda - W.C. - mozi - kávéház - cigaretta

2. Itt van egy vendéglő.
cigarette - café - movie - toilet - hotel

Here's a restaurant.
cigaretta - kávéház - mozi - W.C. - szálloda

3. Merre van a kávéház?
airport - embassy - toilet - train - movie

Which is the way to the café?
repülőtér.- követség - W.C. - vonat - mozi

4. A kávéház jobbra van.
embassy - airport - train - hotel - movie

The café is to the right.
követség - repülőtér - vonat - szálloda - mozi

5. Hol van Kis úr?
Mrs. Little - Mr. Taylor - Miss Taylor - Budapest - New York - Baltimore

Where's Mr. Little?
Kisné - Szabó úr - Szabó kisasszony - Budapest - New York - Baltimore

6. Ott van Kis úr.
Mrs. Taylor - the station - the hotel - the bread - the milk

There's Mr. Little.
Szabóné - az állomás - a szálloda - a kenyér - a tej

7. Mibe kerül a kávé?
stamp - bread - milk - beer - tea - ham

How much does the coffee cost?
bélyeg - kenyér - tej - sor - tea - sonka

8. A kávé tíz fillérbe kerül.
milk - stamp - beer - wine - tea

The coffee costs ten fillérs.
tej - bélyeg - sor - bor - tea

9. A vendéglő drága.
hotel - café - coffee - beer - ham - wine

The restaurant is expensive.
szálloda - kávéház - kávé - sör - sonka - bor

10. A kávé jó.
beer - milk - tea - ham - wine - bread

The coffee is good.
sör - tej - tea - sonka - bor - kenyér

11. A sör jó?
wine - coffee - bread - milk - hotel - restaurant

Is the beer good?
bor - kávé - kenyér - tej - szálloda - vendéglő

12. A bor nagyon jó.
café - bread - hotel - milk - water - ham

The wine is very good.
kávéház - kényér - szálloda - tej - víz - sonka

13. A szálloda olcsó.
café restaurant - movie - wine - beer - milk

The hotel is cheap.
kávéház - vendéglő - mozi - bor - sör - tej

14. A sör is nagyon jó.
tea - water - wine - milk - bread - hotel - restaurant

The beer is very good also.
tea - víz - bor - tej - kenyér - szálloda - vendéglő

15. Az a vendéglő nem drága.
hotel - café - wine - bread - beer - milk

That restaurant isn't expensive.
szálloda - kávéház - bor - kenyér - sör - tej

16. Ez a kávéház nagyon nagy.
small - clean - nice - cold - warm - expensive - cheap

This café is very big.
kicsi - tiszta - szép - hideg - meleg - drága - olcsó

17. Az nem a szálloda.
embassy - station - airport - train - café - restaurant - toilet

That isn't the hotel.
követség - állomás - repülőtér - vonat - kávéház - vendéglő - W.C.

18. Három óra van.
one - four - six - eight - nine - eleven - five - séven - ten - twelvL:

It's three o'clock.
egy - négy - hat - nyolc - kilenc - tizenegy - öt - hét - tíz - tizenkét

19. Mikor indul Kisné?
Mr. Little - Miss Little - Miss Taylor - Mr. Taylor - Mrs. Taylor

When does Mrs. LittIe leave?
Kis úr - Kis kisasszony - Szabó kisasszony - Szabó úr - szabóné

20. Hatkor indul a vonat.
at one - at three - at seven - at eight - at ten - at twelve - at four - at nine - at two - at five - at eleven

The train leaves at six.
egykor - háromkor - hétkor - nyolckor - tízkor - tizenkettőkor - négykor - kilenckor - kettőkor - ötkor - tizenegykor

21. Bocsánatot kérek, hol van a mozi?
embassy - toilet - station - train - ho~el - airport

Excuse me, where is the movie?
követség - W.C. - állomás - vonat - szálloda - repülőtér

22. Hogy van, Kis úr?
Miss Little - Mrs. Taylor - Mrs. Little - Miss Taylor - Mr. Taylor

How are you. Mr. Little?
Kis kisasszony - Szabóné - Kisné - Szabó kisasszony - Szabó úr

23. Öt fillér az ára.
ten fillérs - twenty fillérs - twelve fillérs - three forints - eight forints - fifteen forints

Its price is five fillérs.
tíz fillér - húsz fillér - tizenkét fillér - három forint - nyolc forint - tizenöt forint

The sentences in each group of this section are to be completed by one of the isolated words which appear at the head of each group, as illustrated by the English versions. Each student takes a sentence. Complete one group with one of the suggested words before taking up the next word.

1. embassy - hotel - restaurant - airport

Hol van _______________?

Where's the embassy?

Itt van _______________.

Here's the embassy.

Ez _______________?

Is this the embassy?

Igen, ez _______________.

Yes, this is the embassy.

Nem, nem ez _______________.

No, this isn't the embassy.

Merre van _______________?

Which is the way to the embassy?

Balra van _______________.

The embassy is to the left.

Egyenesen előre van _______________?

Is the embassy straight ahead?

Igen, egyenesen előre van _______________.

Yes, the embassy is straight ahead.

2. wine - beer - coffee - bread

_______________ jó?

Is the wine good?

Igen, _______________ nagyon jó.

Yes, the wine is very good.

Nem, _______________ nem nagyon jó.

No, the wine isn't very good.

_______________ drága?

Is the wine expensive?

Nem, _______________ olcsó.

No, the wine is cheap.

Hol van _______________?

Where's the wine?

Itt van _______________.

Here's the wine.

VARIATION DRILL

This section is made up of several groups of sentences. Each group is headed by a model sentence which is highlighted. The instructor reads the model sentence out loud, and the class repeats after him. The first student then gives the Hungarian version of the first English variation sentence under the model sentence. The next student takes the sec ond sentence, and so on.

While doing this drill, STUDENTS MUST COVER THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE.

The English version must be read silently, and the Hungarian version must be given without stopping, with the proper pronunciation, including intonation. If you have to "translate" word by word, you need more practice with the Basic Sentences.

The instructor must insist on COMPLETE SENTENCES.

I

1- Beszél magyarul?

Do you speak Hungarian?

a. Do you speak English?

Beszél angolul?

b. Do you speak Hungarian?

Beszél magyarul?

c. Do you understand Hungarian?

Ért magyarul?

d. Do you understand English?

Ért angolul?

2. Nem beszélek jól magyarul.

I don' t speak Hungarian well.

a. I don't speak English well.

Nem beszélek jól angolul.

b. I don't speak Hungarian well.

Nem beszélek jól magyarul.

c. I don't understand Hungarian well.

Nem értek jól magyarul.

d. I don't understand English well.

Nem értek jól angolul.

3. Nem beszél magyarul.

He doesn't speak Hungarian.

a. He doesn't speak English.

Nem beszél angolul.

b. He doesn't speak Hungarian.

Nem beszél magyarul.

c. He doesn't speak Hungarian well.

Nem beszél jól magyarul.

d. He doesn't understand Hungarian well.

Nem ért jól magyarul.

e. He doesn't understand English well.

Nem ért jól angolul.

4. A tej meleg.

The milk is warm.

a. The embassy is big.

A követség nagy.

b. The coffee is cold.

A kávé hideg.

c. The hotel is small.

A szálloda kicsi.

d. The restaurant is good.

A vendéglő jó.

e. The movie is dirty.

A mozi piszkos.

5. A tea nem meleg.

The tea isn't hot.

a. The beer isn't cold.

A sör nem hideg.

b. The wine isn't cheap.

A bor nem olcsó.

c. The ham isn't good.

A sonka nem jó.

d. The bread isn't brown.

A kenyér nem barna.

e. The embassy isn't big.

A követség nem nagy.

6. A bor nagyon drága.

The wine is very expensive.

a. The tea is very hot.

A tea nagyon meleg.

b. The milk is very cold.

A tej nagyon hideg.

c. The hotel is very clean.

A szálloda nagyon tiszta.

d. The restaurant is very good.

A vendéglő nagyon jó.

e. The café is very small.

A kávéház nagyon kicsi.

7. A tej nem nagyon drága.

The milk isn't very expensive.

a. The beer isn't very cold.

A sör nem nagyon hideg.

b. The ham isn't very good.

A sonka nem nagyon jó.

c. The restaurant isn't very expensive.

A vendéglő nem nagyon drága.

d. The toilet isn't very clean.

A W.C. nem nagyon tiszta.

e. The bread isn't very white.

A kenyér nem nagyon fehér.

8. A bor is nagyon jó.

The wine also is very good.

a. The coffee also is very good.

A kávé is nagyon jó.

b. The ham also is very good.

A sonka is ndgyon jó.

c. The restaurant also is very good.

A vendéglő is nagyon jó.

d. The café also is very good.

A kávéház is nagyon jó.

e. The hotel also is very good.

A szálloda is nagyon jó.

9. Jobbra van az amerikai követség.

The American Embassy is to the right.

a. The station is to the left.

Balra van az állomás.

b. The airport is straight ahead.

Egyenesen előre van a repülőtér.

c. The hotel is to the right.

Jobbra van a szálloda.

d. Here's the café.

Itt van a kávéház.

e. There's the restaurant.

Ott van a vendéglő.

10. Ez az állomás? Nem, az az állomás.

Is this the station? No, that's the station.

a. Is this the restaurant? No, that's the restaurant.

Ez a vendéglő? Nem, az a vendéglő.

b. Is this the embassy? No, that's the embassy.

Ez a követség? Nem, az a követség.

c. Is that the hotel? No, this is the hotel.

Az a szálloda? Nem, ez a szálloda.

d. Is this the airport? Yes, this is the airport.

Ez a repülőtér? Igen, ez a repülőtér.

11. Hol van az állomás? Jobbra van.

Where's the station? It's to the riqht.

a. Where's the hotel? It's straight ahead.

Hol van a szálloda? Egyenesen előre van.

b. Where's the restaurant? It's to the left.

Hol van a vendéglő? Balra van.

c. Where's the café? It's here.

Hol van a kávéház? Itt van.

d. Where' s the embassy? It's there.

Hol van a követség? ott van.

12. A szálloda tiszta? Igen, tiszta.

Is the hotel clean? Yes, it's clean.

a. Is the restaurant expensive? Yes, it's expensive.

A vendéglő drága? Igen, drága.

b. Is the beer cold? No, it's not cold.

A sör hideg? Nem, nem hideg.

c. Is the café warm? Yes, it's warm.

A kávéház meleg? Igen, meleg.

d. Is the airport big? Yes, it's big.

A repülőtér nagy? Igen, nagy.

13. Mibe kerül a kávé? Húsz fillérbe kerűl.

How much does the coffee cost? It costs twenty fillérs.

a. How much does the beer cost? It costs one forint.

Mibe kerül a sör? Egy forintba kerül.

b. How much does the bread cost? It costs 6 fillérs.

Mibe kerül a kenyér? Hat fillérbe kerül.

c. How much does tne ham cost? It costs 2 forints.

Mibe kerül a sonka? Két forintba kerül.

d. How much does the stamp cost? It costs 15 fillérs.

Mibe kerül a bélyeg? Tizenöt fillérbe kerül.

14. Három meg négy az hét.

Three and four is seven.

a. Five and three is eight.

Öt meg három az nyolc.

b. Seven and two is nine.

Hét meg kettő az kilenc.

c. Three and eight is eleven.

Három meg nyolc az tizenegy.

d. One and six is seven.

Egy meg hat az hét.

e. Is eight and two nine?

Nyolc meg kettő az kilenc?

f. No, eight and two is ten.

Nem, nyolc meg kettő az tíz.

15. Milyen a repülőtér? Nagy?

What's the airport like? Is it big?

a. What's the hotel like? Is it clean?

Milyen a szálloda? Tiszta?

b. What's the movie like? Is it good?

Milyen a mozi? Jó?

c. What's the café like? Is it small?

Milyen a kávéház? Kicsi?

d. What's the tea like? Is it hot?

Milyen a tea? Meleg?

e. What's the beer like? Is it cold?

Milyen a sör? Hideg?

16. Mikor érkezik a vonat?

At what time does the train arrive?

a. At what time does Mrs. Kis arrive?

Mikor érkezik Kisné?

b. At what time does Mrs. Szabó leave?

Mikor indul Szabóné?

c. At what time does Mr. Szabó leave?

Mikor indul Szabó úr?

d. At what time does the movie begin?

Mikor kezdődik a mozi?

e. At what time does Mr. Kis arrive?

Mikor érkezik Kis úr?

17. Kilenckor érkezik Kis ur.

Mr. LittIe arrives at nine.

a. Mrs. Szabó arrives at ten.

Tízkor érkezik szabóné.

b. Miss Szabó leaves at four.

Négykor indul Szabó kisas~ony.

c. Mrs. Kis leaves at five.

Ötkor indul Kisné.

d. The movie begins at eight.

Nyolckor kezdődik a mozi.

e. Miss Kis arrives at twelve.

Tizenkettőkor érkezik Kis kisasszony.

II

1. Count in Hungarian from 1 to 20 (forward, backward, odd numbers only, even numbers only, by twos, by threes, etc.)

Egy - 1
Kettő (két before a noun) - 2
Három - 3
Négy - 4
Öt - 5
Hat - 6
Hét - 7
Nyolc - 8
Kilenc - 9
Tíz - 10
Tizenegy - 11
Tizenkettő - 12
Tizenhárom - 13
Tizennégy - 14
Tizenöt - 15
Tizenhat - 16
Tizenhét - 17
Tizennyolc - 18
Tizenkilenc - 19
Húsz - 20

2. Read the following out loud in Hungarian:

2 meg 3 az 5
4 meg 4 az 8
5 meg 2 az 7
6 meg 3 az 9
4 meg 5 az 9
3 meg 3 az 6
2 meg 8 az 10
4 meg 3 az 7
9 meg l az 10
2 meg 2 az 4
7 meg 3 az 10
6 meg l az 7
4 meg 2 az 6

5 meg 5 az 10
10 meg 2 az 12
12 meg 3 az 15
16 meg 2 az 18
11 meg 3 az 14
14 meg 3 az 17
3 meg 2 az 5
13 meg 3 az 16
15 meg 4 az 19
12 meg 8 az 20
8 meg 8 az 16
7 meg 7 az 14
6 meg 6 az 12

15 meg 5 az 20
9 meg 9 az 18
7 meg 13 az 20
5 meg 11 az 16
3 meg 15 az 18
2 meg 9 az 11
4 meg 8 az 12
5 meg 9 az 14
7 meg 12 az 19
8 meg 10 az 18
9 meg 6 az 15
7 meg 9 az 16
10 meg 10 az 20

Translation Drill

Students cover right-hand side of page and take turns giving the Hungarian version of the sentences in the English column. The instructor must insist that each student give his version without hesitation. Go over the drill several times, until each student has had an opportunity of giving alI sentences.

Unless students can do this drill confidently, they need more preparation.

1. What's this? Is this the station?

Mi ez? Ez az állomás?

2. Yes, this is the station.

Igen, ez az állomás.

3. What's the station like?

Milyen az állomás?

4. The station is big and clean.

Az allomás nagy és tiszta.

5. What time is it?

Hány óra van?

6. It's three o'clock.

Három óra van.

7. When does the train leave?

Mikor indul a vonat?

8. The train leaves at four.

Négykor indul a vonat.

9. Where's the train?

Hol van a vonat?

10. The train is straight ahead.

A vonat egyenesen előre van.

ll. Is the train clean?

A vonat tiszta?

12. It isn't very clean.

Nem nagyon tiszta.

13. When does Mrs. Kis leave?

Mikor indul Kisné?

14. She leaves at four.

Négykor indul.

15. Is Mr. Kis also here?

Kis úr is itt van?

16. Yes, he's here.

Igen, itt van..

17. How are you, Mr. Kis?

Hogy van, Kis úr?

18. Thank you, I'm well.

Köszönöm, jól vagyok.

19. What would you like to have?

Mi tetszik?

20. I want coffee.

Kávét kérek.

21. Please. Here it is.

Tessék. Itt van.

22. Is the coffee warm?

A kávé meleg?

23. Yes, it's warm.

Igen, meleg.

24. How much is it?

Mibe kerül?

25. Its price is ten fillérs.

Tíz fillér az ára.

26. What's that? Is it wine?

Mi az? Bor?

27. No, it's not wine; it's beer.

Nem, nem bor, sör.

28. Is the beer expensive?

A sör drága?

29. It isn't expensive; it's cheap.

Nem drága, olcsó.

30. Is the bread white?

A kenyér fehér?

31. It isn't white; it's brown.

Nem fehér, barna.

32. Is the ham cold?

A sonka hideg?

33. The ham isn't cold; it's warm.

A sonka nem hideg, meleg.

34. Is the water cold?

A víz hideg?

35. Yes, it's very cold.

Igen, nagyon hideg.

36. Don't you want anything else?

Mást nem parancsol?

37. No, thank you.

Köszönöm, nem.

38. Where's Miss Szabó?

Hol van Szabó kisasszony?

39. She's there.

Ott van.

40. Does she speak Hungarian?

Beszél magyarul?

41. She doesn't speak Hungarian.

Nem beszél magyarul.

42. And you? Do you speak Hungarian?

És maga? Beszél magyarul?

43. Yes, I speak Hungarian.

Igen, beszélek magyarul.

44. Do you speak English also?

Beszél angolul is?

45. Yes, I speak English also.

Igen, beszélek angolul is.

46. What time does the movie begin?

Mikor kezdődik a mozi?

47. It begins at six.

Hatkor kezdődik.

48. Thank you very much.

Köszönöm szépen.

49. Don't mention it.

Szívesen.

50. Good night.

Jó éjszakát.

Response Drill

Students are to prepare this drill at home. The questions are generally directed toward the situation or situations presented in the Basic Sentences. However, the student need not feel restricted to verbatim repetition of the Basic Sentences as the only possible answers. He should feel free to vary them or to replace them by his own formulations ad libitum, within the limitations of structure and vocabulary covered.

l. Jó regyelt, Szabó úr! Hogy van?

Good morning, Mr. Szabó! How are you?

2. Beszél magyarul?

Do you speak Hungarian?

3. Beszél angolul?

Do you speak English?

4. Kis úr amerikai?

Is Mr. Kis an American?

5. Kisné amerikai?

Is Mrs. Kis an American?

6. Bocsánatot kérek. merre van az állomás?

Excuse me, which is the way to the station?

7. A vonat egyenesen előre van?

Is the train straight ahead?

8. Hol van a W. C. ?

Where's the toilet?

9. A W. C. tiszta?

Is the toilet clean?

10. Hol van egy vendéglő?

Where is there a restaurant?

ll. A vendéglő jó?

Is the restaurant good?

12. A vendéglő drága?

Is the restaurant expensive?

13. Merre van a szálloda?

Which is the way to the hotel?

14. A szálloda olcsó?

Is the hotel cheap?

15. Mibe kerül a szálloda?

What does the hotel cost?

16. Mibe kerül a kávé?

What does the coffee cost?

17. A kávé meleg?

Is the coffee warm?

18. A tea hideg?

Is the tea cold?

19. A sonka jó?

Is the ham good?

20. A kenyér fehér?

Is the bread white?

21. A tej jó?

Is the milk good?

22. A sör hideg?

Is the beer cold?

23. A víz tiszta?

Is the water clean?

24. A bor drága?

Is the wine expensive?

25. A bélyeg kicsi?

Is the stamp small?

26. Hol van egy kávéház?

Where's there a café?

27. A kávéház nagy?

Is the café big?

28. Hol van a követség?

Where's the embassy?

29. Ez az amerikai követség?

Is this the American Embassy?

30. Az amerikai követség nagy?

Is the American Embassy big?

31. Hány óra van?

What time is it?

32. Tíz óra van?

Is it ten o'clock?

33. Mikor érkezik a vonat?

At What time does the train arrive?

34. Mikor érkezik Szabóné?

At what time is Mrs. Szabó arriving?

35. Mikor indul Kis kisasszony?

At what time is Miss Kis leaving?

36. Kis kisasszony szép?

Is Miss Kis pretty?

37. Kisné barna?

Is Mrs. Kis brown?

38. Kis úr beszél angolul?

Does Mr. Kis speak English?

39. Mikor kezdődik a mozi?

At what time does the movie begin?

40. Mi az magyarul 'goodby'?

How do you say 'goodby' in Hungarian?

Conversation Practice

Students keep books closed. Preparation before class is recommended.

The instructor reads one conversational bout three or four times, out loud, again at normal speed. Class listens and students memorize.

The instructor and one student now 'play back' the conversation. Repeat each bout until each student has taken each part once. Then proceed to the next bout.

Keep the ball rolling. If students are hesitant, abandon this drill for the day. Students will prepare themselves at home for the next repetition of the drill.

The instructor will POSTPONE CORRECTING OF MISTAKES during a bout until after it is concluded so as not to discourage the student. After the bout, the instructor simply says the mistaken or mispronounced item to the student and has him repeat it after him.

1

A: Jó reggelt! Beszél angolul?
B: Jó reggelt! Igen, beszélek angolul.
A: Kérek egy bélyeget.
B: Tessék. Mást nem parancsol?
A: De igen. Cigarettát is szeretnék.
B: Hányat parancsol?
A: Tizet kérek.
B: Parancsol gyufát?
A: Azt is kérek. Mibe kerül?
B: Két forintba kerül.
A: Tessék a két forint.
B: Köszönöm.

2

A: Bocsánatot kérek, hol van egy kávéház?
B: Balra van egy k.ávéház.
A: Ez a k.ávéház?
B: Nem. Ez egy vendéglő. Az ott a kávéház.
A: Hol van az amerikai követség?
B: Jobbra van dk.övetség.
A: Köszönöm szépen.
B: Szívesen. Jó éjszak.át.
A: Jó éjszak.át.

3

A: Jó estét, Kis úr! Mi tetszik?
B: Sört kérek. Enni is szeretnék.
A: van sonka, kenyér, tej és kávé.
B: Sonkát kérek és egy kis kenyeret.
A: Milyen kenyeret parancsol? van fehér és barna.
B: Barna kenyeret kérek.
A: Tessék.
B: Köszönöm ... Mibe kerül?
A: öt forintba.
B: Tessék.
A: Köszönöm. Jó éjszakát.

Situations

You are now ready for free conversation. Act out the following situations, which are slight variations on the Basic sentences, as freely and fluently as you can, making use of all the patterns you have learned.

l. You have just arrived in Budapest; you stop a stranger on the street and ask him where there is a good restaurant. He gives you the directions. You don't understand so you tell him that you don't know much Hungarian and repeat the question. He gives it again much more slowly. Now you understand him, thank him, and say goodby.

2. Go through this conversation again, asking for a hotel, café, station, etc. The stranger on the street gives you different directions.

3. you walk into a café, the waitress greets you and asks you how you are. you return her greeting and tell her you are fine and that you are very hungry. She telIs you they have cold ham. You say fine, you want ham and some bread. She asks you whether you want white or brown bread. You tell her your choice and ask for beer also. After the meal you ask her how much everything is. She telIs you 10 forints. You pay her and say goodby.

4. you go into a cigar store, and after exchanging greetings ask for cigarettes. The proprietor asks you how many you would like. You tell him and ask the price. He tells you how much they cost and you feel they're too expensive. He has some cheap ones also -which you buy. You need some matches too. You pay and say goodby.

Narrative

Ez az állomás. Az állomás nagy, de nem tiszta. Egyenesen előre van az amerikai követség. Az amerikai követség nagy és szép. Jobbra van egy kávéház, balra egy vendéglő. A vendéglő kicsi, de jo és olcsó.

Éhes vagyok. Egy kis sonkát szeretnék enni. Sonkát, kenyeret és sört kérek. A sör jó hideg. A bor is jó, de a jó bor drága. Az olcsó bor nem jó. A tej nem drága. Húsz fillér az ára.

Kis úr is itt van. Kis úr nem beszél angolul, de Kisné igen.