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Basic Hungarian Greetings and Everyday Phrases

Learn how to greet, introduce yourself, thank, apologize, and say goodbye in Hungarian, with easy pronunciation guides.

Szia (SEE-ah) — Hi (casual)

Works for both hello and goodbye among friends and peers, at any time of day; the plural form for a group is "Sziasztok" (SEE-ah-stok).

Jó napot (kívánok) (yoh NAH-pot [KEE-vah-nok]) — Hello (formal)

Literally "(I wish you) a good day" — the standard greeting with strangers or in formal settings.

Jó reggelt (yoh REG-gelt) — Good morning

Used during the morning hours.

Jó estét (yoh ESH-tayt) — Good evening

Used when meeting or parting in the evening.

Jó éjszakát (yoh AY-sah-kaht) — Good night

Used only right before bed, not as an evening greeting.

A nevem ~ (ah NEH-vem) — My name is ~

Used to introduce yourself; fill in the blank with your own name.

Örülök, hogy megismerhetem (UR-ew-luk hodj MEG-ish-mer-heh-tem) — Nice to meet you

A formal phrase used right after meeting someone for the first time.

Hogy vagy? (hodj vodj) — How are you? (casual)

Used to ask a friend or peer how they are doing; the formal version is "Hogy van?" (hodj von).

Jól, köszönöm (yohl KUR-sur-nurm) — Fine, thanks

A common reply to the question above.

Köszönöm (KUR-sur-nurm) — Thank you

The most basic way to say thanks; emphasize it with "Köszönöm szépen" (KUR-sur-nurm SAY-pen, "thank you very much").

Elnézést (EL-nay-zaysht) — Sorry / Excuse me

Used both to apologize and to politely get someone's attention.

Igen / Nem (EE-gen / nem) — Yes / No

The most basic response words.

Viszontlátásra (VEE-sont-lah-tahsh-rah) — Goodbye (formal)

A formal farewell; casually, people often say "Szia" or "Viszlát" (VEES-laht) instead.

Hungarian Is Unrelated to Its Neighboring Languages

Hungarian belongs to the Uralic language family, distantly related to Finnish and Estonian, rather than the Indo-European languages spoken by every one of its neighbors — which is why its vocabulary and sentence structure can feel unusually unfamiliar even to people who speak several other European languages.

Formality Shapes Which Greeting to Use

Hungarian draws a clear line between casual and formal address, so using "Szia" with an elder or a stranger in a professional setting can come across as too familiar. Sticking with the formal options in this list is the safer choice until you know someone well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I say "Szia" or "Jó napot" to someone I just met?

"Jó napot" is the safer, more formal choice for strangers, older people, or professional settings; "Szia" is better reserved for friends and people your own age.

Is Hungarian related to German or Slavic languages?

No — despite being surrounded by Germanic- and Slavic-speaking countries, Hungarian belongs to a completely different language family, so very little vocabulary overlaps, and only by coincidence rather than shared origin.