大咖福利影院

Hi everyone,Hungarian here.I鈥檓 doing some early research for a set of practical, everyday language and life toolkits aimed at people who鈥檝e recently moved to Hungary. The goal is to make those first days and weeks 鈥� when the language feels unfamiliar and everyday tasks take much more effort than expected 鈥� a bit easier to navigate.I鈥檇 really appreciate hearing from people who鈥檝e already gone through this:What were the biggest challenges when you first arrived?This could be things like:鈥� situations where English wasn鈥檛 enough鈥� administrative or everyday tasks that were unexpectedly difficult鈥� cultural norms that weren鈥檛 obvious鈥� moments where a small amount of local language knowledge would鈥檝e helped a lotI鈥檓 trying to base this on real experiences rather than assumptions, so any insights are very welcome.Thanks in advance for sharing. - @xenoph

English is rarely enough.聽 聽I wouldn't recommend people go to Hungary.聽 Language skills amongst the population are abysmal.聽 聽People in places like Croatia speak much better English.聽 Hungarian is a niche language for the region.聽 I've lived in Hungary for years and I can hardly speak it.聽 I understand stuff but my wife does all the HU necessities.聽 聽 My fall back was German but even that is becoming harder.聽 My kids and wife are all learning Spanish currently in case Orban gets back in as聽 Mrs Fluffy says we should leave then.

@fluffy2560

On the borders, you will find that they speak 2 languages, Hungarian and the neighbouring language. Like in Soppron they will speak Hungarian and German in the shops. I've also noticed that the younger generation will speak some English, but not always. Quite possibly, English, as in a lot of places, will be spoken in tourist areas, and if you are very lucky, you might find an English menu in restaurants.聽

@fluffy2560

Thanks for sharing your experience 鈥� that鈥檚 useful context.

What you describe around English not being enough, relying on a partner for Hungarian-only situations, and the difficulty of finding a practical middle ground between 鈥渘o Hungarian鈥� and full fluency is exactly the kind of gap I鈥檓 trying to understand better. Not to push anyone toward full language learning, but to see where small amounts of targeted language knowledge could reduce day-to-day friction.

I鈥檓 mainly interested in identifying those specific situations where the language barrier creates the most practical difficulties for people who are already living here. Your perspective helps clarify that.

@fluffy2560
Thanks for sharing your experience 鈥� that鈥檚 useful context.
What you describe around English not being enough, relying on a partner for Hungarian-only situations, and the difficulty of finding a practical middle ground between 鈥渘o Hungarian鈥� and full fluency is exactly the kind of gap I鈥檓 trying to understand better. Not to push anyone toward full language learning, but to see where small amounts of targeted language knowledge could reduce day-to-day friction.

I鈥檓 mainly interested in identifying those specific situations where the language barrier creates the most practical difficulties for people who are already living here. Your perspective helps clarify that. - @xenoph

In that context, why should people learn a language that they are never going to use? Which brings me to Tourism again, that's where they will use English more.

@SimCityAT

It鈥檚 not about encouraging people to learn the full language. The idea is more of a toolkit: a small set of practical, easy-to-use phrases that help people handle different everyday situations with less friction. Not fluency -- just enough to navigate the basics more comfortably.

@SimCityAT
It鈥檚 not about encouraging people to learn the full language. The idea is more of a toolkit: a small set of practical, easy-to-use phrases that help people handle different everyday situations with less friction. Not fluency -- just enough to navigate the basics more comfortably. - @xenoph

Ahg sorry got this wrong way round there.

Do you mean both:

1. English > Hungarian
2. Hungarain > English

The forum isn't that active as much as we would like, but you have met Fluffy whome is English and married to a Hungarian, then there is a lovely American lady Marilyn, who is married to a Hungarian. So between them, I am sure they can help you.

I live in Austria, although I don't frequent Hungary often, but I do visit from time to time. My wife, who is Austrian visits more, but speaks better English than I do

So please feel free to shoot any further questions, and we shall be pleased to help.

Are you Hungarian yourself? I am intrigued to know how you learnt English so well. Was it through school or university? Because it is very good.

My wife, whose mother language is German, and only learnt English at school, but for some reason likes English better, most of her posts on Facebook are in English for some reason.

@SimCityAT

Thank you for the kind and thoughtful reply -- much appreciated. 馃檪

At first the focus would be on English -->聽 Hungarian, helping English speakers navigate everyday situations in Hungary. If the idea proves useful, I could see branching out later into other base languages as well -- German would likely be the first, given how often it still comes up in the region.

And yes, I am Hungarian. I think the main value I can add comes from first-hand, lived experience and native-level familiarity with the systems that tend to feel confusing or opaque from the outside. I lived abroad (mostly the UK/Scotland) for several years when I was younger, but even before that I had a strong affinity for English -- partly from school, partly from personal interest and exposure.

If I may, I鈥檇 love to ask you all a few more specific questions, mostly to better understand real-world needs rather than theory:

1. In everyday life, which situations caused the most frustration because of language, even after living in the region for a while?

1. Were there moments where you felt that just a handful of well-chosen phrases would have made a big difference, without needing to 鈥渓earn the language鈥� properly?

1. Are there areas of daily life (admin, services, healthcare, shopping, transport, etc.) that you feel are poorly explained or assumed knowledge for newcomers?

1. For people who don鈥檛 aim for fluency, what would you consider 鈥済ood enough鈥� language support to feel more independent?

1. Looking back, is there anything you wish someone had explained early on that would have saved time or stress?

Any perspective is very helpful, and I appreciate you taking the time to engage -- especially given how quiet forums can be these days.

OK, here is my thoughts

1. In everyday life, which situations caused the most frustration because of language, even after living in the region for a while?

Paying for something

1. Were there moments where you felt that just a handful of well-chosen phrases would have made a big difference, without needing to 鈥渓earn the language鈥� properly?

Please, thank you, polite sayings

1. Are there areas of daily life (admin, services, healthcare, shopping, transport, etc.) that you feel are poorly explained or assumed knowledge for newcomers?

Where doctors, Pharmacists, train stations, supermarkets, and bus terminals are (basic directions).

1. For people who don鈥檛 aim for fluency, what would you consider 鈥済ood enough鈥� language support to feel more independent?

Pretty much as the 1st & 2nd questions

1. Looking back, is there anything you wish someone had explained early on that would have saved time or stress?

Can't say聽 anything

@fluffy2560
Thanks for sharing your experience 鈥� that鈥檚 useful context.
What you describe around English not being enough, relying on a partner for Hungarian-only situations, and the difficulty of finding a practical middle ground between 鈥渘o Hungarian鈥� and full fluency is exactly the kind of gap I鈥檓 trying to understand better. Not to push anyone toward full language learning, but to see where small amounts of targeted language knowledge could reduce day-to-day friction.

I鈥檓 mainly interested in identifying those specific situations where the language barrier creates the most practical difficulties for people who are already living here. Your perspective helps clarify that. - @xenoph

It's just basic questions one has or public administration one need to interact with.聽

There's always a problem with opening one's mouth in English with tradespeople.聽 The price goes up as the locals perceive foreigners as being rich.聽 So I usually keep my mouth shut and leave Mrs Fluffy to deal with that kind of thing.聽 聽

It's a lot easier in other countries where the language is similar in some way to English.聽 German for example.

BTW our kids are bilingual but they are pretty much stuck when it comes to complex matters.聽 聽They don't have vocabulary to deal with technical or slang stuff.聽 They sound English with slight accents.聽 But there are gaps.聽 They don't know common phrases like "Let's have a brew".聽 I guess it's hardly surprising as they were completely educated in Hungary.

Thanks for the additional insights 鈥� much appreciated.

All the points about basic questions, admin interactions, payment situations, and the hesitation around using English with tradespeople are helpful to hear. It鈥檚 useful to see how these everyday moments can become stress points.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences.

Been with my Hungarian husband since I was a teenager.

He learned English the hard way in the US.

On his own with many mistakes.

We have retired in Hungary over 15 years ago.

The few old HU friends we knew from the US that also have moved back to Hungary all spoke English.

We no longer socialize with them, for various reasons.聽 Mostly they do not need us any longer....

That being said, I tried to learn some Hungarian when we first moved here; At every turn someone would start to practice their English on me so I did not get far with learning Hungarian.Thought of going to a language school but never found the time.

On top of that, my husband,s English may be more or less blue collar but his Hungarian is 100 percent perfect with proper wording etc;

He did not want me to learn, so called, street Hungarian and sound stupid or what he considers uneducated Hungarian.

He also threw too much info my way at once and turned me off from learning anything more then the very basic words.

We live in the city and seems many people speak English here.

The problem my husband says is in a foreign language a person loses all their personality until they can master the new language, he says for most people it takes a good 10 years or longer to learn it well enough to hold a conversation of any importance.

Can聽 figure out simple things but not much else.

The only American we knew who learned proper Hungarian without an accent and could hold real conversations was the HU guy my husband worked with,s wife.

She could afford to visit Hungary for months on end for years, her MIL came for months at a time to Ca; and taught her; Plus this women was rather smarter then average, was a pilot at 16.

When anything broke down in her home, she was the one rewiring tv sets, fixing her own car just because she could even if she could afford new things.

Even foreigners on local HU tv who are interviewed my husband finds hard to understand. Only this one women could speak properly in HU.

High standards?

Forget it,I am too old to care now.

Some medical centers have signs here that state to bring in a HU speaker with you or do not come in.

We asked if one of those聽 language translators would be OK to use. Yes they are, just goes to show how bad most newbie HU speakers are if a made in China language device works.

I know a hairdresser here who speaks Spanish and English was in his 30s when he took HU language classes. he sees all sorts of people all day long and all is BF,s are Hungarian so his language skills are pretty good.

My husband tells me if God forbid something happens to him, I should RUN from Hungary.

Prices in some places tend to be different if you do not speak Hungarian.

In public my husband always reminds me to shut it up or the price will change.

Hate to make this into a rant but, lately in public when I am speaking to my husband only, he notices faces of people around us.

IDK but he swears they are not happy about foreigners. Even though he was born and raised in Budapest.

I hardly

notice just because I am not the type of person who cares what people think as long as I am minding my own business.

They should do the same.

My husband says lately there are allot of anti foreign feeling in Hungary.

Could be true.

In any case the culture in Hungary is to not speak to strangers unless you are forced to.

Perhaps younger people want to ;make friends? but in general people are not open to talking to strangers here unless they want something.

Can sit in a doctors office for hours and no one speaks to anyone.