Hungarian Language Resources

This page includes the Hungarian language resources that I personally use(d) to learn to speak Hungarian.

I first began studying Hungarian because I wanted to surprise the team that I work with at Drops (the founders of the company are both from Hungary). It started with an intensive two month project, but evolved into something more long-term because I had a lot of practical reasons to learn Hungarian. I’ve assembled this guide to share some of the books and language learning materials I have used and found to be effective.

The Hungarian Language

The Hungarian language, magyar nyelv, is a part of the Finno-Ugric language family. This means its closest relatives are Finnish and Estonian. It’s the official language of Hungary and it’s also one of the official 24 languages of the European Union. It is famous for having numerous cases and its use of affixes and suffixes. These features make it a challenging language to learn, but also make gaining the ability to communicate in the language more rewarding.

So why would you want to learn Hungarian? Well, that’s entirely up to you. Personally, I believe don’t that choosing languages for “practical” reasons is as effective for learning as choosing a language because you want to learn it. I learned it because I had people I could use it with and because I enjoy learning languages.

Here’s me speaking Hungarian after 90 days:

Hear the Hungarian Language

So, let’s look at a few resources you can use to help learn Hungarian.

How to Decide Which Hungarian Language Resources to Pick

Language learning texts and resources can get real expensive real quick. So rather than going at it randomly or by trial and error (which you’ll probably have to do some of anyway), I’d like to make a suggestion first.

The ability to use and understand a language is based upon four basic abilities: reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension. Depending on what your goals are, all four may not be necessary.

Let’s say, for example, you hope to take a trip to Budapest in six months. What language skills will you need? Basic communication and comprehension and basic reading (street signs, etc). You probably won’t ever have to write in the language. So, in this case, you might focus on developing your speaking and listening skills. If this sounds like you, I suggest checking out the audio or audio/text resources and the online resources below.

On the other hand, maybe your goal is to read Hungarian literature. In that case, learning to speak and understand the spoken language aren’t necessary and you can dedicate your energy to text. If this describes you, I suggest checking out the text and online resources below.

Ideally, you should probably develop some skill in each area, but the areas you focus on need to align with your goals regarding the language and how you plan to use it. I highly suggest picking resources based on this alone. Don’t get distracted with the temptation of shiny, new books (like me) and only buy materials you think you’ll actually use. You’ll save yourself a headache and a lot of money. Money that you can put aside for a trip to Hungary!

A Few Things To Consider Before Taking on Any Language

• What is your motivation behind learning Hungarian? Take a moment to write down your language learning goals. It increases the odds of you achieving them. You can also join us as part of our Clear the List goal setting linkup!
• How many hours a day are you willing to study a language? Set realistic expectations for your progress.
• How do you plan on studying Hungarian? Are the methods that work for you available?
• You should setup up the Hungarian language keyboard on both your computer and your phone. It will help you with spelling and make chat easier on Skype/HelloTalk/etc.
• Be accountable. I keep my blog to help me be more accountable and use other apps to keep track of my daily study.

Hungarian Audio Resources

• Pimsleur Hungarian // Try a free lesson
• Tune In // Hungarian language radio

Hungarian Audio & Text Resources

• Assimil
• HungarianPod101 // Also an online resource, but it provides you with both audio recordings, text transcriptions and more.

Online Resources for Hungarian

• The Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp // The last few years, I’ve done the Fi3M Bootcamp for every new language I’ve studied. I’ve also participated in several of my other languages. It’s a 90-day program that helps you get to a 15-minute conversation in your new language as a part of a community with personal coaching. 
• Speak in a Week // Another great resource from Benny Lewis that gets you speaking your target language quickly.
• iTalki // A great site where you can find language tutors or language exchange partners.
• Drops // Interactive, visual language learning with tons of fantastic, well-curated vocabulary lists.
• Clozemaster // A fun game where you use cloze, or fill-in-the-blank, to learn new vocabulary.
• Duolingo
• LingQ
• Tatoeba // sentences translated from any language in Hungarian

Hungarian Music

One of the best ways to learn a language is to listen to music in the language. It not only helps with improving one’s accent, but it also can increase overall comprehension. Plus it’s fun to translate the lyrics of your favorite songs. Here are a few artists I enjoy.

• Coming soon

Hungarian Culture

Learning about the culture that is tied to the language you’re learning is so important – the more you love the culture, the more you’ll love the language and vice versa. Discovering a new culture also enriches your life, particularly if it’s one quite different than your own. I highly recommend it if you haven’t started already!

Here are a few books on the history of Hungary and its culture. You can also check out television shows or movies. I don’t suggest cartoons or films for kids because a lot of the language is often invented and you won’t get as much from it as you might from a drama geared towards an older audience. But if cartoons are your thing, go for it!

• Movie: On Body and Soul
• Culture Smart! // A great series with introductions to various cultures around the world.

A Quick Note

If you’ve been learning Hungarian, I’d love to hear about your experience and some of the language learning tools you’ve found helpful. Please leave me a note in the comments! The same goes for if you have any questions. I will be more than happy to respond and I look forward to hearing from you!