Lesson 1 – On the train
Podcast January 2nd, 2008Lesson 1 is available for download or listening below! Note that you can also subscribe to our podcast for free through the iTunes link on the left, or through a podcatcher like Juice.
We hope you enjoy the lesson and we’d love to get your feedback, so feel free to leave a comment or write an email.
We owe a big debt of gratitude to the folks over at Japanese Pod101 for providing us with the spiritual inspiration and pattern to make this podcast possible. Those guys are the gold standard in language learning podcasts, and we hope everyone will head over there and check them out as well.
Original music for the podcast was kindly provided by Curtis Maranda. Check out more of his music by going to http://www.curtismaranda.com/
Please see below for the dialogue and vocabulary for Lesson 1, and thanks for listening!
Download Lesson 1 here (MP3 audio, 14:26)
Dialogue for Lesson 1:
Border Guard: Jó napot kívánok.
Tourist: Jó napot.
BG: Az útlevelét, kérem.
T: Tessék.
BG: Köszönöm. Hmmmm, amerikai?
T: Igen.
BG: Turista?
T: Igen.
BG: Jó. Tessék. Jó utat kívánok.
T: Köszönöm szépen. Viszontlátásra.
Dialogue for Lesson 1: (translation)
Border Guard: Hello.
Tourist: Hello.
BG: Passport, please.
T: Here you are.
BG: Thank you. Hmmmm, are you American?
T: Yes.
BG: Are you a tourist?
T: Yes.
BG: Fine. Here you are. Have a nice trip.
T: Thank you very much. Goodbye.
Vocabulary for Lesson 1:
jó napot – hello, good afternoon
jó napot kívánok – hello, good afternoon (more polite)
útlevél – passport
kérem – please
tessék – here you are
köszönöm – thank you
Amerikai? – Are you American?
amerikai – American
Magyar? – Are you Hungarian?
magyar – Hungarian
igen – yes
nem – no
Turista? – Are you a tourist?
turista – tourist
jó – good, fine
Jó utat (kívánok). – Have a nice trip.
Köszönöm szépen. – Thank you very much.
viszontlátásra – goodbye
viszlát! – bye!

January 4th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Szia!! Excellent podcast! I’m trying to learn Hungarian so I can talk with my boyfriend’s family, and it’s nice to hear something so natural and friendly coming out of my computer! So, köszönöm szépen!
I’m looking forward to your next episode!
Thanks again!
January 6th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
I’m going to Hungary in June with my wife. She already speaks Hungarian. I cant wait to learn some great stuff.
January 7th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
HEllo! Thanks, this is really awesome! I didn’t think i would find some hungarian lectures to podcast.
I can’t wait to speak my first words out
My challenge is to be able to talk hungarian with my mother’s boyfriend within two years!
Maybe thanks to you!
Köszi!!
January 13th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Wow – this is a wonderful podcast and I’m so looking forward to future podcast lessons! I’ve tried language books and tapes, but this is much more easier to understand. I’ve been to Budapest twice and will be returning again in June. I’m looking forward to speaking a bit more confidently with several friends I’ve met in the past.
Köszönöm szépen!
January 14th, 2008 at 2:45 am
This is great! I’m going to Budapest in April (I live in the US), and want to learn some of the key phrases before I go. Like the previous poster, I didn’t think that I would find any Hungarian podcasts, so thanks for sharing!
January 15th, 2008 at 3:00 am
Stayed in Budapest for a month, loved it! I’m planning on going back soon so this will be a good refresher. Good pace so far and great place to start the learning – on the train.
January 17th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Köszönöm szépen! Thanks so much for this great lesson. I’m going to Budapest in May and am excited to have this opportunity to learn a few key phrases!
Question: When entering Hungarian shops, should one expect to be greeted with a “hello!”, as one is in France?
January 21st, 2008 at 8:22 am
Köszönöm szépen for this wonderful lesson! I’m trying to learn Magyar so I can talk with my Hungarian boyfriend soon whom I met online last year. Thanks again!
January 27th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Szia!This is absolutely wonderful.I had been looking for a hungarian podcast for some time now so as to help me learn Hungarian in order to be able to communicate with my girlfriend and her family. Keep up the good work!
January 30th, 2008 at 1:17 am
This is excellent! I’m traveling to Hungary in a few weeks and I’m looking forward to putting these phrases into practice and conversing with the locals. Köszönöm!!!
January 30th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
This is wonderful! I am learning Hungarian so that I can speak it with my grandfather. The podcast is so helpful!!
February 21st, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Thanks for this. I’ve been married to my Hungarian wife for 2 years yet still have a minimum vocab
It was difficult when I had to meet her family 2 years ago as none of them spoke a single word of english.
I know most of this podcast but I’m wondering about viszlát. I don’t think my wife even uses this ever, unless I’m not hearing correctly. We usually just use Szia all the time. Is there a reason to use one over the other?
Thanks!
February 24th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Darren, we covered the differences between “viszlát” and “szia” in Lesson 3, so please check there! Basically “viszlát” is still slightly formal, so it’s not unusual not to hear it between a married couple.
Thanks to everyone else who wrote in!
March 8th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Many years ago, I had an extended visit to Hungary and became semi-fluent in the language. Since returning home, I haven’t had the opportunity to speak Hungarian. It’s been great listening to your podcast and quickly “relearning” the language.
Question: When I was in Hungary, my “extended” family couldn’t pronounce my name (Danielle) and instead called me Gizzyka (excuse the spelling). Any translation?
Thanks!
March 9th, 2008 at 1:36 am
Danielle, I think that they may have been saying “Gizike,” which is a diminutive of Gizella. It’s not a very common name, but one with lots of history. Gizella was the first queen of Hungary, wife of King Istvan I. Perhaps they thought you were of noble blood??
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Nagyon szep talalni baratait egesz vilagban estanulni ezt szep de nagyon nehez nyelv.Udvozol marko
April 7th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Köszönöm szépen for this podcast! I am going to visit my aunt in Budapest this week and am scrambling to learn some basic phrases in a hurry. I really like the teaching style that you use and the laid back, friendly banter.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Marko – köszönjük szépen! Örülünk, hogy élvezed a kis podcastunkot!
Claude – Nincs mit! We hope this podcast can be of use to you. Enjoy your time in Budapest, and thanks for the comment.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Great stuff and congratulations! All the best wishes from a Romanian living for the time being in USA. Koszonom!
July 31st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Gebeleizis – thanks for the nice words!