Comments on: Lesson 10 – There’s a problem! http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/ Free biweekly podcast with Steve and Györgyi Sun, 03 May 2009 03:33:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Let's Learn Hungarian! http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-489 Let's Learn Hungarian! Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:55:29 +0000 http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/?p=57#comment-489 Jonathan - thanks for the excellent link to the Hungarian alphabet and as usual for the interesting information. I think you're right about intonation and vowel length, but I was a little unclear about what your question was exactly... John - nincs mit! Jól írtád! Katie - We're really glad you found the material from the podcast useful on your trip. Thanks for the comment. As for "közsi," I was surprised that Györgyi said that because I also seem to remember men saying it from time to time, although I think it does sound slightly feminine. Evelyn - You're welcome! And thanks for the Yahoo! group tip. Susana - We're glad you enjoy the podcast. As for language schools, it depends if you can spend the time and money to be a full time student or not. If you can, then the Balassi Bálint Institute might be the best choice. If you can only go to class a couple of times a week, there are lots of schools that offer Hungarian classes. Hungarian Language School and InterClub are two of the best known. Also I studied at Berlitz and they are excellent. I also highly recommend 2 or 4 weeks at the Debrecen Summer School. Yes, you are correct, "I'm Mexican" is "Mexikói vagyok." Kris - Thank you very much for the nice comment. steven Jonathan – thanks for the excellent link to the Hungarian alphabet and as usual for the interesting information. I think you’re right about intonation and vowel length, but I was a little unclear about what your question was exactly…

John – nincs mit! Jól írtád!

Katie – We’re really glad you found the material from the podcast useful on your trip. Thanks for the comment. As for “közsi,” I was surprised that Györgyi said that because I also seem to remember men saying it from time to time, although I think it does sound slightly feminine.

Evelyn – You’re welcome! And thanks for the Yahoo! group tip.

Susana – We’re glad you enjoy the podcast. As for language schools, it depends if you can spend the time and money to be a full time student or not. If you can, then the Balassi Bálint Institute might be the best choice. If you can only go to class a couple of times a week, there are lots of schools that offer Hungarian classes. Hungarian Language School and InterClub are two of the best known. Also I studied at Berlitz and they are excellent. I also highly recommend 2 or 4 weeks at the Debrecen Summer School. Yes, you are correct, “I’m Mexican” is “Mexikói vagyok.”

Kris – Thank you very much for the nice comment.

steven

]]> By: Kris http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-485 Kris Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:05:40 +0000 http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/?p=57#comment-485 Hello Steve and György, Thank you so much for these podcasts. My girlfriend is Hungarian and I am Australian. I have been listening for a few weeks now and my Hungarian has improved dramatically. Thanks you for all your hard work, Its much appreciated! Cheers Kris Hello Steve and György,

Thank you so much for these podcasts. My girlfriend is Hungarian and I am Australian. I have been listening for a few weeks now and my Hungarian has improved dramatically. Thanks you for all your hard work, Its much appreciated!

Cheers
Kris

]]> By: Susana http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-481 Susana Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:36:02 +0000 http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/?p=57#comment-481 György & Steve, First of all, thank you for this great podcast. My husband and I are about to move to Budapest at the end of August, and trying to learn a bit of the language in advance. We were wondering if you can suggest us a language school where we can learn Hungarian in Budapest. Also, we would like to know if saying "Mexikoi vagyok" is the proper form to say I'm Mexican? All the best Susana György & Steve,
First of all, thank you for this great podcast. My husband and I are about to move to Budapest at the end of August, and trying to learn a bit of the language in advance. We were wondering if you can suggest us a language school where we can learn Hungarian in Budapest. Also, we would like to know if saying “Mexikoi vagyok” is the proper form to say I’m Mexican?
All the best
Susana

]]> By: Evelyn http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-453 Evelyn Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:04:41 +0000 http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/?p=57#comment-453 First of all, I'd like to say thank you for these wonderful podcasts! I've really enjoyed using them to learn the language. I also just wanted to mention, for anyone who wants to supplement their learning, that a free, interactive Hungarian course is starting up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hungarian/. It seems like another good place to practice things learned in the podcasts, etc. First of all, I’d like to say thank you for these wonderful podcasts! I’ve really enjoyed using them to learn the language.

I also just wanted to mention, for anyone who wants to supplement their learning, that a free, interactive Hungarian course is starting up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hungarian/. It seems like another good place to practice things learned in the podcasts, etc.

]]> By: Katie http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-447 Katie Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:38:42 +0000 http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/?p=57#comment-447 A quick note to thank you, Steve and Györgyi, for your excellent podcasts. I listened to lessons 1-6 before a recent trip to Budapest. Most of the Hungarians responded in English to my halting attempts at Hungarian, but they always appreciated a "jó napot" or a "köszönöm szépen" in their own language. I think they were surprised and delighted that someone knew even that much! What I really liked about the podcasts was that it allowed me to have some understanding of what people were saying, even if I couldn't respond very well. For example, I attended a production of "Az Operaház Fantomja" at the Madach Theatre. When I went to pick up my ticket, the woman at the box office couldn't find it and had to call someone else to help her. I could understand that she was apologizing (bocsánat), that she couldn't find the ticket (jegy), and that she knew I was a foreigner (külföldi). These few words picked out of the conversation really helped me get a grounding as to what was going on. Finally, Györgyi had mentioned that men typically didn't say "közsi." I heard "közsi" used twice, both times by men. Just a fluke? A quick note to thank you, Steve and Györgyi, for your excellent podcasts. I listened to lessons 1-6 before a recent trip to Budapest. Most of the Hungarians responded in English to my halting attempts at Hungarian, but they always appreciated a “jó napot” or a “köszönöm szépen” in their own language. I think they were surprised and delighted that someone knew even that much!

What I really liked about the podcasts was that it allowed me to have some understanding of what people were saying, even if I couldn’t respond very well. For example, I attended a production of “Az Operaház Fantomja” at the Madach Theatre. When I went to pick up my ticket, the woman at the box office couldn’t find it and had to call someone else to help her. I could understand that she was apologizing (bocsánat), that she couldn’t find the ticket (jegy), and that she knew I was a foreigner (külföldi). These few words picked out of the conversation really helped me get a grounding as to what was going on.

Finally, Györgyi had mentioned that men typically didn’t say “közsi.” I heard “közsi” used twice, both times by men. Just a fluke?

]]> By: John Andrews http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-446 John Andrews Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:23:20 +0000 http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/?p=57#comment-446 Szia Steve Szia Györgyi Sziasztok ! én vagyok - John (Walesi John)! Walesi vagyok pedig Svàjcban lakom, Zurichben! Közönöm szives fàradozàsàt. Nagyon Közönöm !!!! John Szia Steve
Szia Györgyi
Sziasztok !

̩n vagyok РJohn (Walesi John)!
Walesi vagyok pedig Svàjcban lakom, Zurichben!
Közönöm szives fàradozàsàt.
Nagyon Közönöm !!!!

John

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-444 Jonathan Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:35:57 +0000 http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/?p=57#comment-444 Hungarian alphabet: http://youtube.com/watch?v=JwtwZTRDvYI Hungarian alphabet:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JwtwZTRDvYI

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/2008/07/19/lesson-10-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-443 Jonathan Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:47:05 +0000 http://www.letslearnhungarian.net/?p=57#comment-443 I heard some questions about the Hungarian alphabet and sentence syntax. Take a look at the Foreign Service Institute's Language Course for Hungarian: http://www.fsi-language-courses.com/Hungarian.aspx Click on student text to bring up a pdf coursebook. More importantly you have all the audio files that accompany the text book on the website. Starting on page 7 of Unit 1 (page 19 of the pdf file) they talk about the Hungarian alphabet, page 8 (pdf20), page 27 (pdf39), vowel pronunciation, page 9 (pdf21) consonants groups: cs, gy, ly, ny, sz, ty, zs For word order/syntax/position, look at pages 10 (pdf22), p33(pdf45), 72 (pdf84), 73 (pdf85), 118 (pdf130) Another difficult aspect of pronunciation is word stress versus vowel length. In English we usually do both together making the stressed syllable loud AND long, but in Hungarian those are two separate things. You can see some English examples on this site: http://www.espindle.org/fun_facts.html Anyone who has learned Spanish recognizes the importance of stress for words like potato/dad (papa/papá) and I speak/he she spoke (hablo/habló). For Hungarian examples of stress look at page 49 of Unit 3 (pdf61). The intonation (page 50/pdf62) is also important for understanding the main focus of sentences and questions in Hungarian. For example: JOHN is tired versus John is TIRED or Is JOHN tired? versus Is John TIRED? Listen to the intonation drill on page 58-60 (pdf70-72). I heard some questions about the Hungarian alphabet and sentence syntax. Take a look at the Foreign Service Institute’s Language Course for Hungarian:
http://www.fsi-language-courses.com/Hungarian.aspx
Click on student text to bring up a pdf coursebook. More importantly you have all the audio files that accompany the text book on the website.
Starting on page 7 of Unit 1 (page 19 of the pdf file) they talk about the Hungarian alphabet,
page 8 (pdf20), page 27 (pdf39), vowel pronunciation,
page 9 (pdf21) consonants groups: cs, gy, ly, ny, sz, ty, zs
For word order/syntax/position, look at pages 10 (pdf22), p33(pdf45), 72 (pdf84), 73 (pdf85), 118 (pdf130)
Another difficult aspect of pronunciation is word stress versus vowel length. In English we usually do both together making the stressed syllable loud AND long, but in Hungarian those are two separate things. You can see some English examples on this site: http://www.espindle.org/fun_facts.html
Anyone who has learned Spanish recognizes the importance of stress for words like potato/dad (papa/papá) and I speak/he she spoke (hablo/habló).
For Hungarian examples of stress look at page 49 of Unit 3 (pdf61).
The intonation (page 50/pdf62) is also important for understanding the main focus of sentences and questions in Hungarian. For example: JOHN is tired versus John is TIRED or Is JOHN tired? versus Is John TIRED? Listen to the intonation drill on page 58-60 (pdf70-72).

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