I like the idea of children’s rhymes and proverbs and the such. We’ll try and get those in for the future!

Luke – I wish I knew of a good English-learning podcast/software/audiobook for your girlfriend. There are a lot of them out them out there though. Györgyi doesn’t really seem to be aware of any either. I’ll ask her about possibly doing a podcast for Hungarian English learners! But first we need to get settled back in Hungary and resume our own podcast.

Greg – do you have a video iPod? If you have a video iPod and you download the podcast through iTunes, then the show notes should come up when you press the center button a few times.

Jonathan – excellent list, thanks!!

Sarah – thank you so much! We’re really happy when people can apply the podcast to their real life, and how amazing that you can use your Hungarian in Australia!

Sorry for taking so long to respond to your question! We’ve been pretty distracted with our recent move. Well, as I understand it, if you want to stress something in Hungarian, you place it in front of the verb. Since negative articles usually are stressed (even in English), they are placed directly in front of the verb. Thus, “Nem vagyok jól” is the standard way of speaking. But if you want for some reason to stress the “jól” (as in perhaps correcting someone who thinks that you are well), then you would say the latter: “Nem jól vagyok.” That’s how I understand it, although I admit that I’m not a teacher….

I do have a problem though Steve and was wondering if you could help please. My girlfriend is Hungarian and she’s really keen to develop her English language skills, i was wondering if there were any podcasts, audiobooks or software that you could recommend that could help her develop. Maybe Györgyi and yourself could do a learn English in Hungarian podcast!!!
I hope you can help and good luck with the move.
Luke

Paulette – thanks for your kind comments! We will do more podcasts once I see Györgyi again in September. Also I may meet Milán again in a few days and we might do another podcast together. Stay tuned!

Steve

i’m going to hungary for two weeks, and while i don’t expect to master the language- i’d like to try and pronounce place names correctly, and at least say the common niceties in hunagrian.

i saw some negative reactions from your regular listeners- so i wanted to leave a comment- since i downloaded some of your files, and i am so pleased! i think you’ll find there is potential to expose hungarian to people who may not have tried before.

when i travel, i always try to be brave and learn the basics. i hope it demonstrates my respect for the local culture- even though it may grate on the ears!

what are you planning for future newbie lessons?

i was hoping to find some audio for counting in hungarian. maybe there simple counting song to help remember the numbers? i’ve travelled a bit, and knowing the numbers helps when hearing prices.

another helpful newbie lesson might be basic pronunciation, perhaps children’s rhymes? or an adage or two?

maybe it could combine some cultural information that would at least keep your regulars interested.

I again want to thank you for sending me information regarding the dates of Oct 25 and 26 for the homecoming celebration in Domoszlo. After much manipulation, I will be able to travel to Hungary during that time. I will be in Budapest and the surrounding area for 10 days Oct 20 thru 29. If you, or anyone who has visited this website will be available, I would love to meet for “kave” or palinka Please let me know.

Here is some of my history, for those who may be interested. Last year, exactly 100 years from the time my maternal grandparents left Domoszlo, Hungary, I became the first descendent to set foot on Hungarian soil. In the fashion of a Hollywood script, I traveled to that village, made the acquaintance of the mayor, and sat and prayed in the same “templom” that my grandparents did 100 years before. As time went on, more and more of my Magyar roots began to surface and I was abel to understand what was being spoken.

I was hosted in the homes of people who I met over the internet ( a wonderful organization at – http://www.couchsurfing.com/ ) and was able to experience the true feel of a day in the life of a Hungarian. In my heart, I felt like I truly belonged and that this was my homeland as well. A very emotional experience, to say the least.

Sorry for being so wordy – Szia!
Paulette

I am not sure if everyone knows about this handy tip. If you have a ipod with a screen, while listening to the podcasts if you press the middle button to cycle through, the vocabulary for the podcast can be viewed while listening. Very handy! Hope this helps others who listen while on trains and buses. Cheers Kris

All the very best with your move back to Hungary.

steven

steven

steven

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

steven

steven

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