Hungarian: The Language of Love?

Do the words “tizennégy” and “február” mean anything to you? No? Well they probably wouldn’t at this stage, but hopefully they will at the end of this post!

If I now tell you that “tizennégy” is the Hungarian word for “fourteen”, then everything ought to become a little clearer...yes! I am indeed talking about Valentine’s Day! If your beloved is a Hungarian native, hungarophile, or simple a lover of languages, or if you have your sights set on wooing an inhabitant of ‘Magyarország’, we’ve got a few useful phrases for you. 

“Love” - "Szerelem"

“I love you” - "Szeretlek"

“I like you” - "Kedvellek"

“Do you love me?” - "Ugye szeress?"

“Do you like me?” - "Szereted én?"

“I need you” - "Szükségem van rád."

(To a woman) “You look beautiful” - "Gyönyörű vagy!"

“You are handsome” - "Ön jóvágású."

“You’re very special” - "Nagyon különleges vagy"

“Are you free tomorrow evening?” - "Szabad vagy holnap este?"

“I would like to invite you to dinner” - "Szeretnélek meghívni vacsorázn"

“Would you like to dance with me?” - "Akarsz velem tancolni?"

“I’m falling in love with you” - "Én esés szerelemben vele ön"

“You’re my soulmate” - "Ugy erzem, hogy a lelki testverem vagy."

“Will you marry me?” - “Akarat ön házasodik én?"

“Kiss me” - "Csókolj meg"

“One language is never enough” - "Egy nyselv sosem elég"

“My heart speaks the language of love” - “A szívem a szerelem nyelvét beszéli”

“Kiss me, I speak Hungarian” - "Csokolj meg, en beszelek magyarul"

And if you're not sure what to get your love this Valentine's Day, here's a little suggestion for you...

12 - "tizenkettő"

"Red" - "piros"/"vörös" 

"Roses" - "rózsák"

"Well that's all well and good", I hear you say "But how on Earth am I meant to pronounce these exotic-looking words?" Never fear, just go and check out this handy link for a comprehensive Hungarian pronunciation guide!

Hungarian may not be the traditional language of love, but it may well still prove useful this V-day. Why, who knows when you might meet a babe from Budapest, or a dude from Debrecen, and really need to have some of these expressions on the tip of your tongue? Boldog Valentin Napot!