The easiest way to learn Hungarian is to read and listen to short, easy Hungarian about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Hungarian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input, and it keeps showing you the most common words and endings, so you can leave case tables and long word lists for later. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Hungarian to start with.
Is Hungarian Easy to Learn?
Hungarian is easy to start, and it takes a long time to learn well. You can read your first words out loud on day one, while the words and the endings take much longer, and the U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts Hungarian in the third of its four groups for English speakers. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make the start easier than it looks.
- Letters You Already KnowHungarian uses the letters English uses, plus marks, as in á and ő, and pairs like sz that count as one letter.
- Spelled the Way It SoundsHungarian is written almost the way it is said, so once you know the letters, you can read a new word out loud.
- One Word for He and SheHungarian words are never masculine or feminine, and ő means both he and she.
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is to learn how the new letters sound, then spend your time on short Hungarian you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Learn the New LettersSpend a short session listening to the letters English doesn't have, such as ö, ő and the pair sz, until each sound feels familiar.
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, music, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep, along with the line you found each one in.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like jó reggelt (good morning) or köszönöm (thank you).
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Hungarian at your level, with lessons that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Hungarian.
What Makes Hungarian Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Hungarian feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Hungarian.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| Endings for “in,” “to” and “from” | Hungarian adds endings where English uses small words, so Budapest becomes Budapesten (in Budapest), Budapestre (to Budapest) and Budapestről (from Budapest). Easy reading shows the common endings many times, so open a grammar note only when one confuses you. |
| Letter pairs like sz and gy | Each pair stands for one sound, as in szia (hi) and egy (one), so play the audio and copy it. |
| Two forms of each verb | Látok egy macskát means “I see a cat,” and Látom a macskát means “I see the cat.” The second form usually comes with a or az (the), and easy dialogues show both many times. |
| Two words for “you” | Te is for friends and family, and Ön is for people you don't know well. Ön takes the verb form for “he” and “she,” as in Ön beszél angolul? (Do you speak English?), and easy dialogues show who uses which one. |
What Is Easy Hungarian to Start With?
Easy Hungarian to start with is short and slow, with pictures, audio or subtitles to help you follow it.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Duostories | Free short stories about everyday moments come with audio, and short questions help you follow along. | duostories.org |
| Plain Hungarian | A Hungarian teacher tells short stories on this podcast, mostly for beginners. | plainhungarian.buzzsprout.com |
| Fluentbox | A Hungarian teacher posts free story videos for beginners, plus a slow podcast with simpler versions. | youtube.com/@fluentbox_nyc |
| KEDD cartoons | Short cartoons such as Boribon use simple Hungarian, and the pictures show what is happening. | youtube.com/@keddanimation |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hungarian pronunciation hard?
Most of it is easy, because Hungarian always stresses the first syllable of a word. A mark over a vowel, as in ó or ő, means you hold that vowel a little longer, and the stress stays on the first syllable. The vowels ö and ü, which English doesn't have, take the most listening.
Can I learn Hungarian just by watching Hungarian TV?
Not at the start, because most of an episode goes by too fast for a beginner to learn from. Shows help more once you can follow a simple conversation. Almost every foreign film and show in Hungary is dubbed into Hungarian, so pick one you already know, and Language Reactor can show its Hungarian subtitles beside a translation on Netflix and YouTube.
Is Hungarian related to Finnish?
Yes, but only distantly. Both belong to the Uralic family, and a few basic words still match, such as víz (water) and the Finnish vesi. Linguists group Hungarian most closely with Khanty and Mansi, two languages of western Siberia.
Which Hungarian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Hungarian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Hungarian apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Wikipedia: Hungarian alphabet (Latin letters, with accent marks and letter pairs such as sz that count as letters of their own)
- Wikipedia: Hungarian phonology (stress on the first syllable; short and long vowels)
- Wikipedia: Hungarian language (nouns and pronouns have no gender; te and Ön; Uralic family, grouped with Khanty and Mansi; víz and Finnish vesi)
- Wikipedia: Hungarian verbs (definite and indefinite forms)
- Wikipedia: Dubbing (Hungary)
- Duostories, Hungarian (free stories with audio)
