Language/Hungarian/Vocabulary/Family-Members

Hungarian → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Family and Relationships → Family Members

As a Hungarian language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I have seen many students struggle with learning family-related vocabulary. But fear not, in this lesson, we'll be exploring the Hungarian words for various family members, including immediate family members, extended family members, and other familial relationships that are common in Hungarian culture. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to confidently use these new vocabulary words in your everyday conversations with Hungarian speakers.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Common Hobbies & Farewell.

Immediate Family Members

First, let's take a look at the immediate family members. These are the people who are in your closest circles, such as your parents, siblings, and children.

Parents

• "Anyu" - [ˈɒɲu] - mother
• "Apa" - [ˈɒpɒ] - father

Example:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Anyu	[ˈɒɲu]	mother
Apa	[ˈɒpɒ]	father

In Hungarian culture, addressing your parents simply by their first names is usually not very common. Children often refer to their parents using these words when talking with their siblings or friends.

Siblings

• "Lánytestvér" - [ˈlɑːɲtɛstveːr] - sister
• "Fiútestvér" - [ˈfiuːtɛstveːr] - brother

Example:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Lánytestvér	[ˈlɑːɲtɛstveːr]	sister
Fiútestvér	[ˈfiuːtɛstveːr]	brother

Note that these can be shortened to "tesó" in spoken language, which is a common way of referring to siblings in Hungarian.

Children

• "Lánya" - [ˈlɑːɲɒ] - daughter
• "Fia" - [ˈfiɒ] - son

Example:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Lánya	[ˈlɑːɲɒ]	daughter
Fia	[ˈfiɒ]	son

These words are suitable for children of all ages. If you want to be more specific about the age, you can add a prefix "kis-" ("little") for a younger child or "nagy-" ("big") for an older one.

Extended Family Members

In addition to your immediate family members, you'll encounter various extended family members. These relationships may not be as close, but they are still important in Hungarian culture.

Grandparents

• "Nagyanyád" - [ˈnɒɟɒɲaːd] - grandmother
• "Nagypapád" - [ˈnɒcipɒpaːd] - grandfather

Example:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Nagyanyád	[ˈnɒɟɒɲaːd]	grandmother
Nagypapád	[ˈnɒcipɒpaːd]	grandfather

Aunts and Uncles

• "Nagy- / Kistestvér" - [ˈnɒɟ- / ˈkiʃtɛstveːr] - aunt / uncle
• "Nagynéni" - [ˈnɒɟneːni] - aunt (father's sister)
• "Nagybácsi" - [ˈnɒɟbaːtʃi] - uncle (father's brother)
• "Közös testvér" - [køzøʃtɛstveːr] - cousin

Example:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Nagynéni	[ˈnɒɟneːni]	aunt (father's sister)
Nagybácsi	[ˈnɒɟbaːtʃi]	uncle (father's brother)
Közös testvér	[køzøʃtɛstveːr]	cousin

Note that there are different words for "aunt" and "uncle" depending on whether they are on the father's or mother's side. Instead of saying "kistestvér" or "nagytestvér," you can also use the gender-specific versions: "húg" and "öccs," respectively.

In-Laws

• "Anyós" - [ˈɒɲoːʃ] - mother-in-law
• "Atyós" - [ˈɒcoːʃ] - father-in-law
• "Sógornő" - [ʃoːgrnøː] - sister-in-law
• "Sógor" - [ʃoːɡor] - brother-in-law

Example:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Anyós	[ˈɒɲoːʃ]	mother-in-law
Atyós	[ˈɒcoːʃ]	father-in-law
Sógornő	[ʃoːgrnøː]	sister-in-law
Sógor	[ʃoːɡor]	brother-in-law

Other Familial Relationships

In Hungarian culture, there are also several other familial relationships that do not have exact English equivalents. Here are a few examples:

• "Nagymama" - [ˈnɒɟmɒmɒ] - great-grandmother
• "Nagypapa" - [ˈnɒcipɒpɒ] - great-grandfather
• "Rokon" - [ˈrokɔn] - relative
• "Keresztszülő" - [ˈkɛrɛstsuːlop] - godparent
• "Férj / Feleség" - [ˈfeːrj / ˈfɛlɛʃeːɡ] - husband / wife

Example:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
Nagymama	[ˈnɒɟmɒmɒ]	great-grandmother
Nagypapa	[ˈnɒcipɒpɒ]	great-grandfather
Keresztszülő	[ˈkɛrɛstsuːlop]	godparent

Conclusion

Congratulations on making it to the end of this lesson! I hope you've learned a lot about the Hungarian words for family members and feel more confident using them in everyday conversations. Remember, when it comes to language learning, practice is key. Challenge yourself to use these new vocabulary words regularly, and you'll find that they become more and more natural over time. Happy learning!

Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Family and relationships & Love.

Table of Contents - Hungarian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Verb Conjugation

• Personal Pronouns
• Present Tense Verb Conjugation

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Asking Questions
• Negation

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Time and Frequency

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering at a Restaurant

  ---

Prepositions and Location

• Common Prepositions
• Expressing Location

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Hungarian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Foods

  ---

Possessive Pronouns and Plurals

• Possessive Pronouns
• Forming Plurals

  ---

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Discussing Interests

  ---

Hungarian History and Geography

• Important Historical Events
• Geography of Hungary

Other Lessons

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Asking for Directions
• Politics and government
• Drinks
• Music and theater
• Love
• Business and work
• Family and relationships
• Ordering at a Restaurant
• Travel and transportation

Sources

• Must-Know Hungarian Terms for Family Members
• Family words in Hungarian
• Learn How to Talk About Your Family in Hungarian