Language/Hungarian/Vocabulary/Ordering-at-a-Restaurant

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Hungarian → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Ordering at a Restaurant

In this lesson, we will learn useful phrases for ordering food and drinks at a restaurant in Hungarian. We will practice asking for menu items, making requests, and expressing preferences. Ordering at a restaurant is an essential skill for anyone learning a new language, as it allows you to experience the local cuisine and engage in cultural exchanges. By the end of this lesson, you will feel confident and prepared to dine out in Hungary, impressing your friends and locals with your language skills.

Basic Phrases for Ordering

Before we dive into specific menu items, let's start with some basic phrases that will come in handy when ordering at a restaurant in Hungarian. These phrases will help you navigate through the menu, communicate your preferences, and interact with the waitstaff.

Greetings and Getting the Waiter's Attention

When entering a restaurant, it is customary to greet the staff with a friendly "jó napot kívánok" (pronounced: yo-nah-poat kee-vahnok), which means "good day" or "good afternoon." This greeting is polite and shows respect to the waitstaff. If it's evening, you can say "jó estét" (pronounced: yo eh-shtayt), which means "good evening."

To get the waiter's attention, you can use the phrase "elnézést" (pronounced: el-nay-zesht), which means "excuse me." You can raise your hand or make eye contact while saying this phrase to politely call for the waiter's attention.

Asking for a Table

If you haven't made a reservation, you can ask for a table by saying "asztalt szeretnék kérni" (pronounced: astalt se-reht-nek kehr-nee), which means "I would like a table, please." The word "szeretnék" (pronounced: se-reht-nek) is a polite way of saying "I would like."

Ordering Drinks

To order a drink, you can say "kérek egy italt" (pronounced: keh-rek edj ee-tahlt), which means "I would like a drink, please." Replace "italt" with the specific drink you want, such as "kávét" (pronounced: kah-veht) for coffee or "vizet" (pronounced: vee-zet) for water.

Ordering Food

When it comes to ordering food, you can use the phrase "kérek egy ételt" (pronounced: keh-rek edj ey-telt), which means "I would like a dish, please." Replace "ételt" with the name of the dish you want, such as "húsételt" (pronounced: hoosh ey-telt) for a meat dish or "tésztát" (pronounced: tes-taht) for pasta.

If you want to be more specific, you can say "kérek egy adag ételt" (pronounced: keh-rek edj ah-dahg ey-telt), which means "I would like a portion of the dish, please." This is useful when ordering something like goulash, which is often served in portions.

Asking for the Menu

If the menu hasn't been given to you, you can ask for it by saying "kérem a menüt" (pronounced: keh-rem ah meh-nooht), which means "I would like the menu, please." The word "kérem" (pronounced: keh-rem) is a polite way of saying "I would like."

Vocabulary for Ordering Food and Drinks

Now that we know the basic phrases for ordering, let's expand our vocabulary by learning some specific food and drink items. This will allow you to explore the menu with confidence and order your favorite dishes in Hungarian.

Common Foods

Below is a list of common foods in Hungarian along with their pronunciation and English translation.

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
kenyeret	ke-nye-ret	bread
levest	le-vesht	soup
húst	hoost	meat
halat	ha-lat	fish
zöldséget	zol-dshe-get	vegetables
salátát	sa-la-taht	salad
tésztát	tes-taht	pasta
rizst	reezst	rice
burgonyát	bur-go-nyat	potatoes
sajtot	sa-yot	cheese
tojást	toyasht	eggs
gyümölcsöt	dyu-moal-tsoht	fruit

Common Drinks

Here are some common drinks in Hungarian that you might find on a menu.

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
víz	vees	water
kávé	kah-veh	coffee
tea	teh-ah	tea
sör	shor	beer
bor	bor	wine
üdítőt	oo-dee-toht	soft drink

Cultural Insights

Hungarian cuisine is known for its hearty and flavorful dishes. Traditional Hungarian meals often include meat, potatoes, and vegetables. Paprika, a spice made from dried red peppers, is a staple in Hungarian cooking and adds a distinctive flavor to many dishes.

When dining in Hungary, it is common to start a meal with a soup, such as "gulyásleves" (pronounced: goo-yash le-vesh), which is a rich and flavorful meat and vegetable soup seasoned with paprika. Another popular dish is "pörkölt" (pronounced: por-kolt), which is a stew made with meat, onions, and paprika.

Hungarians also enjoy their desserts, with "rétes" (pronounced: reh-tes) being a favorite. Rétes is a traditional Hungarian strudel filled with various sweet fillings, such as apple, cherry, or poppy seed.

When dining out in Hungary, it is customary to leave a tip for the waitstaff. A tip of around 10% is considered appropriate and is usually left in cash. It is polite to say "köszönöm" (pronounced: koh-zoh-noh-m), which means "thank you," when paying the bill.

Practice Exercises

Now it's time to put your knowledge into practice with some exercises. Complete the following scenarios by choosing the appropriate phrases to order food and drinks at a restaurant in Hungarian.

1. You want to order a coffee. What do you say? a) "Kérek egy kávét, kérem." b) "Kérek egy italt, kérem."

2. You would like a portion of goulash. What do you say? a) "Kérek egy adag gulyásételt, kérem." b) "Kérek egy adag ételt, kérem."

3. You want to ask for the menu. What do you say? a) "Kérek a menüt, kérem." b) "Kérek egy menüt, kérem."

4. You are ordering water. What do you say? a) "Kérek egy üdítőt, kérem." b) "Kérek vizet, kérem."

5. You would like to order a salad. What do you say? a) "Kérek egy salátát, kérem." b) "Kérek egy ételt, kérem."

Exercise Solutions: 1. a) "Kérek egy kávét, kérem." 2. a) "Kérek egy adag gulyásételt, kérem." 3. a) "Kérek a menüt, kérem." 4. b) "Kérek vizet, kérem." 5. a) "Kérek egy salátát, kérem."

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have completed the lesson on ordering food and drinks at a restaurant in Hungarian. You have learned useful phrases for greeting the staff, asking for a table, ordering food and drinks, and requesting the menu. You have also expanded your vocabulary by learning common food and drink items in Hungarian. Now you can confidently dine out in Hungary and enjoy the delicious local cuisine. Keep practicing and exploring the Hungarian language and culture. Jó étvágyat! (Enjoy your meal!)

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

Sources

• Most useful phrases and vocabulary for ordering food in Hungarian
• Hungarian | Phrases - Travel | Eating Out
• Ordering at a Restaurant - HungarianPod101

Other Lessons

• Common Hobbies
• Hobbies and leisure activities
• How to say Good Bye?
• Question words
• Introduce yourself
• Food and drink
• Shopping
• Art and architecture
• Drinks
• Days of the Week

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