Language/Hungarian/Vocabulary/Numbers-and-telling-time

Hungarian → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers and telling time

In this lesson, we will dive into two essential topics that are foundational for any language learner: numbers and telling time in Hungarian. Not only is understanding numbers crucial for daily communication, but knowing how to tell the time is equally important, whether you're making plans with friends or catching a train.

As you progress in your Hungarian journey, mastering these elements will help you feel more confident in real-life situations. This lesson is structured to give you a comprehensive overview of numbers from 1 to 100, and an in-depth understanding of how to tell time. We'll provide plenty of examples, practice exercises, and solutions to reinforce your learning.

Hungarian Numbers

Let's start with the numbers. Knowing how to count is like having a key to unlock many conversations. In Hungarian, numbers have their unique forms and pronunciation, which can be quite different from English.

Numbers 1-10

Here is a quick reference for the first ten numbers in Hungarian:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
egy	ɛɟ	one
kettő	kɛtːøː	two
három	haːrom	three
négy	neːɟ	four
öt	øt	five
hat	hɒt	six
hét	heːt	seven
nyolc	ɲoʊlts	eight
kilenc	kiːlɛnt͡s	nine
tíz	tiːz	ten

As you can see, the pronunciation can be quite different from what you might expect!

Numbers 11-20

Continuing on, let’s look at the numbers from eleven to twenty:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
tizenegy	tɪzɛnɛɟ	eleven
tizenkettő	tɪzɛnkɛtːøː	twelve
tizenhárom	tɪzɛnhaːrom	thirteen
tizennégy	tɪzɛnneːɟ	fourteen
tizenöt	tɪzɛnøt	fifteen
tizenhat	tɪzɛnhɒt	sixteen
tizenhét	tɪzɛnhɛːt	seventeen
tizennyolc	tɪzɛnɲoʊlts	eighteen
tizenkilenc	tɪzɛnkɪlɛnt͡s	nineteen
húsz	huːs	twenty

You might notice a pattern: the prefix "tizen-" means "ten," which is used to form numbers from eleven to nineteen.

Numbers 21-100

Now, let's take a look at how to form numbers from twenty-one to one hundred.

|* Note that in Hungarian, numbers are generally formed by combining the base number with the base ten.

For example:

• 21 = húsz + egy (twenty + one) → twenty-one

• 35 = harminc + öt (thirty + five) → thirty-five

Here’s a summary of some key numbers:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
huszonegy	husonɛɟ	twenty-one
harminc	hɒrmin͡t͡s	thirty
harminchárom	hɒrmin͡t͡s haːrom	thirty-three
negyven	nɛɟvɛn	forty
ötven	øtvɛn	fifty
hatvan	hɒtvɛn	sixty
hetven	hɛtvɛn	seventy
nyolcvan	ɲoʊlt͡s vɛn	eighty
kilencven	kiːlɛnt͡s vɛn	ninety
száz	sɑːz	hundred

Now that you have a solid foundation for numbers, let's move on to telling time.

Telling Time

Understanding how to tell time in Hungarian can feel a bit daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's quite straightforward.

Basic Phrases for Telling Time

Here are some essential phrases to start with:

• Mennyi az idő? (What time is it?)

• Most... van. (It is... now.)

• Óra (Hour)

• Perc (Minute)

• Másodperc (Second)

How to Tell Time

To tell time in Hungarian, you will typically follow this structure:

1. Start with "Most" (It is).

2. State the hour.

3. Then, if applicable, add the minutes using "és" (and).

Here’s how this looks in practice:

• 1:00 = Most egy óra van. (It is one o'clock.)

• 2:15 = Most két óra tizenöt perc van. (It is two fifteen.)

• 3:30 = Most három óra harminc perc van. (It is three thirty.)

Let’s see some more examples in a table format:

Hungarian	Pronunciation	English
4:00	Most négy óra van.	It is four o'clock.
5:05	Most öt óra öt perc van.	It is five oh five.
6:45	Most hat óra negyvenöt perc van.	It is six forty-five.
7:30	Most hét óra harminc perc van.	It is seven thirty.
8:15	Most nyolc óra tizenöt perc van.	It is eight fifteen.
9:20	Most kilenc óra húsz perc van.	It is nine twenty.
10:00	Most tíz óra van.	It is ten o'clock.
11:50	Most tizenegy óra ötven perc van.	It is eleven fifty.
12:15	Most tizenkettő óra tizenöt perc van.	It is twelve fifteen.
12:45	Most tizenkettő óra negyvenöt perc van.	It is twelve forty-five.

== Special Cases

In Hungarian, there are some special cases when telling time:

• For quarter hours: Use "negyed" (quarter).

• For half hours: Use "fél" (half).

• For example:

• 1:15 = Negyed kettő van. (It's a quarter past one.)

• 1:30 = Fél kettő van. (It's half past one.)

• 1:45 = Háromnegyed kettő van. (It's a quarter to two.)

Practice Exercises

Now that you’ve learned how to count and tell time in Hungarian, let’s put your knowledge to the test! Here are some exercises for you to practice.

1. Translate the following numbers into Hungarian:

• 7

• 12

• 25

• 45

• 89

2. Translate the following times into English:

• Most hat óra van.

• Most nyolc óra negyven perc van.

• Most tizenegy óra ötven perc van.

• Most három óra harminc perc van.

• Most öt óra negyed van.

3. Fill in the blanks with the correct number:

• 1:____ = Most egy óra van.

• 2:____ = Most két óra ____ perc van.

• 3:____ = Most három óra ____ perc van.

4. Write the time for the following phrases:

• It is four o'clock.

• It is five fifteen.

• It is six thirty.

• It is seven forty-five.

5. Create sentences using the following times in Hungarian:

• 9:00

• 10:30

• 11:15

• 12:45

6. Convert the following times into Hungarian phrases:

• 2:15

• 3:30

• 4:45

• 5:00

7. Practice counting: Write down the numbers from 1 to 20 in Hungarian.

8. Ask a partner the time in Hungarian and respond using the correct phrase.

9. Write a mini-dialogue where one person asks for the time, and the other responds.

10. Create a schedule for your day using Hungarian numbers and time.

Solutions

Now let's go through the solutions to the exercises:

1.

• 7 = hét

• 12 = tizenkettő

• 25 = huszonöt

• 45 = negyvenöt

• 89 = nyolcvankilenc

2.

• It is six o'clock.

• It is eight forty.

• It is eleven fifty.

• It is three thirty.

• It is five fifteen.

3.

• 1:00 = Most egy óra van.

• 2:15 = Most két óra tizenöt perc van.

• 3:30 = Most három óra harminc perc van.

4.

• It is four o'clock. = Most négy óra van.

• It is five fifteen. = Most öt óra tizenöt perc van.

• It is six thirty. = Most hat óra harminc perc van.

• It is seven forty-five. = Most hét óra negyvenöt perc van.

5.

• 9:00 = Most kilenc óra van.

• 10:30 = Most tíz óra harminc perc van.

• 11:15 = Most tizenegy óra tizenöt perc van.

• 12:45 = Most tizenkettő óra negyvenöt perc van.

6.

• 2:15 = Most kettő óra tizenöt perc van.

• 3:30 = Most három óra harminc perc van.

• 4:45 = Most négy óra negyvenöt perc van.

• 5:00 = Most öt óra van.

7.

1 – egy, 2 – kettő, 3 – három, 4 – négy, 5 – öt, 6 – hat, 7 – hét, 8 – nyolc, 9 – kilenc, 10 – tíz, 11 – tizenegy, 12 – tizenkettő, 13 – tizenhárom, 14 – tizennégy, 15 – tizenöt, 16 – tizenhat, 17 – tizenhét, 18 – tizennyolc, 19 – tizenkilenc, 20 – húsz.

8.

Ask your partner: Mennyi az idő? (What time is it?)

Response: Most [x] óra van. (It is [x] o'clock.)

9.

A: Mennyi az idő?

B: Most négy óra van.

10.

Example schedule:

• 8:00 = Reggeli (Breakfast)

• 9:00 = Munka (Work)

• 12:00 = Ebéd (Lunch)

• 18:00 = Vacsora (Dinner)

Congratulations on completing this lesson! Understanding numbers and telling time will significantly enhance your ability to communicate in Hungarian. Keep practicing, and you'll find yourself becoming more comfortable with these concepts!

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

• Telling Time in Hungarian - Everything You Need to Know
• Hungarian language - Wikipedia
• Learn the Hungarian Numbers in 9 Easy Steps (with Pronunciation ...
• Hungarian/Lesson 2 - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

Other Lessons

• Food and drink
• Countries
• Count from 1 to 10
• Feelings and Emotions
• Geography
• Days of the Week
• Fruits
• Business and work
• Education
• Shopping