Language/Hungarian/Vocabulary/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.
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!