Language/Hungarian/Vocabulary/Ordering-at-a-Restaurant
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As a language teacher, I believe learning the vocabulary related to food and dining is crucial when learning a new language. In this lesson, we will focus on useful phrases for ordering food and drinks at a restaurant in Hungarian.
Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Fruits & Asking for directions.
Useful Phrases
When you go to a restaurant in Hungary, the waiter/waitress will typically welcome you with "Jó napot kívánok" (Yoh nah-pot kee-vah-nok), which means "Good day." You can reply with "Jó napot" (Yoh nah-pot) or "Szia!" (See-yah), which is an informal greeting.
When the waiter/waitress comes to take your order, they will usually ask "Mit szeretnének?" (Meet sehr-et-nayk), which means "What would you like?" Here are some of the most common phrases you can use to order food and drinks:
- "Egy ____-t kérek" (Edge ____-t keh-rek) - "I would like one ____"
- "Két ____-t kérek" (Ket ____-t keh-rek) - "I would like two ____"
- "Szeretnék egy ____-t" (Ser-et-nayk edge ____-t) - "I would like a ____"
- "Szeretnék két ____-t" (Ser-et-nayk ket ____-t) - "I would like two ____"
- "Van ____?" (Vahn ____?) - "Do you have ____?"
- "Milyen a napi ajánlat?" (Mee-lyen ah nah-pee ah-yan-lat?) - "What is the daily special?"
- "Milyen ízű a ____?" (Mee-lyen eez-oo ah ____?) - "What flavor is the ____?"
- "Nem szeretném ____-t" (Nem ser-et-naym ____-t) - "I don't want ____."
- "Második fogásnak a ____-t kérem" (Mah-soh-dik fo-gash-nak ah ____-t keh-rem) - "I would like the ____ for my second course."
- "Ezt a bort kérem" (Ehst ah bort keh-rem) - "I would like this wine."
- "Egy pohár ____-t kérek" (Edge po-har ____-t keh-rek) - "I would like a glass of ____."
To make a request or express a preference, you can use these phrases:
- "Kérem, hozzon nekem egy ____-t" (Keh-rem hohz-zone neh-kem edge ____-t) - "Please bring me a ____."
- "Inkább ____-t szeretnék" (In-kaabb ____-t ser-et-nayk) - "I would prefer ____."
- "Kérlek, hagyd el a ____-t" (Ker-lek hahd el ah ____-t) - "Please leave out the ____."
- "Sok ____-t kérek" (Shohk ____-t keh-rek) - "I would like a lot of ____"
- "Kevesebb ____-t kérek" (Keh-ves-ebb ____-t keh-rek) - "I would like less ____."
- "Milyen fűszert használtak ehhez?" (Mee-lyen foos-ert ha-sz-nal-tak eh-hez?) - "What spices did you use for this?"
- "Kérlek, hozzál nekem még egy ____-t" (Ker-lek hoz-zal neh-kem meeg edge ____-t) - "Please bring me one more ____."
It's also important to know some basic phrases for asking for the check or paying:
- "A számlát kérem" (Ah saaml-ah keh-reem) - "Check, please."
- "Fizetnék" (Fee-zeht-nayk) - "I would like to pay."
- "Egy különleges számlát kérek" (Edge kew-lohn-le-gesh saaml-ah keh-rek) - "I would like a separate check."
Now, let's take a look at some common foods and drinks you might find on a Hungarian menu.
Common Foods and Drinks
Hungarian cuisine has a rich history and influenced by many cultures. Some of the most popular Hungarian dishes include:
- Gulyás (Goo-yash) - A hearty stew made with meat, vegetables, and paprika.
- Paprikás csirke (Pahp-ree-kash cheer-keh) - Chicken in a creamy paprika sauce served with nokedli (small dumplings).
- Lángos (Lahn-gosh) - A fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese.
- Halászlé (Hah-lahz-lay) - A spicy fish soup made with paprika and vegetables.
- Kürtőskalács (Koo-rtash-kah-latch) - A sweet, hollow pastry rolled in sugar and cinnamon.
To order these dishes, you can simply say "Egy ____-t kérek" followed by the dish name. For example, "Egy lángost kérek" means "I would like one lángos."
In addition to these dishes, you might find some common drinks on the menu:
- Sör (Shur) - Beer
- Bor (Bor) - Wine
- Ásványvíz (Ahs-vah-ny-veez) - Mineral water
- Üdítő (Ooh-dee-toh) - Soft drink
To order a drink, you can use the phrases we learned earlier, such as "Egy pohár bort kérek" (I would like a glass of wine) or "Egy üdítőt kérek" (I would like a soft drink).
Practice
Now, let's practice using these phrases in context. Imagine you are at a restaurant in Hungary and try to order some of these dishes and drinks:
- Gulyás - "Egy gulyást kérek, köszönöm." (Edge goo-yash-t keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like one goulash, please."
- Paprikás csirke - "Egy paprikás csirkét kérek, köszönöm." (Edge pahp-ree-kash cheer-keh-t keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like one chicken paprikash, please."
- Lángos - "Egy lángost kérek, köszönöm." (Edge lahn-gosh-t keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like one lángos, please."
- Halászlé - "Egy halászlét kérek, köszönöm." (Edge hah-lahz-layt keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like one fish soup, please."
- Kürtőskalács - "Egy kürtőskalácsot kérek, köszönöm." (Edge koo-rtash-kah-latch-ot keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like one kürtőskalács, please."
- Sör - "Egy sört kérek, köszönöm." (Edge shurt keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like one beer, please."
- Bor - "Egy pohár bort kérek, köszönöm." (Edge po-har bor-t keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like a glass of wine, please."
- Ásványvíz - "Egy ásványvizet kérek, köszönöm." (Edge ahs-vah-ny-vee-zet keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like one mineral water, please."
- Üdítő - "Egy üdítőt kérek, köszönöm." (Edge ooh-dee-toh-t keh-rek, kew-suh-nuhm) - "I would like a soft drink, please."
Remember to use "kérek" (keh-rek), which means "I would like," before the name of the dish or drink you want to order. To be polite, always say "köszönöm" (kew-suh-nuhm), which means "thank you," after placing your order.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we learned some of the most useful phrases for ordering food and drinks at a restaurant in Hungarian. We also discussed some of the most common dishes and drinks you might find on a Hungarian menu. It's important to practice these phrases in context and to learn new vocabulary related to food and dining.
In the next lesson, we will continue learning Hungarian vocabulary and grammar as we explore prepositions and location. Thank you for reading and see you in the next lesson!
Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Time & How to Say Hello and Greetings.
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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
Sources
- Most useful phrases and vocabulary for ordering food in Hungarian
- Hungarian | Phrases - Travel | Eating Out
- Ordering at a Restaurant - HungarianPod101
| ◀️ Common Foods and Drinks — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Common Prepositions ▶️ |