Café & Drinks

1. Egy pohár pálinkát kérek

   A glass of pálinka, please

   Usage

   Ordering pálinka, Hungary's traditional fruit brandy

   Grammar Note

   Pálinka is a fruit brandy that is Hungary's national spirit. "Barackpálinka" (apricot) and "szilvapálinka" (plum) are classics

2. Tokaji bort kérek

   A Tokaj wine, please

   Usage

   Ordering Tokaj wine, Hungary's world-famous sweet white wine

   Grammar Note

   Tokaji wine comes from the UNESCO-listed Tokaj wine region. "Aszú" is the premium sweet variety, rated by puttonyos (baskets of botrytized grapes)

3. Egy Unicumot kérek

   An Unicum, please

   Usage

   Ordering Unicum, Hungary's traditional herbal liqueur

   Grammar Note

   Unicum is a bitter herbal liqueur by Zwack, made from over 40 herbs. It is traditionally served as a digestif

4. Egy fröccsöt kérek

   A fröccs (wine spritzer), please

   Usage

   Ordering fröccs, Hungary's traditional wine-and-soda-water spritzer

   Grammar Note

   Fröccs is wine mixed with soda water. Ratios vary: "kisfröccs" (1:1), "nagyfröccs" (2:1 wine), "hosszúlépés" (1:2)

5. Kérek egy kávét tejjel

   A coffee with milk, please

   Usage

   Ordering a coffee with milk at a café

   Grammar Note

   "Tejjel" = "tej" (milk) + "-jel" (instrumental suffix). Hungarian café culture is vibrant; "presszókávé" (espresso) is very popular

6. Ásványvizet kérek

   A mineral water, please

   Usage

   Ordering mineral water at a restaurant or shop

   Grammar Note

   "Ásványvíz" = "ásvány" (mineral) + "víz" (water). Specify "szénsavas" (sparkling) or "szénsavmentes" (still)

7. Egészségére!

   Cheers! / To your health!

   Usage

   Traditional Hungarian toast used when raising glasses

   Grammar Note

   "Egészségére" uses the formal possessive. Informal versions: "Egészségre!" or "Egészségedre!" (to your health, casual)

8. Van alkoholmentes sörük?

   Do you have non-alcoholic beer?

   Usage

   Asking for non-alcoholic beer at a bar or restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Sörük" = "sör" (beer) + "-ük" (3rd person plural possessive). Local brands like Dreher and Arany Ászok are popular

9. Az itallapot kérem

   The drinks menu, please

   Usage

   Requesting the drinks menu at a restaurant or bar

   Grammar Note

   "Itallap" = "ital" (drink) + "lap" (page/card). "Kérem" is the polite 1st person form of "kér" (to ask for). "Étellap" is the food menu

10. Meleg teát kérek

    A hot tea, please

    Usage

    Ordering a hot tea at a café or restaurant

    Grammar Note

    "Tea" in Hungarian is pronounced "te-a". Variations: "hideg teát" (cold tea), "gyümölcsteát" (fruit tea)

11. Jég nélkül

    Without ice

    Usage

    Ask for a drink without ice; "nélkül" (without) follows the noun it applies to

12. Jég

    Ice

    Usage

    Ice itself, for when you want some added. Hungarian cafés serve most drinks without ice by default, so ask if you want it

13. Ásványvíz

    Mineral water

    Usage

    Point at this to order bottled water; Hungarian tap water is drinkable and is called "csapvíz"

14. Szénsavas

    Sparkling (carbonated)

    Usage

    In Hungary you are always asked whether you want water with or without gas. Point at this for sparkling; bottle caps are colour-coded

15. Szénsavmentes

    Still (non-carbonated)

    Usage

    Point at this for still water; the "mentes" suffix means "free of", and labels sometimes print only "mentes"

16. Forró víz

    Hot water

    Usage

    Ask for hot water for formula milk or instant food; merely warm water is "meleg víz"

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