Food & Drinks

1. Egy étlapot kérek

   A menu, please

   Usage

   First phrase to use when seated at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "étlapot" is accusative of "étlap" (menu). "kérek" is polite first person for ordering

2. Mit ajánl?

   What do you recommend?

   Usage

   Ask the waiter for their recommendation

   Grammar Note

   "mit" is accusative of "mi" (what). "ajánl" is third person singular of "ajánlani" (to recommend)

3. Vegetáriánus vagyok

   I am a vegetarian

   Usage

   Essential phrase to communicate dietary restrictions

   Grammar Note

   "vagyok" is first person singular of "van" (to be). Used to state identity/profession

4. Egy gulyáslevest kérek

   I would like a goulash soup

   Usage

   Order goulash, Hungary's most iconic dish

   Grammar Note

   "gulyáslevest" is accusative of "gulyásleves" (goulash soup). Made with paprika

5. Fizetni szeretnék

   I would like to pay

   Usage

   Request to pay the bill after a meal

   Grammar Note

   "szeretnék" is conditional first person singular of "szeret" (to like/want). Polite way to express desire

6. Nagyon finom!

   Very delicious!

   Usage

   Compliment the food; Hungarians are proud of their cuisine

   Grammar Note

   "finom" means both "delicious" and "refined/fine". "nagyon" is the intensifier "very"

7. Allergiás vagyok a diófélékre

   I am allergic to nuts

   Usage

   Communicate a food allergy to restaurant staff

   Grammar Note

   The Hungarian sublative "-ra/-re" expresses "to/onto"; front-vowel "diófélék" takes "-re". The cover term for tree nuts is "diófélék" (the EU allergen label). "Mogyoró" alone properly means hazelnut and is often confused with peanut ("földimogyoró"), so the cover term is used to avoid implying that almonds or walnuts are safe.

8. Egy pohár vizet kérek

   A glass of water, please

   Usage

   Order a glass of water at a restaurant or café

   Grammar Note

   "vizet" is accusative of "víz" (water) with vowel alternation. Hungarian has front/back vowel harmony

9. Hány forint?

   How many forints?

   Usage

   Ask for the price in Hungarian forints (HUF)

   Grammar Note

   "Hány" + countable noun = "how many". Also useful: "Mennyibe kerül?" (how much does it cost?)

10. Van gluténmentes menü?

    Is there a gluten-free menu?

    Usage

    For travelers with gluten intolerance or celiac disease

    Grammar Note

    "mentes" is a suffix meaning "free of". "gluténmentes" = gluten-free

11. Rizs

    Rice (cooked)

    Usage

    Point at this when ordering or checking ingredients. Hungarian uses one word for raw and cooked rice. Rice served as a side is "párolt rizs" (steamed rice)

12. Kenyér

    Bread

    Usage

    Point at this when ordering or checking ingredients; bread is usually charged separately in Hungary. A roll is "zsemle" and sweet enriched bread "kalács"

13. Tészta

    Pasta / Noodles

    Usage

    Noodles or pasta. The same word also means uncooked "dough" or "batter", so point at what is on the plate. The small pellet pasta "tarhonya" also counts as tészta

14. Csípős

    Spicy hot

    Usage

    Chilli heat. The same word also describes a stinging insect or a biting wind, but in a food context it means spicy. "Not spicy" is "nem csípős"

15. Édes

    Sweet

    Usage

    Sweet in taste; paprika powder is also labelled "édes" to mean the mild, non-hot kind

16. Nyers

    Raw (uncooked)

    Usage

    Check whether something is uncooked; "well done, please" is "jól átsütve kérem"

17. Leves

    Soup

    Usage

    Soup on a menu; a Hungarian meal normally opens with one. Fish soup is "halászlé" and chilled fruit soup "gyümölcsleves"

18. Sajt

    Cheese

    Usage

    Point at this when ordering or checking ingredients; the fresh curd cheese "túró" is treated as a separate item and appears in both savoury and sweet dishes

19. Vaj

    Butter

    Usage

    Point at this as an ingredient. Hungarian home cooking often fries in pork fat ("zsír"), so if you avoid dairy, check which fat is used

20. Méz

    Honey

    Usage

    Point at this as an ingredient; acacia honey ("akácméz") is a Hungarian speciality

21. Tofu

    Usage

    A vegetarian substitute. It plays no part in traditional Hungarian cooking and is stocked only in larger supermarkets' health-food aisles or Asian grocers

22. Gyümölcs

    Fruit

    Usage

    The general word for fruit, used at markets and at breakfast; fruit juice is "gyümölcslé"

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