Hungarian

Hungarian language study at IU

The Hungarian program in the Indiana University Department of Central Eurasian Studies (CEUS) offers students a great opportunity to learn a less commonly taught language in Central Europe.

Every year, we offer introductory, intermediate, and advanced Hungarian classes taught by the IU Senior Lecturer in Hungarian.

Hungary Language Map

Hungarian language learning as part of the CEUS undergraduate major and minor

Hungarian is one of the languages available for the CEUS undergraduate major. Tracks with two or three years of language study are available.

Fulfill your foreign language requirement in a small class with dedicated teachers. You can also receive a CEUS minor with two years of Hungarian language study and a related culture course.

Why study Hungarian?

Hungarian language knowledge can help you enter a variety of professional careers:

  • International programs and area studies in the academic world
  • Positions with the State Department
  • The world of corporate business

Hungarian is the most widely spoken Uralic language, one of the Ugric branch. It is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe, based on the number of native speakers. Hungarian is the official language of Hungary and is also spoken by millions of Hungarians in the seven neighboring countries and by diaspora communities worldwide.

Hungarian language study in CEUS

During every academic year we offer three levels of language teaching (two semesters each of Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced with small class sizes and highly qualified native-speaker teachers who enjoy teaching very much. In class we focus on the four language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening, while also taking into consideration the cultural aspects of the language. Summer intensive language instruction is also available for the first year of study through SWSEEL.

For those who become more intrigued by this unique language and culture, CEUS offers an undergraduate minor. Our courses in Hungarian history, literature, and culture are part of the Hungarian Studies Program, the only graduate program in the USA where it is possible to earn an MA and a PhD in Hungarian Studies. Most of these courses are also available to undergraduates.

  • Course offerings are made available in accordance with class level and student interest.

Hungarian Alphabet

Letter and Name Phoneme (IPA) Sound in English
A a /ɒ/ bod, call
Á á /aː/ an extended cat, bad
B bé /b/ as by, absence
C cé /t͡s/ like tsunami
Cs csé /t͡ʃ/ as check, cheek, etching
D dé /d/ deck, wide
Dz dzé /d͡z/ like in kids
Dzs dzsé /d͡ʒ/ jam, George, bridge
E e /ɛ/ like less, cheque, edge
(É) é /eː/ like in "same", without the /I/ part of the diphthong /eI/
F éf /f/ café, hey
G gé /ɡ/ get, leg, go
Gy gyé /ɟ/ (not used in English; halfway between /ɡ/ and /dʒ/. Mostly similar to during)
H há /h/ Basic: h1. behind 2. <mute> 3. Loch 4. human
I í /iː/ thick, thin
J jé /j/ you, yes, faith
K ká /k/ key, kiss, weak
L el /l/ leave, list
Ly elly, el-ipszilon /j/ hey, ray
M em /m/ mind, assume, might
N en /n/ thing, lying (before k, g), need, bone (anywhere else)
Ny eny /ɲ/ new, (niño/niña (Spanish))
O o /o/ force, sorcerer
Ó ó /oː/ go, sew, snow
Ö ö /ø/ (Not used in English; corresponds to German Ö) similar to: bird, third, heard
Ő ő /øː/ (Not used in English; a longer, more closed variant of Ö, similar to Boeing.)
P pé /p/ peas, apricot, hope
(Q) kú /kv/ -
R er /r/ The closest equivalent is r
S es /ʃ/ share, wish, shout
Sz esz /s/ say, estimate
T té /t/ tell, least, feast
Ty tyé /c/ (not used in English; halfway between /k/ and /tʃ/)
U u /u/ rude
Ú ú /uː/ fool, food
Ü ü /y/ (not used in English; corresponds to German Ü)
Ű ű /yː/ -
V vé /v/ very, every
W dupla vé /v/ view, evolve, vacuum
(X) iksz /ks/ -
(Y) ipszilon /iː/ -
Z zé /z/ desert, roses
Zs zsé /ʒ/ pleasure, leisure, genre