Just Enough Hungarian [Paperback]

Passport Books (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Hungarian

About the Author

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 11, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9631352218
• ISBN-13: 978-0844295190
• ASIN: 0844295191
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Hungarian
  • #5 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Hungarian > Instruction
  • #15 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Etiquette > Conversation

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Title Says It All!, September 18, 2004

By 

Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Enough Hungarian (Paperback)

I must agree with the other reviews that while this book is adequate for survival, it is no more than that.
It has no notes on Hungarian grammar (which is VERY different from English) and only a minimal dictionary and hints on pronounciation.
Ditto the phrases themselves - they do cover the essentials, but nothing more than that. That said, at least they are all correct, free of mistakes!

Still, if you just go for a short trip to Budapest, you'll probably find this book adequate.
But if you want something better, I recommend Lonely Planet's Hungarian phrasebook, published in March 2005.

But do bring a phrasebook if you want to explore Hungary in any depth - apart from those working in the tourism industry, few Hungarians speak English, especially out in the rural areas.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Just Enough" is right., August 17, 2004

By 

Erin (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Enough Hungarian (Paperback)

Well, it does what it sets out to do. If you're looking for a quick, rough and very practical guide to speaking Hungarian, this is it. It is, above all, practical. You won't be able to chat with anyone, but you will be able to ask about the location of just about anywhere or when things are open or closed or just about any other travel-related issue. Each of the chapters is divided up by when you are likely to need certain phrases. So there's a hotel/accomadations section, a restaurant/market section, etc. And, very useful, the book also gives possible answers and translations. With this book, if you encounter someone who doesn't speak English, you'll be able to get your questions answered.

But if you're trying to learn Hungarian at all, this is not the book for you. The pronounciation is very, very rough - although to its credit, the book doesn't pretend to reflect the exact way a word is pronounced. Still, I think it could mention a few more points about how to pronounce some of the letters or letter combinations.

It's "just enough" - but no more.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Enough Hungarian, April 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Just Enough Hungarian (Paperback)

I was deployed to Hungary last year and this book was extremely helpful. It not only spells out commonly used phrases but tells how to pronounce them. It also gives tips on Hungarian pronunciation in general, as well as the alphabet. I showed this book to our Hungarian translator and he said it was very accurate. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone traveling to Hungary!