25 Essential Hungarian Idioms and Proverbs

Check out other posts in this series exploring proverbs in English, German, Russian, Italian, Japanese, Finnish, Romanian, Czech, Portuguese, Estonian and French.

 

Ever had a situation where someone was talking to you in Hungarian and you understood the words but didn't quite know what they meant? They might have been using an idiom or proverb. These are terms or phrases used in certain situations that have a second, implied meaning which is usually a bit difficult to guess.

While successfully using idioms and proverbs in conversation is probably a task for the more advanced speakers, they can really help you sound like a native. And, even if you're just starting out, learning a few of these turns of phrase can help you break the ice with mother-tongue speakers and provide you an insight into how their language has developed.

We've already covered the 25 essential idioms and colloquialisms for English and Italian, and today we'll take a look into how to better understand Hungarian speakers who seem to say one thing while meaning another. You can use this list to either impress your friends with your unique knowledge of the language, or to start sounding more like a native Hungarian speaker.

1. A béka feneke/segge alatt van: 'It is below the bottom/ass of a frog', meaning that the quality of something is very bad.

2. A ló túlsó oldalán esett le: 'He fell off the far side of the horse', meaning the person went too far in the opposite direction, overcorrecting from one extreme to another.

3. Addig jár a korsó a kútra, amíg el nem törik: 'The jug goes to the well until it breaks', meaning that you can push your luck only so far before something goes wrong. The equivalent of "don't push your luck."

4. Aki másnak vermet ás, maga esik bele: 'He who digs a pit for others falls into it himself', meaning that scheming against someone usually backfires on the schemer. Equivalent to "hoist by your own petard."

5. Alma nem esik messze a fájától: 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree', meaning that children tend to take after their parents in character and behaviour. Used in both positive and negative contexts.

6. Béka feneke alatt van: 'Below the frog's bottom', used to describe something of extremely poor quality or very low standing — the absolute bottom of the barrel.

7. Egy fecske nem csinál nyarat: 'One swallow doesn't make a summer', meaning that a single positive sign is not enough to draw conclusions about the whole. You shouldn't celebrate too early.

8. Éhes disznó makkal álmodik: 'A hungry pig dreams of acorns', meaning that people tend to dream of or talk about whatever they most desire or lack. Similar to "wishful thinking."

9. Ha a hegy nem megy Mohamedhez, Mohamed megy a hegyhez: 'If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain', used when you adapt to circumstances rather than waiting for them to change. Shared with many European languages.

10. Jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok: 'Better a sparrow today than a bustard tomorrow', meaning that a small but certain gain now is better than a larger uncertain one in the future. The Hungarian equivalent of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

11. Ki korán kel, aranyat lel: 'He who rises early finds gold', meaning that early risers are rewarded — the Hungarian version of "the early bird catches the worm."

12. Kinek a pap, kinek a papné: 'For one it's the priest, for another it's the priest's wife', meaning that different people prefer different things. The Hungarian way of saying "to each their own."

13. Közel a szomszéd, de messze az orvos: 'The neighbour is near, but the doctor is far', meaning it's wise to maintain good relations with those around you, because you may need their help before you can reach more distant assistance.

14. Kutya ugat, karaván halad: 'Dogs bark, the caravan moves on', meaning that criticism and noise from opponents don't stop real progress. This proverb closely mirrors the French saying les chiens aboient, la caravane passe.

15. Lassan járj, tovább érsz: 'Go slowly, you'll go further', meaning that patience and carefulness lead to better outcomes than haste. The Hungarian version of "slow and steady wins the race."

16. Madarat tolláról, embert barátjáról: 'A bird by its feathers, a man by his friends', meaning you can judge a person's character by the company they keep. The Hungarian take on "birds of a feather flock together."

17. Minden jó, ha jó a vége: 'Everything is good if the end is good', the Hungarian equivalent of "all's well that ends well." If things work out in the end, then the struggles along the way don't matter so much.

18. Nem esik messze az alma a fájától: A second form of the classic apple-tree proverb, emphasising that people resemble their family members in behaviour and personality — used especially when a child displays a parent's bad habits.

19. Nem mind arany, ami fénylik: 'Not all that glitters is gold', meaning that appearances can be deceiving and something that looks valuable may turn out to be worthless. A direct equivalent of the English and French versions of this proverb.

20. Nincsen rózsa tövis nélkül: 'There's no rose without thorns', meaning that every good thing comes with some difficulty or downside. Used to comfort someone who is frustrated by the imperfection of an otherwise good situation.

21. Sokat akar a szarka, de nem bírja a farka: 'The magpie wants a lot, but its tail can't carry it', meaning that ambition often exceeds one's actual capacity. Used to describe someone who overestimates themselves.

22. Szegény ember vízzel főz: 'A poor man cooks with water', meaning that those with few resources must make do with what they have. Used with a mixture of sympathy and stoicism.

23. Több szem többet lát: 'More eyes see more', meaning that a group working together will notice and understand more than any single individual. The Hungarian version of "two heads are better than one."

24. Amilyen az adjonisten, olyan a fogadjisten: 'As the greeting, so the response', meaning that you get back what you give. If you treat people well, they will treat you well in return — a sentiment equivalent to "you reap what you sow."

25. Aki keres, az talál: 'He who seeks, finds', meaning that if you make the effort to look for something — whether an answer, an opportunity, or a solution — you will eventually find it. The Hungarian expression of "seek and you shall find."