Languages in Hungary

Overview

As a medical tourism visitor to Hungary, you will likely feel right at home in most hospitals and dental offices.  Medical personnel will often either be fluent in English or be accompanied by translators.  This is because Hungary actively courts patients from neighboring European countries.  English isn't the official language of the continent, but it continues to be an increasingly common one.   

Once you step out of the confines of your facility and into the street, you’ll find conversing can be interesting at best, and humiliating at worst.  English is the most preferred foreign language among locals, but is not spoken as widely as you might hope. 

Magyar

The main language spoken in Hungary is Magyar, a dialect that’s part of the Finno-Ugric group of languages.  This vernacular has a few words in common with Finnish and Estonian, but has almost no words in common with English (except for borrowed terms).  

A phrasebook doesn’t really help. The Magyar language has numerous words that are so maddeningly similar to each other in pronunciation it often seems they can only be told apart by native Hungarians.  Articulation is very precise, and the slightest inflection could result in an entirely different, and perhaps inappropriate meaning than you intended.  If you're someone who enjoys ease, convenience, and comfort, simply hire a local guide to be your translator whenever you head out and about in Hungary.  Just be sure to vet your guide in advance and make sure that he or she is on the level.   

English

Hungarian school children begin by learning the local language, and then graduate to a second language by grade two, and even a third language while they are still in school. The most preferred languages of study are English and German.  Since the inclusion of the country in the EU, the demand to learn foreign languages has only increased, as Hungarians grasp the possibilities of economic opportunities in member states if they can speak the language. Thus, French, Italian, and Spanish have also gained popularity.  If you speak any of the above, you should be able to navigate most tourist situations in the big cities.  Outside of major urban centers, however, expect occasional communication difficulties.