Hungarian Phrasebook

This phrasebook is filled with loads of well-organized information and superb vocab words - I thouroughly enjoyed reading it from cover to cover while on the plane to Budapest. However, once I arrived in Hungary I was a bit disappointed to find that everyone spoke English (at least in the Budapest area). The phrases I tried got a few smiles, but the only truly useful part of the book was the dictionary. It was quite helpful in reading signs, ads, posters, menus etc. In spite of the little use I got out of it, I would still recommend taking this phrasebook to Hungary. It provides a bit of security for the short-term traveler and would become more useful the longer you stayed (especially for those who can speak a bit of Hungarian already or those who are studying the language).

I love this book. It's small enough to just throw in your bag and go when you are exploring a new city. Since moving to Budapest, it has come in handy several times over - and the pronunciation is superb! It has every helpful phrase you need when traveling abroad! I think this book could be used for travelers of any age - though the "romance" section may be limited to the younger population. One thing I would like to see in future publications though is maybe a map of the city - or at least a map of the metro. I would buy this book - and others from the series - without hesitation in the future. I am a huge fan of Lonely Planet products so having this book in my library is just the icing on the cake!

This pocket book is a must-have for anyone who, like me, has an interest in learning Hungarian or who plans to visit Hungary. Concise & comprehensive, it's a winner. The only drawback is that the 'pronunciation' provided seems to be geared to travelers from the UK & , as such, can cause difficulties for No. Americans. This ancient, beautifully soft, & richly vocalic language is certainly complicated for an English speaker. Along with a Törkenczy grammar any traveler should be speedily humming along in party town Budapest. These people are warm, friendly, & openly admire most anyone willing to tackle their tongue, not to mention the cuisine & the wines!

I took one term of Hungarian in college, and I've been to Hungary a few times (but only for a few days each time). So I tried getting this book to relearn some of the language before going back to Hungary this year. It helped me do just that, and I was able to converse with plenty of non-English speaking Hungarians. This is a well-written book. But how much will this book help you if you don't know Hungarian at all? I'm not so sure. To communicate in a language, I think you really need to hear it spoken and painstakingly learn a bunch of vocabulary words (I like using flashcards to do this). I think it will be more of a help to those who already know something about the language, or at least have access to someone who can help them practice it. I'm glad I got this book. I recommend it.