lencseleves

There are a lot of traditions in our culture and gastronomy, and one of them is eating lentil soup on the first day of the new year. We believe that if we do this, then the whole new year each day we will have enough money in our purse to live a good life. The many little round lentils symbolize money.

lencseleves [ˈlɛntʃɛlɛvɛʃ] – lentil soup
lencse [ˈlɛntʃɛ]
1) lentil
2) lens; glass

leves [ˈlɛvɛʃ] – soup
lé [ˈleː]
1) liquid
2) juice
3) gravy
4) money (used in slang)

°

lőre [ˈløːrɛ] – juice; drink (archaic)
lő [ˈløː]
1) liquid (dialectical)
2) juice; drink (dialectical)
3) he/she/it is shooting; he/she/it shoots
lőni [ˈløːni] – to shoot

mindszent

The word mindszent [ˈmindsɛnt] is the short version of mindenszentek napja [ˈmindensɛntek nɑpjɑ], which means All Saints’ Day, and is held on November 1 every year.

On this day the Hungarians hold the nice tradition of taking flowers or wreaths to the graves of deceased relatives and lighting candles there. Then they visit their relatives, eat cakes, baked pumpkin and some other food while talking and remembering the passed aways. The cemeteries in the evenings of these days look really beautiful thanks to the lights of the many small candles.

minden [ˈmindɛn] – everything; every
szent [ˈsɛnt] – saint
nap [ˈnɑp]
1) day
2) sun

mécses [ˈmeːtʃeʃ] – lampion; candle (in glass)
gyertya [ˈɟɛrcɑ] – candle
gyertyát gyújtani [ˈɟɛrcaːt ɟuːjtɑni] – to light a candle

sütőtök [ˈʃytøːtøk] – pumpkin
sütő [ˈʃytøː]
1) baking; frying; roasting; broiling; grilling
2) baker [person]
3) oven

sütni [ˈʃytni]
1) to bake; to roast
2) to shine [the sun]

sülni [ˈʃylni] – to be baking
tök [ˈtøk]
1) squash; pumpkin; vegetable marrow
2) bells (a suit) [in card games]
3) male sex organs; male genital [informal]

anyósülés

anyósülés [ˈɑɲoːʃyleːʃ]  – passenger’s seat

[Literally::: mother-in-law’s seat]

 

anyós [ˈɑɲoːʃ] – mother-in-law

ülés [ˈyleːʃ] – seat; sitting

ülni [ˈylni] – to sit; to be sitting

 

According to some old rules of etiquette it is the mother-in-law who is sitting next to her daughter’s husband (who is the driver) when the family is going somewhere together. And that is why the seat is named after her. This tradition probably has evolved from the boy’s strategic move, when he was still only dating the girl, to get closer to her mother and make her recognize him as a good boy, who is perfect for her daughter. Because the mother’s opinion is very honoured in a family.

 

Some other theory says the seat is named after the mother-in-law only because when there is a tragic car accident, then the person sitting on that particular seat will most probably die in the accident… and some mother-in-laws can be really nerve-racking, so they will always be given that seat…

Töltött káposzta

Töltött káposzta [ˈtøltøtː kaːpostɑ] – Hungarian stuffed cabbage

töltelék [ˈtøltɛleːk] – stuffing; filling
tölteni [ˈtøltɛni]
1) to fill; to stuff
2) to pour
[e.g.: Töltök egy pohár vizet. – I pour a glass of water.]
3) to charge
[e.g.: Mobiltelefon töltő. – Mobile phone charger.]
4) to pass; to spend
[e.g.: Mivel töltöd a napjaidat? – How do you pass your days?]

káposzta [ˈkaːpostɑ] – cabbage

te / ti / Ön / Önök / maga / maguk

te – you (unisex informal singular – like tú in Spanish)
ti – you (unisex informal plural – like vosotros in Spanish)

Ön – you (unisex formal singular – like Usted in Spanish)
Önök – you (unisex formal plural – like Ustedes in Spanish)

maga – you (unisex formal singular)
maguk – you (unisex formal plural)

Maga and maguk are used to address an unknown or not respected person/people, or simply as a form of addressing, for example:
Maga ott, jöjjön ide! – Hey, you there, come here!
Már megint maga az?! – Is that you, again, what do you want?! (angry)
Maga kis szarkupac! – You little piece of shit! (angry & rude)
Csókoljon meg, maga nőcsábász! – Oh, kiss me, you womanizer!

Csókolom!

Csókolom! [ˈtʃoːkolom]

Csókolom is the universal greeting phrase the young Hungarians use to greet the old people, mainly those who they have known since they were little children, for example the neighbours. It is the short version of “Kezét csókolom!” (I’m kissing your hand) or “Kezeit csókolom!” (I’m kissing your hands), which is a formal greeting of women, that was originally used by the men, but then it’s short version became the way the children greet the women or men
as old as their parents or older.

Even though we grow up, we still tend to use it to greet the old people we have known since ever and also when we want to greet an unknown old person in a formal way. So don’t be surprised when a Hungarian in their 20s or 30s greets a 60-90 years old Hungarian with the phrase Csókolom! It is just a nice and respectful way of greeting old people. 🙂

csók [ˈtʃoːk] – kiss
csókolózni [ˈtʃoːkoloːzni] – to be kissing; to be snogging
csókolódzni [ˈtʃoːkoloːdzni] – to be kissing; to be snogging (archaic)
csókolódzás [ˈtʃoːkoloːdzaːʃ] – kissing; snogging (archaic)
csókolózás [ˈtʃoːkoloːzaːʃ] – kissing; snogging
megcsókolni [ˈmegtʃoːkolni] – to kiss

puszi [ˈpusi] – peck
megpuszilni [ˈmegpusilni] – to give a peck

csókolgatni [ˈtʃoːkolgɑtni] – to be kissing any of somebody’s body parts
puszilgatni [ˈpusilgɑtni] – to be giving pecks to any of somebody’s body parts

csókolgatás [ˈtʃoːkolgɑtaːʃ] – kissing any of somebody’s body parts
puszilgatás [ˈpusilgɑtaːʃ] – giving pecks to any of somebody’s body parts

 

Magyar nevek

Örülök, hogy megismertem! – Nice to meet you!

[ˈøryløk hoɟ megiʃmɛrtɛm]

 

Örülök, hogy találkoztunk! – Nice to meet you!

[ˈøryløk hoɟ tɑlaːlkoztunk]

párnahuzat

Kalotaszegi kézzel hímzett magyar párnahuzat
Hand embroidered Hungarian pillowcase from Kalotaszeg

párna [ˈpaːrnɑ] – pillow
párnahuzat [ˈpaːrnɑhuzɑt] – pillowcase
huzat [ˈhuzɑt]
1) cover
2) draft; wind

húzni [ˈhuːzni]
1) (transitive) to pull; to draw
2) (transitive) to drag; to haul

“Kalotaszegi írásos párnahuzat“

bélyeggyűjtemény

bélyeggyűjtemény [ˈbeːjɛgɟyːjtɛmeːɲ] – stamp collection

bélyeggyűjtés [ˈbeːjɛgɟyːjteːʃ] – stamp collecting; philately

bélyeggyűjtő [ˈbeːjɛgɟyːjtø] – stamp collector; philatelist

postabélyeg [ˈpoʃtɑbeːjɛg] – postage stamp

bélyeg [ˈbeːjɛg] – stamp; postage stamp

bélyegalbum [ˈbeːjɛgɑlbum] – booklet of stamps; stamp album

gyűjteni [ˈɟyːjtɛni] – to collect; to gather

 

In the past, the phrase “Feljössz megnézni a bélyeggyűjteményemet?” (Would you like to come up to my room/flat and check out my stamp collection?) used to be a pick up line, a phrase to politely ask a girl if she would want to join you for the evening and have sex with you in your room. 😛

kürtőskalács

A kürtőskalács egy nagy lyuk, tésztával körültekerve. – The chimney cake is a big hole wrapped in pastry. 😛

More chimney cakes at Rita’s Hungarian Delicacy. You can taste them on the Braye Road in St. Sampson on Guernsey island in the English Channel (the La Manche). Feel free to take a visit! 😀 🙂

°

kürtőskalács [ˈkyrtøːʃkɑlaːtʃ]
kürtő [ˈkyrtøː] – flue; duct; stack; chimney-stack
kalács [ˈkɑlaːtʃ] – nut roll; brioche; sweet bread
lyuk [ˈjuk] – hole
tészta [ˈteːstɑ] – pastry; dough; paste
körül [ˈkøryl] – around; about
kémény [ˈkeːmeːɲ] – chimney