One of the best ways to experience Hungarian culture is to visit a local market, or piac. The Great Market Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok) in Budapest is famous, but you’ll find wonderful markets in every Hungarian city.

The sounds of vendors calling out, the smell of fresh lángos and kürtőskalács, the vibrant colors of produce and paprika… it’s a feast for the senses!

But navigating a bustling market can be intimidating if you don’t know the language. Don’t worry! Your goal isn’t to be perfectly fluent; it’s to communicate simply and effectively. Hungarians appreciate it when you try to speak their language, even if it’s just a few words.

This guide will give you the essential vocabulary and phrases you need to shop with confidence. Let’s get started!

Basic greetings and courtesies

Being polite goes a long way. When you approach a stall, always start with a friendly greeting. The most common and safest greeting to use with a vendor is “Good day.”

Here are a few other essential words for being polite:

Essential shopping phrases

Now for the phrases that will do the heavy lifting. The most useful phrase you can learn is “I would like…” which is Szeretnék…

Here are the other key questions and statements you’ll need.

To ask the price:

To ask if they have something:

To point at what you want:

The vendor will likely ask if you want anything else. Vendor’s question:

Your reply:

Understanding numbers and quantities

You’ll need to know some basic numbers to understand prices and ask for specific amounts.

When buying items like cheese, sausage, or cold cuts, Hungarians don’t use grams. We use the dekagram (deka or dkg), which is 10 grams. So, if you want 100 grams of something, you ask for 10 deka.

• Egy kiló - One kilogram (a kilo)
• Fél kiló - Half a kilo
• Tíz deka - 10 dekagrams (100 grams)
• Egy darab - One piece

At the fruit and vegetable stand (Gyümölcs és Zöldség)

Here is some basic vocabulary for the produce stall.

Sample Dialogue:

At the butcher’s (A hentesnél)

Don’t be afraid to try some famous Hungarian sausage (kolbász)!

Sample Dialogue:

At the bakery (A pékségben)

The smell of a Hungarian bakery is irresistible. You’ll definitely want to know these words.

Sample Dialogue:

Paying for your items

Most market stalls, especially the smaller ones, prefer cash (készpénz). It’s always a good idea to have some Forint with you. However, you can always ask if they accept cards.

Asking to pay by card:

If you need a bag:

Final thoughts

Shopping at a Hungarian market is a fantastic way to practice your language skills in a real-world setting. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Pointing and using simple phrases will get you very far. Vendors are usually busy but friendly, and they will appreciate your effort to speak their language.

Jó étvágyat! (Enjoy your meal!)