“I don’t speak Hungarian,” Emma replies when I ask her something. But she says this sentence with such perfect pronunciation and intonation that if I didn’t know she wasn’t a native speaker, I’d think she was just joking. “Beszélünk magyarul?” (“Shall we speak Hungarian?”) was the title of the workshop, led by Brózik, a teacher at the Corvinus Centre for Foreign Language Education and Research. As she explained, one aim of the event was to help Hungarian and international students discover what Hungarian language classes are like at the university, along with the challenges and joys they entail. 

Around 300 international students study at Corvinus – mostly in English – holding scholarships that require them to pass a Hungarian language exam. Without it, they lose their funding. The teacher’s questions revealed that students are grouped into different classes, with many coming from former Soviet republics, but also from Asia, the US and Canada. A few – not many – take Hungarian purely out of interest, without the exam requirement. Quite a number also come from the diaspora. “My students have very different backgrounds,” says Brózik. “Some live here in Budapest with their Hungarian grandmother, so naturally they speak the language much better than their classmates.” 

Some students said they immediately fell in love with Hungarian because they already enjoyed learning languages, while others admitted that at first they were terrified of speaking it. Asked what the most useful first phrase they had learned was, they gave answers like: Hol van a wc? (Where’s the toilet?), Kérek szépen (I’d like that, please), Nem beszélek magyarul (I don’t speak Hungarian), Rizibizi (rice with peas), and even Ugribugri (roughly “jumpy”). 

Then came playful exercises. What’s the difference between tudom and tudok? When do you say eszik and when megeszik? Some gave brilliant examples in Hungarian, even though distinguishing between definite and indefinite conjugation is notoriously hard – especially for English speakers. What does it mean if someone wins by a mile (‘win as high as a tower’ toronymagasan nyer)? That question proved tricky, until Vera, a native Russian speaker, explained it beautifully. 

The conversation switched between English and Hungarian. The teacher often explained the correct answers in both languages, correcting mistakes but always encouraging the students at the same time. She was precise in pointing out errors, yet equally generous with praise – a real teacher’s balance of correction and motivation. As she explained, her students’ levels of Hungarian vary enormously depending on their circumstances. One, for example, is a fifth-generation Hungarian descendant and the first in their family to hold a Hungarian passport.  

Next came games. Each participant received an eight-line Hungarian text containing 26 mistakes – more than anyone could spot, but many of them the kinds of errors even native speakers make. The class discussed them one by one, paying particular attention to the word muszáj (must), with Brózik illustrating its use with English examples. Students asked plenty of questions along the way, showing their genuine curiosity. The tricky use of ly, j and y also came up.  

In another task, students had to find Hungarian food names hidden among rows of letters: lángos, flódni, paprikás krumpli, krumplis tészta. Everyone enjoyed this one, and it sparked a discussion – mostly in Hungarian – about who liked flódni and where the dish comes from. 

Then came the word tessék. What does it mean, and in what situations do Hungarians use it? The students acted out different contexts, adjusting their intonation: when you didn’t hear something, when you’re surprised, when you’re offering someone a seat. After all, it’s not just the word itself but the tone that matters. 

“Corvinus students are strikingly bright,” Brózik notes. “I know this because I also teach at a language school, and comparing the types of questions asked there with those asked here, our students really stand out.” 

It was a pity no Hungarian native students joined the event, because the teacher had prepared different quizzes for them. Could a Hungarian student explain to a foreigner what a kifli is? You’d need a mix of language skills and cultural knowledge to do that. 

Katalin Török