People make the decision to learn the Hungarian language for a variety of reasons. They may have travel plans, be seeking work opportunities, have family in Hungary, or they may simply enjoy the challenge of taking on what is widely regarded as the most difficult language for English speakers to learn. Whatever your reason for wanting to learn Hungarian, don’t get discouraged by the claims. It’s possible to learn any language!
Hungarian, also known as Magyar, has 13 million native speakers worldwide and is closest to Khanty and Mansi. While it is a Uralic language, it’s unique and stands apart from all other European languages. This might make it more difficult to acquire for English speakers, but there are a few things that make learning Hungarian easier than you think.First, Hungarian does not have grammatical genders, so you won’t have to worry about whether your articles and nouns are masculine, feminine, or neuter. This alone detracts much of the difficulty associated with language learning. Hungarian also shares cognates with English, which are words that look and sound similar to their English counter parts. If you can learn some cognates early on, you’ll give yourself an advantage and expand your vocabulary quickly. Last, Hungarian plurals are relatively easy to understand simply because they resemble the English formation of plurals.
First, Hungarian does not have grammatical genders, so you won’t have to worry about whether your articles and nouns are masculine, feminine, or neuter. This alone detracts much of the difficulty associated with language learning. Hungarian also shares cognates with English, which are words that look and sound similar to their English counter parts. If you can learn some cognates early on, you’ll give yourself an advantage and expand your vocabulary quickly. Last, Hungarian plurals are relatively easy to understand simply because they resemble the English formation of plurals.However, there’s a reason many have nominated Hungarian as the world’s most difficult language. It has 35 cases and uses an alphabet that has 44 letters and 14 vowels. Hungarians also largely rely on idioms, so understanding the literal meaning of phrases won’t always help you comprehend what people are saying. To gear you towards success, here are some more tips on learning Hungarian:
However, there’s a reason many have nominated Hungarian as the world’s most difficult language. It has 35 cases and uses an alphabet that has 44 letters and 14 vowels. Hungarians also largely rely on idioms, so understanding the literal meaning of phrases won’t always help you comprehend what people are saying. To gear you towards success, here are some more tips on learning Hungarian:
1. Study Prefixes and Suffixes
Ask your teacher for a list of commonly used prefixes and suffixes. Studying these can make an enormous impact on your ability to comprehend. Anyone who has attempted to learn a foreign language knows that understanding even part of a word makes a difference.
2. Practice Every Day
Try to practice on a daily basis whether you have a lesson or not. Study vocabulary, listen to audio clips, converse with a language partner, or read to accelerate your acquisition of vocabulary and grammar. Learning Hungarian requires dedication, so set aside time for study every day.
3. Write Down What Challenges You
Be sure to take notes on what you find particularly challenging or confusing, and address your challenges with your teacher at your next lesson. Getting your questions answered as they arise can prevent you from feeling stuck or discouraged. Ask your teacher if they have any additional tips on learning Hungarian for further advice.
In the end, Hungarian learners overcome the same hurdles as learners of any other language. It’s important to communicate openly with your Hungarian teacher, and build your confidence by mastering the simpler grammar rules and vocabulary early on. Going from English to Hungarian is quite a challenge, but many people have done it and you can too.
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