# Hungarian

/həŋˈɡɛɹiən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hungarian
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. relating to the country or people

adjective · CEFR A2

coming from or relating to the country of Hungary or its people.

For teachers: relating to the modern nation of Hungary, its culture, or the ethnic Magyars.

- We enjoyed some traditional Hungarian food at the festival last night.
- The Hungarian government has recently introduced new policies to support small businesses across the country.

### 2. the language

noun · CEFR A2

the language spoken in Hungary.

For teachers: the Uralic language spoken primarily in Hungary and by Hungarian minorities in neighbouring countries.

- Hungarian is known for being a very difficult language for English speakers to learn.
- Although she grew up in London, she speaks fluent Hungarian with her parents at home.

Usage: Uncountable when referring to the language itself.

### 3. a person

noun · CEFR A2

a person from Hungary.

For teachers: a citizen of Hungary or a person of Hungarian ethnic descent.

- My neighbour is a Hungarian who moved here ten years ago.
- Several famous Hungarians have made significant contributions to the field of mathematics over the last century.

### 4. programming notation

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical · Informal

a way of naming variables in computer programming that shows what kind of data they hold.

For teachers: relating to Hungarian notation, an identifier naming convention in which the name of a variable indicates its type or intended use.

- The senior developer asked me to use Hungarian notation for the new project.
- While once standard at Microsoft, many modern style guides now discourage the use of Hungarian notation in favour of more descriptive names.

## Examples

- My new neighbor is a Hungarian who moved here last year.
- The restaurant specializes in traditional goulash, a dish that every Hungarian knows from childhood.
- While many European languages share similar roots, Hungarian remains a linguistic isolate within the region, belonging to the Uralic family rather than the Indo-European group.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.