Hungary is charming, full of thermal baths, castles and ruin bars! These quotes about Hungary also has sections like Hungarian sayings, Hungarian proverbs, funny Hungarian phrases, Hungarian sayings about life to help inspire your next holiday to this must-visit destination!

Hungary is underrated.

It’s full of castles that you make feel like you are in a fairy tale and relaxing thermal baths. You can also eat hearty Hungarian food and have some great beer at the ruin bars here.

And the best part? Everything —accommodation, food, and fun activities — is relatively cheaper in Hungary. In fact, it’s one of the most budget-friendly countries in Europe when it comes to travel.

The following quotes about Hungary are the best Hungary quotes from politicians, artists and travellers. I’ve also added useful Hungarian sayings, Hungarian proverbs, funny Hungarian phrases, Hungarian sayings about life as separate categories.

Thermal baths Budapest hungary quotes about hungary

Hungary quotes


These Hungary quotes are divided into different sections. So, you can find what you are looking for easily. The quotes about Hungary and other phrases have imagery which you can save on your Pinterest board.

Bookmark this page if you want to plan a Hungary trip later.


1. Quotes about Hungary / Hungary Quotes


  • “Intellectuals who live in Hungary, or who wish to work or lecture there, are extremely circumspect in their criticism.”

    – Hari Kunzru

     

  • “I wasn’t cut out to be an opera singer, but it was a nice fantasy for a teenager growing up in Hungary during the Stalinist era.”

     – Andy Grove

     

  • “One thing that hasn’t changed through the years is the Hungarian affection for taking the waters — marinating in thermal baths. A tradition going back to the Romans, continued by the Ottomans, and something that survived through two wars and communism. And they do it in style.”

    Anthony Bourdain

quotes about hungary quotes hungarian proverbs hungarian sayings

2.Hungary Quotes: Quotes about Hungary from sportspersons


quotes about hungary quotes hungarian proverbs hungarian sayings
  • “I remember when I was 14, I went to race in Hungary, and I went to a concert, and they were playing Bob Marley songs, and I thought, “Wow, this guy is so special.” It’s Marley every time.”

    – Usain Bolt

     

  • “It was a bit of a surprise for us that we had problems in Hungary. But in reality, I think the car could have been pretty competitive with a trouble-free race.”

    – Fernando Alonso

     

  • “There can be no finer example of the inspiring powers of competition to shatter the status quo than Hungary’s Judit Polgar.”

    – Garry Kasparov


3. Hungary Quotes: Quotes about Hungary from artists

  • “In the oldest chronicles of the times conserved in Hungary, reports will be found of Gypsy music, but never of any other, either Magyar, Slavic or Jewish.”

    – Franz Liszt

  • “I admit I have a Hungarian temper. Why not? I am from Hungary. We are descendants of Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.”

    – Zsa Zsa Gabor

  • “In Hungary, acting is a career for which one fits himself as earnestly as one studies for a degree in medicine, law, or philosophy. In Hungary, acting is a profession. In America, it is a decision.”

    – Bela Lugosi

  • “In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance.”

    – Franz Liszt


RELATED: If you’re looking to plan a trip to Hungary this European itinerary with Hungary should help!


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quotes about hungary quotes hungarian proverbs hungarian sayings

4. Hungary quotes : Quotes about Hungary from politicians

  • “I used my talent as a speaker giving lectures to young people at schools in Hungary and I speak against hatred and anti-Semitism.”

    – Csanad Szegedi

     

  • “A single party is ruling in Hungary, but democracy and the freedom of speech are still in place.”

    – Jaroslaw Kaczynski

     

  • “I went to see Roma people in Hungary, so I could understand them.”

    – Csanad Sz

     

  • “I’ve always criticized American policy when I’ve disagreed with it. Just as I’ve criticized British policy. I was violently anti-Suez and pro-American in 1956, just as I was violently anti-Soviet on the invasion of Hungary which took place at the same time.”

    – Denis Healey  

     

  • “I believe that the confidence of Hungary in me is not shaken by misfortune nor broken by my calumniators.”

    – Lajos Kossuth


5. Quotes about Budapest Hungary


Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is known for its architecture, castles and thermal baths. It’s the most visited city in Budapest. These Hungary quotes about Budapest from Hungarians and travellers are all about the beauty and appeal of the city –

 

  • “It’s beautiful here. They say that, of course, that Budapest is beautiful. But it is, in fact, almost ludicrously beautiful. A riot of gorgeous architectural styles, palaces, grand public spaces, former mansions of various princelings, the remains of a long-gone empire still here, still here.”

    – Anthony Bourdain

     

  • “But if you go from Moscow to Budapest you think you are in Paris.”

    – Gyorgy Ligeti

     

  • “This is where I came in. Budapest: where East meets West. The Blue Danube is something more than a waltz by Johann Strauss.”

    – Tom Kelly in Guilty of treason

     

  • Europe’s most underrated big city, Budapest can be as challenging as it is enchanting. The sprawling Hungarian capital is a city of nuance and paradox — a unique metropolis at the heart of a unique nation.

    – Rick Steves

quotes about hungary quotes hungarian proverbs hungarian sayings

  • “In Budapest, I always had questions. What is your signature dish? They, of course, said goulash. I loved it so much and now have to figure out a way to make it at home.”

    – Tia Mowry

     

  • “I live in Budapest and saw how the football helped the Hungarian people to be happy.”

    – Lothar Matthaus

     

  • “Budapest intrigue, three hours of black and white, squinting at subtitles through a telescopic sight, Hungarian melody, repeating endlessly, is this the end I see? Approaching in front of me.”

    – Go away, Elvis Costello


6. Hungarian sayings/Hungarian proverbs

 

  • A szerelem vak

    Translation: Love is blind

     

  • A pénz nem a fán nő.

    Translation: Money does not grow on trees

     

  • Nem mind arany, ami fénylik

    Translation: Not all the glitters is gold


7. Useful Hungarian phrases and words

English is widely spoken in Budapest, the capital. It is not widely spoken in the other parts of the country, though. If you learn a few important Hungarian phrases and words before your trip, you can use them to say thank you or tell the person you’re talking to that you don’t speak Hungarian.

Read on to learn some useful Hungarian phrases and words –


  • Szia

    Meaning: Hello

  • Mi a neved?

    Meaning: What’s your name?

     

  • Hogy vagy?

    Meaning: How are you?

  • Kérem hozzon egy menüt

    Meaning: Please bring me a menu

  • Igen

    Meaning: Yes

     

  • Nem.

    Meaning: No

     

  • Oké

    Meaning: Okay

  • Bocsána

    Meaning: I’m sorry

     

  • Nagyon köszönöm

    Meaning: Thank you so much

     

  • Ez mennyibe kerül?

    Meaning: How much is this?

     

  • Segítség

    Meaning: Help!

     

  • Nem beszélek magyarul

    Meaning: I don’t speak Hungarian

     

  • Merre van a mosdó

    Meaning: Where’s the bathroom?

quotes about hungary quotes hungarian proverbs hungarian sayings

quotes about hungary quotes hungarian proverbs hungarian sayings

Hungarian parliament in hungary quotes about hungary

8. Funny Hungarian phrases

 

The Hungary quotes above may have given you an idea about what travellers love about the country. When it comes to the Hungarian language, Hungarians use distinctive, funny Hungarian phrases to express themselves. Read on to know these funny Hungarian phrases –

 

  • Örül, mint majom a farkának

    Meaning – This translates to ‘He rejoices like a monkey at his tail’. Hungarians use this expression for someone who is jumping with joy.

     

  • Annyit ér, mint halottnak a csók

    Meaning – This translates to ‘It’s worth a kiss for the dead.’ Hungarians say this when they want to express that something’s not worth the effort.

     

  • Apád nem volt üveges

    Meaning – A Hungarian would use this phrase when he wants to tell someone they are blocking his view. ‘Apád nem volt üveges’ means ‘your dad wasn’t a glassmaker’

     

  • Kenyérre lehet kenni

    Meaning: This phrase means you can spread the person on bread. By this, Hungarians mean to say that the person is naive.

  • Miért itatod az egereket

    Meaning: This translates to ‘why are you watering the mice’?. This question would be used to say ‘why are you crying?’ to a child who is crying. The child’s tears are considered milk for the mice.

  • Kutyaból nem lesz szalonna

    Meaning: This translates to ‘You can’t make bacon out of a dog’. Hungarians use this when they want to say, ‘Once a thief, always a thief.

     

  • Majd ha piros hó esik!

    Meaning: In english, we say ‘when pigs fly’ to express the possibility of something that may never happen. Hungarians use this phrase to communicate the same idea. ‘Majd ha piros hó esik!’ means ‘when red snow falls.’


9. Hungarian sayings about life

  • Ki tudja, mit hoz a holnap.

    Translation: Who knows what tomorrow will bring

     

  • A nagy hal megeszi a kishalat

    Translation : Big fish eat the small fish

     

  • Aki mer, az nyer

    Translation: The one who dares wins

     

  • Ha nincs ló, jó a szamár is

    Translation: If there is no horse, a donkey will do it.


10. Hungarian quotes about life

 

The following quotes are Hungarian quotes about life from famous Magyars and Hungarian authors.


  • The Cube is an imitation of life itself – or even an improvement on life.

    – Erno Rubik, inventor of the Rubik’s cube

  • Life is only a long and bitter suicide, and faith alone can transform this suicide into a sacrifice.

    – Franz Liszt

  • I don’t read such boring things. Life is too short.

    – Gyorgy Ligeti

  • I am a great admirer of mystery and magic. Look at this life – all mystery and magic.

    Harry Houdini

  • Everything has a purpose or premise. Every second of our life has its own premise, whether or not we are conscious of it at the time. That premise may be as simple as breathing or as complex as a vital emotional decision, but it is always there.

    – Lajos Egri

  • Without energy life would be extinguished instantaneously, and the cellular fabric would collapse.

    – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

     

  • Our whole life is solving puzzles.

    – Erno Rubik


11. Attila the hun famous quotes

 

Did these Hungary quotes make you curious about the country?

Hungary has Hungarians/Magyars, who are the largest ethnicity. Other ethnic groups also live in Hungary. Some ethnic groups in Hungary believe that they are descendants of the Huns. However, this is contested, and some scholars refute this.

Attila the Hun (r. 434-453 CE) was the leader of the ancient nomadic people known as the Huns. He established the Hunnic empire. He was a fierce ruler who captured many cities through wars. At the time of his death, his empire spanned central Asia to modern-day France and the Danube Valle.

Here are some quotes from Attila the Hun –

  • “A purposeless Hun never knows when he has achieved his goal.”

     

  • “Superficial purposes have superficial consequences.”

     

  • “Act naturally, not be caught in the false pride that your position brings to you.”

     

  • “Use your enemy’s weaknesses to your advantage. On the other hand, if your enemy is too strong, retreat and act again on the day you conquer it.”


Lavinia Dsouza

Award-winning Analyst, multi-nominated digital content creator and photographer Lavina Dsouza's words capture stories about culture and tradition mainly through its food and people. She has written and contributed to publications such as The Washington Post, Lonely Planet and Matador Network, to name a few. She is the editor of UntraditionalHumans.com, a non-profit created to share inspiring stories from women of colour who break free from traditions and choose happiness.

She's also a speaker passionate about DEI and champions solo travel. She has collaborated with numerous renowned brands such as Intrepid Travel, TripAdvisor, Travel and Leisure and Adobe, to name a few.

She can be found on Twitter and Instagram.


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quotes about hungary quotes hungarian proverbs hungarian sayings
quotes about hungary quotes hungarian proverbs hungarian sayings