lány
[ˈlaːɲ]
The English word girl is translated into Hungarian as lány.
The word lány refers to a young female person.
Meaning: young female person (noun)
Which one should you use?
While lány is the standard term, lányka is a diminutive form used to mean "little girl" or "lassie". Additionally, Csaj is used as an informal equivalent to English terms like "chick" or "gal".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on its role in a sentence: lányok is the plural form (girls), lánynak is the dative form (to the girl), lányért is the causal-final form (for the girl) and lányé is the possessive form (the girl's).
Did you know?
- In Hungarian, lány can mean both 'girl' and 'daughter'. Depending on the context, a person might introduce someone as their lány to mean 'my daughter' regardless of her age.
- Hungarian uses the term lány in the phrase lánykérő, which refers to a traditional custom where a man's family formally asks for a girl's hand in marriage.
- The word lány is a shortened version of the older, more formal term leány, which is still frequently used in literature and poetry.
Examples in context
- Ki ez a lány?Who is this girl?This sentence is useful for identifying a person using lány.Tatoeba #4193920 by Aleksandro40, translation #58453 by CK
- Egy ír lány ír.An Irish girl is writing.This sentence demonstrates the use of lány in a sentence about nationality and action.Tatoeba #4079452 by mraz, translation #4079450 by muriloricci
- Az a lány Mari.That girl is Mary.This sentence shows how to use lány when introducing someone.Tatoeba #4532842 by juliusbear, translation #4530155 by CK
- Hé, csajok! Hol találkozunk?Hey, girls! Where should we meet?
- Az apa büszke a kislányára.The father is proud of his little girl.
- 232 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gábor and Zsófia are looking at a photo in a park.
- GáborEz egy nagyon kedves lány.This is a very sweet girl.
- ZsófiaIgen, ő egy okos lány.Yes, she is a smart girl.
- GáborA lány nagyon boldognak tűnik.The girl looks very happy.
- ZsófiaTényleg, egy jó lány ő.Really, she is a good girl.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries lány, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lány, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
