hongrois
/ɔ̃.ɡʁwa/masculine
In French, "hungarian" (the language) is hongrois.
The word hongrois is used to refer to the Hungarian language. When you are talking about the language itself, it is typical to use the definite article le before it, as in le hongrois.
Meaning: the language (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the adjective or noun is hongroise.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /ɔ̃.ɡʁwa/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use hongrois to refer to a person. In French, the noun for a person is un Hongrois (capitalized) and the language is le hongrois (lowercase).
Did you know?
- If a French speaker describes a dish as à la hongroise, they are usually referring to the use of paprika, regardless of whether the recipe is strictly from Hungary.
- While hongrois is the standard word for the language, you will sometimes see magyar used in formal or academic French contexts to refer to the Hungarian people or their tongue.
- The pronunciation of 'hongrois' involves a nasal vowel, where the 'on' sound is produced through the nose, a feature not present in the English pronunciation.
Examples in context
- Je parle le hongrois.I speak Hungarian.This sentence is useful for stating that you speak Hungarian.Tatoeba #7044232 by Micsmithel, translation #6165597 by catarwww
- Connais-tu le hongrois ?Do you know Hungarian?This sentence is useful for asking if someone knows Hungarian.Tatoeba #9587163 by Rovo, translation #9586186 by Adelpa
- Je ne parle pas le hongrois.I don't speak Hungarian.Tatoeba #4532092 by Whidou, translation #5516239 by mraz
- Savez-vous parler la langue hongroise ?Do you know how to speak the Hungarian language?
- J'adore la musique pop hongroise.I love Hungarian pop music.
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are discussing their language classes.
- HugoEst-ce que tu étudies le hongrois ?Are you studying Hungarian?
- EmmaNon, j'étudie le français.No, I am studying French.
- HugoMoi, j'aime beaucoup le hongrois.As for me, I really like Hungarian.
- EmmaC'est une langue très difficile.It is a very difficult language.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hungarian” translations and entries hongrois, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
