idióta
[ˈidijoːtɒ]
The English word "idiot" can be translated into Hungarian as idióta, hülye or félkegyelmű.
Meaning: person of low general intelligence (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hungarian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| idióta | [ˈidijoːtɒ] (narrow) | |
| hülye | [ˈhyjɛ] (narrow) | colloquial |
| félkegyelmű | literary |
All three terms refer to a person of low general intelligence.
What does it mean word for word?
The literary term félkegyelmű literally means "half-minded".
Which one should you use?
While idióta is a direct loanword from Greek/Latin used similarly to the English "idiot", it often carries a more clinical or harsh tone than the colloquial hülye.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hülye is the most common colloquial way to call someone an idiot in everyday Hungarian speech. For a more formal or literary tone, you can use félkegyelmű.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word hülye functions as a noun meaning "idiot", but it can also act as an adjective meaning "stupid" in certain contexts. To refer to multiple people, use the plural form hülyék.
Did you know?
- The word hülye is derived from the verb hűl, meaning 'to cool'. It originally described someone who was so amazed or dumbfounded that they had 'cooled down' or frozen in place.
- In Hungarian, the word hülye is frequently used as a playful or affectionate term among close friends, which removes its harshness compared to idióta.
- The structure of félkegyelmű reflects a common Hungarian linguistic habit of using 'half' to denote a deficiency in character or mental state.
Examples in context
- Ki ez a hülye?Who's that idiot?This sentence is useful for asking who a specific idiot is using the form hülye.Tatoeba #11191040 by maaster, translation #11191041 by maaster
- Ez a hülye meg ki?Who is this idiot?Tatoeba #13752583 by maaster, translation #13752569 by qwertydiy
- Tom, te nagyon hülye!Tom, you idiot!This sentence is useful for calling someone an idiot using the form hülye.Tatoeba #7098086 by maaster, translation #2592796 by WestofEden
- Az a személy buta döntéseket hoz.That person makes foolish decisions.
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna and Zoltán are discussing a bad decision made by a coworker.
- Annaláttad, mit csinált a kolléga?Did you see what the colleague did?
- ZoltánIgen, egy igazi idióta.Yes, a real idiot.
- AnnaHogy lehet ilyen okratlan?How can he be so mindless?
- ZoltánNem tudom, ő csak egy idióta.I don't know, he is just an idiot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations and entries idióta, hülye, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hülye, idióta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
