Ways to say it
| Hungarian | IPA |
|---|---|
| disznó | [ˈdisnoː] (narrow) |
| sertés | [ˈʃɛrteːʃ] (narrow) |
| malac | [ˈmɒlɒt͡s] (narrow) |
In Hungarian, the term you choose depends on whether you are talking about the animal in a technical sense, a general sense or using it to describe a person's behavior. While describing the mammal, the terms vary by context, but disznó is also frequently used as an insult to describe someone who is dirty, greedy or lacks manners.
Which one should you use?
sertés is the standard term used in technical, agricultural or culinary contexts, such as when referring to pork meat. disznó is the most common general term for the animal, but it is also the primary word used in insults. malac is used for a young pig or a piglet, and it is also used in a more colloquial, cute or sometimes derogatory way.
When do people say it?
Calling someone a disznó is a common way to insult them, implying they are dirty, greedy or have poor manners.
Did you know?
- The use of disznó in certain contexts to imply luck is a conceptual parallel to the German phrase 'Schwein haben', meaning 'to be lucky'.
Examples in context
- Te egy disznó vagy.You're a pig.This sentence is useful for seeing how disznó can be used as a direct insult.Tatoeba #4322576 by bandeirante, translation #2218034 by CK
- Úgy eszik, mint egy disznó.He eats like a pig.This sentence shows how disznó can describe eating habits.Tatoeba #5683272 by mraz, translation #2980304 by pne
- Tom izzad, mint egy disznó.Tom is sweating like a pig.This sentence demonstrates the use of disznó in a simile regarding physical states.Tatoeba #7035405 by kiseva33, translation #3060862 by sharptoothed
- Gyere, nézd meg a malacokat!Come, let's see the piglets!
- A disznók fontosak a vidéki gazdaságban.Pigs are important in rural farming.
- A disznókészítmények exportja jelentős gazdasági szerepet játszik.The export of pig products plays a significant economic role.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gábor and Zsófia are visiting a farm together.
- GáborNézd, milyen nagy ez a disznó!Look, how big this pig is!
- ZsófiaIgen, nagyon hatalmas állat.Yes, it is a very huge animal.
- GáborSzerintedi boldog a disznó itt?Do you think the pig is happy here?
- ZsófiaIgen, sok helye van futni.Yes, it has plenty of room to run.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pig” translations and entries disznó, sertés, malac, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries disznó, malac, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
