István
[ˈiʃtvaːn]
The English name Steve is translated into Hungarian as István.
István is the masculine given name used to represent Steve in Hungarian.
Which one should you use?
While István is the standard form, the diminutive Pista is also used to refer to Steve.
Did you know?
- While 'Steve' is a simple name in English, the Hungarian diminutive Pista is so common that it is used as a generic placeholder for a typical man, much like 'Joe' or 'Jack' in English.
- The name István is associated with the first king of Hungary, who was canonized as a saint. Because of this, it has historically been one of the most prestigious names in the country.
- The root of István comes from the Greek word Στέφανος, meaning 'crown' or 'wreath'.
Examples in context
- István egy nagyon kedves ember.István is a very kind person.
- Az István nevű férfi itt lakik.The man named István lives here.
- Tudom, hogy István is iskolába megy.I know that István also goes to school.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing who to invite to a party.
- ZsófiaMeghívjuk Istvánt is a bulira?Shall we invite István to the party too?
- TamásIgen, ő biztosan örülne neki.Yes, he would surely be happy about it.
- ZsófiaTudod István telefonszámát?Do you know István's phone number?
- TamásIgen,irom le neked most.Yes, I will write it down for you now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry István, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries István, CC BY-SA 4.0.
