nő
[ˈnøː]
The English word "woman" is translated into Hungarian as nő. Wiktionary also lists asszony.
Meaning: adult female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hungarian | IPA |
|---|---|
| nő | [ˈnøː] (narrow) |
| asszony | [ˈɒsːoɲ] (narrow) |
The word refers to an adult female person.
Which one should you use?
While nő is the standard word for woman, asszony is a more polite or formal term often used to denote a lady or a married woman.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
nő is an informal way to refer to a woman. asszony is an archaic, more polite or formal term.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of nő is nők, and the plural form of the formal asszony is asszonyok. To say "to the woman" or "for the woman", use nőnek for the standard term or asszonynak for the formal term.
Did you know?
- In Hungarian, the word nő also functions as a verb meaning 'to grow'.
- The word asszony is not originally Hungarian, but was borrowed from the Alanic language, a branch of the Iranian language family.
- Historically, asszony was a title of nobility and high rank, similar to 'lady' in a feudal sense, rather than just a marital status.
Examples in context
- Ki ez a nő?Who is that woman?This sentence is useful for asking who a specific nő is.Tatoeba #3933196 by felvideki, translation #68238 by CK
- Ki az a nő?Who's that woman?Tatoeba #7708215 by felvideki, translation #6440582 by CK
- Ez a nő vak.This woman is blind.This sentence is useful for describing a specific nő.Tatoeba #7966982 by Aleksandro40, translation #1365890 by marcelostockle
- Az elegáns hölgy egy sikeres üzletasszony.The elegant woman is a successful businesswoman.
- Tisztelt asszony!Dear Madam!
- 300 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zoltán and Katalin are talking about a new colleague.
- ZoltánKi az a nő a konyhában?Who is that woman in the kitchen?
- KatalinŐ az új kollégank, Katalin.She is our new colleague, Katalin.
- ZoltánNagyon kedvesnek tűnik a nő.The woman seems very kind.
- KatalinIgen, nagyon szimpatikus.Yes, she is very likable.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations and entries nő, asszony, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries asszony, nő, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
