Hungarian Time
#1
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,774
Hungarian Time
At 15:30 today I said to a friend asking the time it was 3:30pm. The friend said its actually 4:30pm or half four. I'm confused.
#3
Account Closed
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 0
Re: Hungarian Time
When people ask me what Hungarian is like, I say: See Ya! is hello, Heylo! is goodbye, and after that it just gets worse.
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,096
Re: Hungarian Time
It's quite simple really - but confusing. Hungarian time counts forward whereas UK time counts backwards, that is UK time references the hour just gone and the Hungarian time references the hour to come.
15:15 UK = quarter past 3, Hungarian = three quarters to 4
15:30 UK = half (past) 3 Hungarian = half to 4
The 24 hour clock counts hours and mins in both languages e.g. 15:45 is the same in both languages
15:15 UK = quarter past 3, Hungarian = three quarters to 4
15:30 UK = half (past) 3 Hungarian = half to 4
The 24 hour clock counts hours and mins in both languages e.g. 15:45 is the same in both languages
#5
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: Hungarian Time
Same in German "Halb Vier" is not half PAST four, but half to four !". German has had a huge impact on the Hungarian language. Within Austro-Hungary, German was the dominant language.
Last edited by scot47; Aug 8th 2020 at 7:46 pm.
#6
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,096
Re: Hungarian Time
On the other hand (I'm told) that hello came from Alex Bell the telephone inventor who had a Hungarian assistant who was short on English and when experimenting and the assistant speaking to Bell said HALLOD (Hungarian for can you hear me) Due to poor reception it came though to all as HELLO and the term stuck and got imported in to English.
Hungarian (as with any living language) has gained several imported words since I have been here and I hear English (some times Hunglish) words used in normal conversation
#8
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2020
Location: Preston
Posts: 26
Re: Hungarian Time
When we first started dating, I was an hour late...apparently. haha
#9
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,774
Re: Hungarian Time
Watch post - I'm in Hungary!
Interesting responses.
I caught my wife out on this time format. She told me our friends will come at 1:30pm not two thirty!
Interesting responses.
I caught my wife out on this time format. She told me our friends will come at 1:30pm not two thirty!
#10
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,774
Re: Hungarian Time
I've just remembered it's going to be fun when we have UK visitors and I tell them to be ready at nine thirty and I turn up at 8:30. No doubt they will argue I told them nine thirty but I'll remind them they are in Hungary and it's the other way round!
PS - it will probably be atleast three years before we have visitors from UK. We need find a house, settle down and for myself integrate into Hungarian society, etc. Quite few friends really keen to visit but if we allow them to come too soon it will delay my integration into Hungary.
PS - it will probably be atleast three years before we have visitors from UK. We need find a house, settle down and for myself integrate into Hungarian society, etc. Quite few friends really keen to visit but if we allow them to come too soon it will delay my integration into Hungary.
Last edited by FenTiger; Aug 8th 2020 at 7:45 pm.
#11
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,774
Re: Hungarian Time
For SZIA (aka see ya) we have the yanks to thank for that. seeya was picked up after the 2nd world war from the American soldiers and films and imported into the Hungarian language and yes they use szia for both hello and goodby.
On the other hand (I'm told) that hello came from Alex Bell the telephone inventor who had a Hungarian assistant who was short on English and when experimenting and the assistant speaking to Bell said HALLOD (Hungarian for can you hear me) Due to poor reception it came though to all as HELLO and the term stuck and got imported in to English.
Hungarian (as with any living language) has gained several imported words since I have been here and I hear English (some times Hunglish) words used in normal conversation
On the other hand (I'm told) that hello came from Alex Bell the telephone inventor who had a Hungarian assistant who was short on English and when experimenting and the assistant speaking to Bell said HALLOD (Hungarian for can you hear me) Due to poor reception it came though to all as HELLO and the term stuck and got imported in to English.
Hungarian (as with any living language) has gained several imported words since I have been here and I hear English (some times Hunglish) words used in normal conversation
#12
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2015
Location: Near the Black Forest and near Esztergom
Posts: 923
Re: Hungarian Time
"Halb drei" in German is mainly used in the South - the logic is very simple:
Half of the third hour has passed ...
If you look at "Halb eins" or "fél egy" it should be even more obvious - half of the first hour has passed.
I read somewhere that the Slavs have similar expressions ...
A bit OT:
What took me more time to adapt to was the Hungarian custom of telling weights (or rather mass ...):
Tiz deka is short for tiz dekagram i e 100 gram.
But now I'm used to asking for "Húsz deka sajt kerek" in the Spar eg ...
Half of the third hour has passed ...
If you look at "Halb eins" or "fél egy" it should be even more obvious - half of the first hour has passed.
I read somewhere that the Slavs have similar expressions ...
A bit OT:
What took me more time to adapt to was the Hungarian custom of telling weights (or rather mass ...):
Tiz deka is short for tiz dekagram i e 100 gram.
But now I'm used to asking for "Húsz deka sajt kerek" in the Spar eg ...
#13
Account Closed
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 0
Re: Hungarian Time
Last edited by scrubbedexpat0105; Aug 9th 2020 at 9:25 am.
#14
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,096
Re: Hungarian Time
#15
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,774
Re: Hungarian Time
Our local friends tested me quite a few times yesterday on Hungarian time. I didn't get everything right but atleast I'm slowly learning but need to practice alot.