Hungarian speakers choose a directive according to urgency, burden, relationship, and how much choice the listener should feel. A bare imperative can be caring among friends or necessary in danger; a conditional question can be respectful but manipulative if the request is unreasonable. Politeness lives in the whole interaction, not in a detachable translation of please. The basic morphology is on the forms page.
Direct action when speed or routine matters
An imperative is natural for urgent warnings, routine coordination, instructions, and close relationships. Informal second-person forms need not sound rude when the shared situation makes the request expected.
Vigyázz, jön egy biciklis!
Watch out, there's a cyclist coming!
Tedd a tejet a hűtőbe, amikor hazaérsz!
Put the milk in the refrigerator when you get home! (informal)
In a formal encounter, third-person imperative forms align with Ön/maga address. A greeting, kérem, or explanation can soften them.
Kérem, mutassa fel a beszállókártyáját az ellenőrzésnél!
Please show your boarding pass at the inspection point. (formal)
The imperative presents the action as expected. In safety rules and official procedures, this clarity may be more appropriate than pretending the action is optional.
Giving room to decline with a conditional question
Tudnál...? informal and Tudna...? formal ask about the addressee's ability in a hypothetical frame. They are useful for favors, interruptions, and tasks outside an obvious routine.
Tudnál vigyázni a macskára szombat délután?
Could you look after the cat on Saturday afternoon? (informal)
Meg tudná mondani, melyik vágányról indul a pécsi vonat?
Could you tell me which platform the train to Pécs leaves from? (formal)
A reason can acknowledge burden: Tudnál segíteni? Egyedül nem bírom felemelni. Adding several softeners does not compensate for failing to recognize a large favor; give the listener a real way to refuse.
Requesting goods and services
At a café, ticket office, or shop, Kérnék... is a conventional customer request. It introduces an indefinite item; Kérném... selects a known definite item. Szeretnék... is also common, especially with an infinitive describing a service.
Kérnék egy hosszú kávét kevés tejjel.
I'd like a long coffee with a little milk.
Szeretnék kontrollvizsgálatra időpontot kérni jövő csütörtökre.
I'd like to make a follow-up appointment for next Thursday.
Kérném azt a kisebb dobozt a felső polcról.
I'd like that smaller box from the upper shelf.
English Can I get...? translated literally with kap can sound as if the speaker is asking about possibility rather than placing an order. Hungarian typically presents the speaker's request with kérek/kérnék/szeretnék.
Legyen szíves for explicit courteous direction
Legyen szíves + infinitive or legyen szíves + formal imperative is useful in service, administration, and stranger interactions. Informal légy szíves belongs with second-person forms.
Legyen szíves kitölteni ezt a rövid kérdőívet!
Please fill in this short questionnaire. (formal)
Légy szíves, szólj rám öt perccel indulás előtt!
Please remind me five minutes before we leave! (informal)
The formula can sound firm because it treats cooperation as expected. For a substantial favor, a conditional question often leaves more room: Ki tudná tölteni...?
Tessék as invitation and handover
Hosts, clerks, and professionals use tessék to invite movement or action: Tessék bejönni, Tessék leülni, Tessék választani. When handing over an object, Tessék means “Here you are.” Its meaning comes from the activity.
Tessék helyet foglalni, a doktornő hamarosan fogadja.
Please take a seat; the doctor will see you shortly.
– Elkészült a másolat? – Igen, tessék.
– Is the copy ready? – Yes, here you are.
Bare Tessék? may invite repetition (“Pardon?”), answer a knock, or signal “go ahead.” It is not one universal equivalent of English please.
Csak: permission, encouragement, or warning
With a welcoming intonation, csak reassures someone that an action is allowed: Jöjjön csak be!, Kérdezz csak! It often translates as “do,” “go ahead,” or nothing at all.
Kérdezz csak nyugodtan, ha az új feladatban valami nem világos!
Feel free to ask if anything in the new assignment isn't clear! (informal)
Tessék csak közelebb jönni, innen jobban látszik a térkép.
Do come closer; the map is easier to see from here. (formal)
With sharp stress, Várj csak! can mean “Just you wait!” The particle's social force is intonational and contextual, so inserting it mechanically may strengthen rather than soften.
Offers and hospitality
Hungarian hosts may use a question, an imperative, or both: Kérsz még levest? Vegyél nyugodtan! Repeated offering can express care, especially across generations, but guests retain ways to accept or set a limit.
Kér még egy kis kávét, vagy inkább hozhatok teát?
Would you like a little more coffee, or may I bring tea instead? (formal)
Vegyél még a pogácsából, van bőven!
Have some more of the savory scones; there's plenty! (informal hospitality)
Köszönöm, kérek accepts. Köszönöm, elég volt or Köszönöm, nem kérek többet refuses without rejecting the host's goodwill.
Invitations, acceptance, and refusal
An invitation normally states the event and creates response space. Van kedved...? is informal; Szeretettel meghívjuk... is a written (formal) formula. Acceptance can be Örömmel, Szívesen, or Köszönöm, ott leszek.
Van kedvetek vasárnap velünk kirándulni?
Would you like to go hiking with us on Sunday? (informal)
Örömmel elmegyek, köszönöm a meghívást.
I'd be delighted to come; thank you for the invitation.
Refusal typically begins by recognizing the offer, then gives the refusal and, if useful, a reason.
Nagyon köszönöm, de vasárnap családi programunk van, így most nem tudunk csatlakozni.
Thank you very much, but we have a family commitment on Sunday, so we can't join you this time.
This is not evasive grammar: it protects the relationship while clearly declining.
A short dialogue
– Tessék bejönni! Kér egy kávét? – Köszönöm, egy pohár vizet kérnék. – Persze. Foglaljon csak helyet, mindjárt hozom. – Nagyon köszönöm.
– Please come in! Would you like coffee? – Thank you; I'd like a glass of water. – Of course. Do take a seat; I'll bring it right away. – Thank you very much.
The host uses formal third person, tessék, a question offer, and encouraging csak. The guest uses conditional kérnék. No single item carries all the politeness.
Formal and informal comparison
Elnézést, meg tudná ismételni az utolsó mondatot?
Excuse me, could you repeat the last sentence? (formal)
Bocs, mondd még egyszer az utolsó mondatot!
Sorry, say the last sentence again! (informal)
The formal request combines apology, third-person conditional, and a question. The informal request uses a colloquial apology and imperative inside an established close relationship.
Common Mistakes
❌ Tudok kapni egy cappuccinót, kérem?
Overliteral English request: this asks about the speaker's ability to receive one rather than naturally placing an order.
✅ Kérnék egy cappuccinót.
I'd like a cappuccino.
❌ Legyen szíves, segít nekem!
Incorrect: an indicative verb cannot serve as the requested action after this formula.
✅ Legyen szíves, segítsen nekem!
Please help me. (formal)
❌ Köszönöm, nem kérek menni.
Incorrect literal refusal: kér does not combine with menni to mean declining an invitation.
✅ Köszönöm a meghívást, de sajnos most nem tudok elmenni.
Thank you for the invitation, but unfortunately I can't go this time.
Key Takeaways
- Use imperatives for urgent, routine, or relationship-licensed directives.
- Conditional questions acknowledge burden and leave apparent room to decline.
- Kérnék/kérném is the core service-request contrast; do not model orders on English Can I get...?
- Legyen/légy szíves, tessék, and csak have distinct social functions.
- Offers and invitations need culturally natural acceptance and refusal, not just grammatical yes/no answers.
- Social distance is distributed across person, title, formula, indirectness, reason, and intonation.
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Start learning Hungarian →Related Topics
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