Boldog esküvőt kívánunk.

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• boldog = happy
• esküvőt = wedding (here in the accusative form)
• kívánunk = we wish

So structurally, it is literally We wish [you] a happy wedding.

The -t ending marks the accusative case, which usually shows the direct object of the verb.

Here, the thing being wished is a happy wedding, so esküvő needs the accusative:

• esküvő = wedding
• esküvőt = wedding (as the direct object)

This is very common in Hungarian:

• könyv → könyvet
• nap → napot
• esküvő → esküvőt

No. In Hungarian, when an adjective stands directly before a noun, it usually does not agree with the noun in case or number.

So even though esküvőt is accusative, the adjective stays in its basic form:

• boldog esküvő = happy wedding
• boldog esküvőt = happy wedding (as object)

This is different from many Indo-European languages, and it often surprises English speakers.

Hungarian often leaves out the article in greetings, wishes, and set expressions like this.

So Boldog esküvőt kívánunk sounds natural as a general wish: We wish you a happy wedding.

If you added an article, it would sound more specific:

• A boldog esküvőt kívánunk would not sound natural here.

In short: in this kind of wishing formula, no article is normal.

kívánunk is the verb kíván = to wish, in:

• present tense
• first person plural
• indefinite conjugation

So it means we wish.

This could be used by:

• a group of people
• a family
• a company
• the writers of a card/message

This is about the Hungarian indefinite vs. definite conjugation.

Hungarian verbs often have two sets of endings:

• indefinite conjugation
• definite conjugation

Here, the object is esküvőt, but it is not a specific, definite thing with a/az or something like that wedding. It is a general wished-for thing, so Hungarian uses the indefinite form:

• kívánunk = we wish
• kívánjuk = we wish it / we wish the specific one

So Boldog esküvőt kívánunk is the expected form.

It is simply not expressed, because Hungarian often leaves out elements that are obvious from context.

In English, we say We wish you a happy wedding.
In Hungarian, the you can be omitted if it is clear who the wish is for.

If you wanted to include it, you could say:

• Boldog esküvőt kívánunk nektek. = We wish you all a happy wedding.
• Boldog esküvőt kívánunk önöknek. = We wish you a happy wedding. (formal/plural)

So the shorter version is natural and common.

Yes, it is grammatical and understandable, especially in a card or formal message.

However, many Hungarians might more naturally say things like:

• Sok boldogságot! = Much happiness!
• Boldog házasságot! = A happy marriage!
• Gratulálunk! = Congratulations!

That is because people often wish not just for the wedding day itself, but for the couple’s future life together.

So Boldog esküvőt kívánunk works, but it may sound a little more literal than some more idiomatic wedding wishes.

This is an important distinction:

• esküvő = the wedding, the ceremony/event
• házasság = the marriage, the relationship/status after the wedding

So:

• Boldog esküvőt kívánunk = We wish you a happy wedding.
• Boldog házasságot kívánunk = We wish you a happy marriage.

English speakers often blur these ideas, but Hungarian distinguishes them clearly.

Yes, Hungarian word order is flexible, but the version here is the most neutral and natural for a simple wish:

• Boldog esküvőt kívánunk.

This puts the object phrase boldog esküvőt before the verb, which is very normal.

Other word orders are possible, but they may sound marked or put emphasis somewhere else. For a standard greeting, this version is the best one to learn first.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

BOL-dog ESH-küü-vøøt KII-vaa-noonk

A few helpful notes:

• s in Hungarian sounds like English sh
• kívánunk has a long í and á
• ő is a long rounded vowel, somewhat like a long version of the vowel in French peu or German schön, though not exactly

A more technical pronunciation is approximately:

[ˈboldoɡ ˈɛʃkyvøːt ˈkiːvaːnuŋk]

The stress in Hungarian is always on the first syllable of each word.