5 comments about Colloquial Hungarian: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series).

1. I've got to admit, the book is great, the text is follow-able after listening to the dialogs a couple of times, but it could have been a little more conversational, implementing more basic expressions, and the grammar could be more thoroughly organized.
   
   As with the Routledge series, they're not very big on extra dialog material (those without previous knowledge of the language are somewhat at a loss) as for two CD's could hold a lot more spoken dialog than they do.
   
   The conversations were fun and upbeat and the book itself is very well written, only flaw is that it could have been a little more "basic".



2. This book, as I said earlier, is the best small, self study book to learn Hungarian from. My grandparents are from Hungary, and my mother speaks it, so I had the advantage of having a native speaker to practice what I learned with. The grammar in this book is given in very simple, bitesized, easily digestible tidbits. They are small enough to tuck into your memory and then remember it at the needed moment.
   
   This book also has many real life example, such as poems, songs etc. These help, because they give a sense of how the language REALLY is, outside the context of obviously artificial dialouges.
   
   I would like to be fair and put one drawback to this book. The the truth is I can't think of one. This book is a truly marvelous addition to the effort to learn such a unique and sometimes difficult language.



3. 
   This is a great beginner's book, but not a novice's book. Its teaching is clear and the examples are excellent. Despite claiming to be for beginners, it starts at a little higher level than does Pontifex's book, and goes a little further. As a complete novice you may, therefore, wish to read Pentifex's book first. For example, this book goes as far as detailing the hat/het and the at/tat/et/tet grammars. The grammar does not go as far as Whitney's 1964 gem.
   
   The book gives complete translations for the readings in the first 3 or 4 chapters, after which the pace is stepped-up considerably and no translations are given. The exercises are not as many or as varied in style as Pontifex's.
   
   The quality of the explanation of concepts is second-to-none, but like many other books this suffers from giving a reading that introduces a new concept before that concept is explained. I personally don't like this style, as it may leave the read going around in circles trying to understand (or trying to remember their non-existent understanding of) the grammar. It also suffers from introducing words that exemplify a concept but are not particularly useful in everyday (NB. "Colloquial Hungarian") conversation, such as "parrot".
   
   After the readings a useful, alphabetical glossary is given, but like so many other books it assumes that the reader has a perfect memory and does not remind him of words mentioned in previous glossaries. This means that lots of flicking to the dictionary is necessary for those with imperfect (or otherwise full) minds.
   
   At the end is a good dictionary (but unlike Whitney's dictionary it is not integrated with an index), full conjugation tables of the big seven irregular verbs, tables of examples of irregular (e.g. vowel-dropping) nouns in various cases, etc.
   
   The book has optional audio CDs but I do not own these.



4. Up until chapter 8 the book is actually very good, which is why I don't give it just one star, so half the book usable.
   
   However, as from chapter 8 it suddenly becomes a completely different book:
   
   - the grammar is dreadfully and lazily explained as they just list a whole bunch of cases, pronoun changes etc. for you to memorize from lists, usually without examples and exercises
   
   - each chapter suddenly wants the learner to memorize around 80 new words, which completely changes the reader's learning pace, as it is significantly slowed down and you have spend weeks on a single 20 page chapter, whereas before you could complete a chapter in one week
   
   It is as if the authors realized they were running out of time and decided to cram as much as possible into the reminding chapters of the book. Absolutely shameful.
   
   I have enough experience with languages to make the claim that, with Hungarian, the crucial part is getting a grip on the grammar - everything else, vocabulary and pronunciation, is simple in comparison.
   So when you start with Hungarian it is crucial that you get a book that explains the grammar very clearly and at a decent pace so that you can assimilate it well.
   
   If you have alot of time on your hands and alot of patience, by all means, get Colloquial, it is very thorough in what it covers.
   But if you want to learn basic Hungarian in a more reasonable time-frame and avoid frustration, then don't get this book.
   
   A book I can recommend if you want to learn the grammar more clearly, and the basics of the language in a decent time-range, is Hungarian Basic Course (Hippocrene Language Studies), it will make you grasp of Hungarian grammar very solid.



5. I've been using this book as my main language learning vehicle for over two years.
   After losing my first instructor and a several month delay I started over again.
   The first 100 pages or so goes pretty fast and then the book seems to both change
   gears and become increasingly difficult. You really have to want to learn Hungarian
   to get much past this point. I have found it useful but I also find myself looking for another solution. I find no excuse for the many spelling errors in a language
   book.

5 comments about Hungarian-English/English-Hungarian Concise Dictionary (Hippocrene Concise Dictionary).

1. If you're traveling as a tourist, this dictionary should be adequate for your needs. The dictionary is what it is: concise. However, as a student studying Hungarian, I feel that a volume that encompasses more would better serve the purpose of a reference book. As the book has only 10,000 words, I found many gaps when I went to look up a word in Hungarian or to try to find the Hungarian translation of an English word. A handy quick reference, but be sure that that's all you need it for.



2. This dictionary is the perfect size for traveling. It offers a wide array of words in both English and Hungarian, plus helpful information on pronunciation, basic grammar and conversions. Highly recommend it for beginners.



3. They could have put the text in 2 columns, and included 1/3 again as many words. There were so many words we looked up that were not there, it was very frustrating.
   
   It's a handy size, and did a nice job of concisely explaining the structure of the Hungarian Language.
   
   Plus it really needed a few pages of basic phrases.



4. Here's another pocket guide I will definitely pack on the next trip to Budapest. I'll have on hand something to quickly check the meanings of the strange, Finnish-like language I doubt I can ever learn.
   
   I highly recommend this guide, particularly at the low used prices. My copy, supposedly used, came in clean, bright and new-looking condition.
   
   I couldn't be happier.



5. One day my 89-year-old mother lamented she could no longer remember many of the Hungarian words used in her youth by her own mother. The lightbulb went off! "Buy her a Hungarian dictionary," so I did. It took all of five minutes to find and order on Amazon.com. And she loves it! Arrived just a few days after placing the order in pristine condition. I am very pleased with my purchase and have turned to Amazon.com several times since. In fact, expecting a few books any day.

2 comments about Hungarian Verbs & Essentials of Grammar 2E. (Verbs and Essentials of Grammar Series) (v. 2).

1. This is the 2nd edition of the book--I have both. Very useful to check grammar points, verb endings. It's pared down so a lot of context is missing. But it means that it is light enough to carry in my bag.



2. This book is a useful quick reference, but its explanations are brief and can leave a student of Hungarian wanting more if one is struggling to understand a new concept or grammatical feature of the language. I find the fact that the index comes before a number of verb tables frustrating as it is often faster to flip through the pages to find the section one wants rather than flipping through the end of the book in search of the index. The explanations are at times too brief to grasp the form and function of different elements of the language, something Carol H. Rounds' Hungarian: An Essential Grammar Hungarian: An Essential Grammar, 2nd edition does very well. Still, this book is a useful tool if you are looking for a reminder about the form of a verb or grammatical feature that you previously studied and already understand.

5 comments about Hungarian-English/English-Hungarian Dictionary and Phrasebook (Hippocrene Dictionary & Phrasebooks).

1. All I can say is that when in provincial Hungary, an English-speaker is not necessarily found. This portable phrasebook and simple dictionary serves the purpose, and using it, I was able to communicate in a limited fashion, along with gestures and smiles. The price and size are right, and it'll help you navigate in a part of Europe that still may expect German or even Russian speakers more often than intrepid and often mono-lingual Anglophones.



2. I bought this book to help me translate messages and Hungarian ancestral documents for my genealogical research. This book is has very limited vocabulary. I am currently searching for a better more comprehensive Hungarian/English dictionary. Spend more money and buy a better book.



3. Because the Hungariqan alphabet and especially the pronunciation is different from English, it it a must to have next to each Hungarian word or phrase, its pronunciation - and this book it missing it!
   Yes, they have pronunciation of letters in separate page, but you have to look back each time you want to learn how to prononuce a word.
   If you're a beginner, stay away from this book.



4. Excellent! Perfect for the Hungarian speaker who wants to learn, or refresh their language skills, especially while using the Hungarian TV shows online. This book is great for easy quick reference.



5. Hungarian is so different from romance languages and English that one finds oneself literally out in the cold when listening to even the most basic conversation in Magyar. But on my next Hungarian sojourn, I will definitely bring it along.
   
   An uneducated English speaker might think the commonly used Magyar word "jo," for example, to mean "I," or yes. It's neither. Yes is "igen," and "jo" means "good." So when you hear someone saying "Jo, jo, jo, jo," which is also very common in Hungarian exchanges, you'll at least understand that the people approve of whatever it is they are talking about.
   
   This slim 148-page book contains a pronunciation guide and a short discussion of complex Magyar grammar, as well as a 40-page dictionary containing the most commonly used Hungarian words and a 70-page phrasebook, divided according to topics, i.e. transportation, personal data, hotels, restaurants, and the like.
   
   I believe this neat little volume (less wide than Zagat's), could have been a lifesaver on my last trip to Hungary's gorgeous countryside. To be sure, next time I will not "leave home without it."
   
   Highly recommended, especially at the amazingly low "used" prices.

5 comments about Tamil for Beginners.

1. Referring to Vols. 1 and 2
   
   As a tamilian-american born and raised in the US, I was looking for a self-study book for learning to read and write tamil as well as for improving my spoken tamil and vocabulary. I am fairly fluent in colloquial tamil. Therefore, I was also particular that the book did not solely focus on the more authentic tamil currently found on TV news and other media. For my purposes, this book is superb! It provides crystal clear explanations of the types of letters and their sounds. The rules to combine letters (sounds) are also very clearly explained. There are, of course, some typos and certain exceptions to some of the rules are missing. However, these are very few in number. Ms. Hart has done an amazing job of distilling the structure of the language into a relatively small set of rules that, for the most part, capture all there is to know in order to be intelligible. In my experience, native speakers rarely have enough grasp to accomplish this, regardless of the language.
   
   The section on grammar rules is quite comprehensive but may require the reader to be familiar with some grammatical terminology not often stressed in American schools. Some of this terminology may have only been introduced to the typical american student when he/she first takes a foreign language and usually this terminology is not emphasized. However, refamiliarizing oneself with this is not too difficult.
   
   The dictionaries at the end do contain many commonly used words and can prove useful.
   
   All in all, the book certainly is excellent in helping me accomplish my goals. Highly recommended!!!



2. I gave too much weight to the Amazon reviews when deciding between this book and Ron Asher's Colloquial Tamil. As a complete beginner who will soon spend a year in semi-rural Tamil Nadu, I want a book that will get me up to speed as soon as possible. Hart's book is very good for learning to read. Unfortunately, a lot of the basic vocabulary (like "how are you?") is used only by Brahmins. It wouldn't be a problem if Hart specifically noted this, and also gave alternate phrases, but she doesn't. Although I'm a Brahmin, I want to be able to communicate with all types of people without giving offense. So, I ultimately decided to go with the Asher books. And, unlike the reviewer of Asher's CDs who found that the speakers spoke too fast, I think they are very good at approximating native speech patterns. However, the Asher book and CD should be used in conjunction -- which is not clear from the Amazon page. If I hit you you will die.



3. I'm a native speaker of Tamil. I got this book because I never formally studied in school and my vocaublary is very limited.
   
   The introduction goes over the vowels, consonants and how to write conjunct characters. There are a few typos but it's written in a way that would suffice for most people. I was able get along with this book but it occured to my that if you don't already know some Tamil you would be very frustrated.
   
   This is what I mean... Every lesson follows the same format: a conversation (in Tamil), a vocabulary section (with English meanings of Tamil words) and exercises. There is little or no grammar in each lesson. For that you'll have to look at part 2 of the book. Consider Lesson 1 for example. It begins with a conversation written in Tamil with no phonetic translations. (You are expected to have leaned to read the charactes by now.) There is no translation of these sentences to Englist either. You'll have to do that yourself using the vocubalary section. But before looking up a word, you'll first locate and remove from the words any suffixes such as the ingerrogative suffix -a (for yes/no questions) or the suffix -um which means 'and'. the rules for adding the suffixes are not explained. Needless to say you have to figure out lots of rules yourself just to understand a simple conversation. The excercises in lesson 1 want you to convert a few sentences into the negative and to form yes/no questions but the lesson doesn't teach you that. It doesn't even teac hteach youthat the word order is Sub-Obj-Verb, which you need to know to do the exercises.
   
   I wonder if this book was originally written for native speakers to be used in Indian schools. Well, it's pretty unfortunate that this is considered the best book around. Excatly who benefits from this book? You might.. if you already speak the language somewhat and can read the script. Otherwise, if you have studied several foreign languages extensively, have a good background in linguistics and would like to take the challenge of learning a new language on your own.



4. I've used this book for self-study, but in conjunction with a set of a dozen audio cassettes. I acquired these directly from the publisher, UC Berkeley Langauge Center. I can't imagine using this book without the audio component. Compared to the excellent Asher Colloquial Tamil, the Hart audio does use a very slow pace of speaking, and this is really helpful for the beginning foreigner, the intended audience of this book (Asher's audio is absolutely much more realistic yet uses too much English and is a little too fast at the beginning, I'd say.) As noted, the Hart book is Brahmin Tamil, and the book doesn't tell you that.



5. Quality materials on Tamil are hard to find. This is definitely a resource worth having. The book begins with the script, (and the author thoughtfully provides handwritten examples), so that a learner can master the basics of writing before moving into speaking, and avoiding the bother of learning a transcription native speakers can't read and that he/she will never use again. The lessons begin with simple conversations on everyday topics and move on to conversations on more difficult and abstract ideas. Each lesson contains extensive lists of useful vocabulary that can quite readily be plugged into the sentence patterns already learned. To get the most of this book, however, one should also obtain the audio and the accompanying grammar manual (both should be available from Cal Berkeley).
   The tapes that I obtained were of excellent quality, but the speech is quite slow compared to the astounding rate of speed at which native speakers actually talk; The CDs that accompany Asher's 'Colloquial Tamil', which is also excellent, give the learner a much more realistic picture of what he will encounter when he actually starts to participate in the wonderful world of spoken Tamil. A minus is that there is no answer key for the exercises, which are good and reflect the material presented- this is where knowing a native speaker would come in very handy.

2 comments about Hungarian, Conversational: Learn to Speak and Understand Hungarian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Conversational).

1. If you are new to hungarian this is an excellent way to start and keep going , pimsleurs method is absolutely genius you hear it and remember it better than almost any other products i have tried buy this if you wanna learn another language you won't regret it. it was easier for me since i already knew quite a bit of hungarian beforehand from my gfs family but anyone can do good with this program. tanulak magyarul nagyon jol, en egy kicsit beszelek magyarul de nem beszelek nagyon jol :-0



2. These CDs are a ridiculous waste of money. The rate is so slow that with any normal language program you would have learned all this in the first few hours. I am on the third-to-last CD and they finally introduced the number 20. Until now only a handful of phrases have been introduced and repeated ad nauseum. I will certainly not be able to "converse" with anyone after completing these CDs.

4 comments about A Practical Hungarian Grammar.

1. Finally a book that is a great source both for people who want to learn or brush up their Hungarian on their own and for those who take Hungarian classes. As a Hungarian teacher I find it very useful in preparing for grammar lessons. The book covers the entire Hungarian grammar in small, manageable chapters. A typical chapter consists of a one page long explanation of the particular grammar topic and another one or two pages of practice - everything is conveniently at the same place so you don't have to go back and forth if you need reference. This structure makes it easy to use and prevents it from getting overwhelming. As for the explanations, they are clear and concise, and also give a few good examples on usage.
   I also really like the exercises that follow the explanations. They challenge the learner grammar wise but they use simple, everyday vocabulary that reflects the spoken language, so you can actually see yourself using the sentences in real life. It's a big plus that it comes with an answer key and grammar charts at the end of the book - great for self-study. Last but not least the illustrations are beautifully done. Some of the little drawings are miniature works of art, and they add a lot to the overall look of the book.
   I highly recommend this book for both students and teachers of Hungarian.



2. This is THE book for the ones who, like myself, are trying boldly to tame this wonderful and delicate language - the Hungarian.
   Highly recommended!
   Buy it without fear!
   And please, you guys at Amazon, enhance even more the amount of books to learn Hungarian in a deep way.
   We need some book like the Barron's collection 501 verbs!!!!
   Thanx a lot!



3. My wife is hungarian and I have been trying to learn her native language for the past 6 years, from self study to personal tutors and intensive courses in hungary. Of the many grammar books that I have used, I must say that this is clearly the best, and the only one I felt deserved some positive feedback.
   First the layout is extremely clear, with the "lesson page" facing the related "exercise page", something I found really useful for practicing and anchoring the new grammatical aspects on the spot. Second, and very important to me, the rules seem to avoid any excessive complexity and focus on practical use of the language, always accompanied by examples. For someone like me (I'm not a linguist!) this is most helpful and I feel I am not unduly buried under an overly technical jargon. This is not to say that the book is simplistic or incomplete, on the contrary, but that the authors somehow empathized with the foreign student and kept a practical view on the language. Third the book is bilingual hungarian-english, which truly helps avoiding confusion. Last but not least, there is a great 50 pages appendix section that includes conjugation tables, irregularities, prefixes, transitive verbs, etc..: I have used the book for about 2 months now and I find myself constantly referring to this section.
   This book has become my preferred companion to the hungarian grammar and I would totally recommend it to anybody serious about learning this language.



4. I have studied Hungarian for quit a time now. As the Hungarian language belong to the ugrian language group very different from the indoeuropean language group the grammar is very different. This book is the best as it does not only present the grammer rules as is the presentation takes off with practical exercises. Those exercises use good pedagogics. The book focuses on the grammer and vocabulary which corresponds to the B1, lower intermadiate level, examination of the Common European Framework för Languages. The book cover also studies that aim to more advanced levels. I found this book very useful and it will help me to improve my hungarian a great deal.

4 comments about Hungarian, Basic: Learn to Speak and Understand Hungarian with Pimsleur Language Programs.

1. Because I studied Latin, Romance languages pose no problem for me. I have tried to learn Turkish and Czech for trips to those countries but did not progress very well with the programs I tried. I decided to give Pimsleur a shot at Hungarian because of a recommendation in a book. I had tried another program and got nowhere. I'm over half way through the basic program and am very pleased. The only criticism I have is that it is aurally based. They claim that this is do prevent one from speaking with an American accent. However, I also want to know how to read the language. Still, I feel further along in Hungarian than I ever did in Czech or Turkish. I'll be ordering the next level soon. For non Romance languages in the future, I'll go with Pimsleur.



2. This is a good cd for someone who knows no Hungarian or very little Hungarian. I listen to it in the car.



3. these are great but if you do research you can find the entire set online for cheaper, hence the 4 stars. This part is good for some basic vocab, but not everyday conversation. If you want to learn Hungarian, and trust me it's a rather difficult language, get the whole set Pimsleur produces a great product.



4. This unit covers a very limited amount of vocabulary and grammar, but what's there is useful and presented very effectively so that you learn it and can use it. And the audio quality is excellent, so that if you have any ear for a language's sounds at all, you are going to get it right, which is a critical basis for any subsequent learning. If there is a downside to this, it's that Hungarians will think that you speak better or more than you do, but frankly, this entirely accomplishes the purpose of breaking the ice and creating a good first impression, from which cooperation makes getting things done possible. At the price, it would be hard to find a better first exposure to Hungarian.

5 comments about Hungarian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

1. I took one term of Hungarian in college, and I've been to Hungary a few times (but only for a few days each time). So I tried getting this book to relearn some of the language before going back to Hungary this year. It helped me do just that, and I was able to converse with plenty of non-English speaking Hungarians. This is a well-written book.
   
   But how much will this book help you if you don't know Hungarian at all? I'm not so sure. To communicate in a language, I think you really need to hear it spoken and painstakingly learn a bunch of vocabulary words (I like using flashcards to do this). I think it will be more of a help to those who already know something about the language, or at least have access to someone who can help them practice it.
   
   I'm glad I got this book. I recommend it.



2. This pocket book is a must-have for anyone who, like me, has an interest in learning Hungarian or who plans to visit Hungary. Concise & comprehensive, it's a winner. The only drawback is that the 'pronunciation' provided seems to be geared to travelers from the UK &, as such, can cause difficulties for No. Americans. This ancient, beautifully soft, & richly vocalic language is certainly complicated for an English speaker. Along with a Törkenczy grammar any traveler should be speedily humming along in party town Budapest. These people are warm, friendly, & openly admire most anyone willing to tackle their tongue, not to mention the cuisine & the wines!



3. With help from this guidebook I was able to pronounce words off of menus well enough to where servers were pleased with me and eager to help me out. My last phrasebook left people in Poland laughing at me as the phonetic guides led me astray. The problem with this guide is that it was not correct with some of the basic words a traveller would want. Our hotel staff told us that we were using antiquated, formal versions for certain greetings and interactive words, and gave a lesson on what to say (and when) instead. We also found that we got blank stares when we asked about dinner at a resturant. We pointed out the word in the book and the server looked very confused. I guess this book fails to even provide a correct translation for "dinner"...and who knows what else? I was glad to have this book along -- it is basically useful -- but I've got to assume other guides do a better job with getting some of the basics right. If you book at a big hotel you can save a few dollars by getting a free, accurate lesson from the staffers, and forgetting this guide.



4. I love this book. It's small enough to just throw in your bag and go when you are exploring a new city. Since moving to Budapest, it has come in handy several times over - and the pronunciation is superb! It has every helpful phrase you need when traveling abroad!
   
   I think this book could be used for travelers of any age - though the "romance" section may be limited to the younger population.
   
   One thing I would like to see in future publications though is maybe a map of the city - or at least a map of the metro.
   
   I would buy this book - and others from the series - without hesitation in the future. I am a huge fan of Lonely Planet products so having this book in my library is just the icing on the cake!



5. This phrasebook is filled with loads of well-organized information and superb vocab words - I thouroughly enjoyed reading it from cover to cover while on the plane to Budapest. However, once I arrived in Hungary I was a bit disappointed to find that everyone spoke English (at least in the Budapest area). The phrases I tried got a few smiles, but the only truly useful part of the book was the dictionary. It was quite helpful in reading signs, ads, posters, menus etc.
   In spite of the little use I got out of it, I would still recommend taking this phrasebook to Hungary. It provides a bit of security for the short-term traveler and would become more useful the longer you stayed (especially for those who can speak a bit of Hungarian already or those who are studying the language).

5 comments about Hungarian Practical Dictionary: Hungarian-English English-Hungarian (Hippocrene Practical Dictionaries) (Hungarian Edition).

1. This is a good dictionary for someone like me who knows some hungarian because you can look up words either way.



2. Excellent! Perfect for the Hungarian speaker who wants to learn, or refresh their language skills, especially while using the Hungarian TV shows online. This book is great for easy,quick,complete,reference.



3. Now, normally Hippocrene publishes these concise (less than 10,000 translations) and commercial (New Times Font, no idiom markings) dictionaries, surprisingly about many of the world's less-commonly-studied languages. This dictionary has to be one of the better reference books published by Hippocrene which I have ever come across.
   
   A good, handy dictionary and very recommended!



4. We recently moved to Hungary and purchased this dictionary before we moved. It's bulky but it still goes with us on all of our shopping trips, especially for grocery shopping. We have two small children so knowing ingredients is very important to me. There is very little english spoken or written in our part of the country so this has become our "go to" book. The Hungarian language has such a large amount of words, you really need this larger dictionary. The small travel dictionaries aren't enough. Helpful hint: Hungarians use lots of suffixes when you can't find a word break up the syllables and look for them and put them together. This usually is the key for the hard to find words!
   Viszlat!



5. Hungarian Practical Dictionary: Hungarian-English English-Hungarian (Hippocrene Practical Dictionaries) (Hungarian Edition)
   
   The dictionary is concise and easy to use with thousands of entries.