Hungarian people use a lot of sayings and expressions in daily life which offer advice and even sometimes have hidden meanings.
Check out these proverbs and quotes below to gain some insight into Hungarian beliefs and ways of thinking.
Below I’ve listed famous Hungarian quotes, inspiring Hungarian sayings and common Hungarian proverbs.
Table of Contents
Famous Hungarian Proverbs & Hungarian Sayings With Translation
Below I’ve listed the most famous Hungarian proverbs as well as some common Hungarian sayings with translation. These are used often in day to day life.
- Addig jár a korsó a kútra, míg el nem törik – A mug keeps going to the well until it breaks eventually.
This Hungarian quote means that if you keep taking risks then eventually you will come into trouble.
- A nagy hal megeszi a kishalat – Big fish eat the small fish.
This Hungarian proverb can be related to humans – stronger and more powerful people overpower weaker ones.
- Az élet túl rövid ahhoz, hogy megbánással ébredjünk fel – Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
- A hazug embert hamarabb utolérik, mint a sánta kutyát – They catch the man who lies sooner than the limping dog.
This Hungarian quote means that lies are always uncovered sooner or later.
- Ha nincs ló, jó a szamár is – If there is no horse, a donkey will do as well.
This Hungarian proverb means that even if you know that something better exists, if you can’t access it then the next best thing will do.
- A pénz nem a fán nő – Money doesn’t grow on trees.
This Hungarian saying teaches us not to spend money recklessly.
- Ne igyál előre a medve bőrére – Don’t drink on the bear’s skin in advance.
This Hungarian proverb means that you shouldn’t depend on something hoped for until you know for certain that it will happen.
- Más kárán tanul az okos – The smart one learns from the mistakes of others.
- Ki korán kel, aranyat lel – The early bird catches the worm.
This saying means that those who jump on opportunities early are more likely to succeed.
- Emelkedj felül a viharon, és megtalálod a napfényt – Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.
- Ki mint vet, úgy arat – He who sows reaps.
This Hungarian saying means that the way you behave will determine the treatment you receive back from other people.
- Aki nem dolgozik, ne is egyék – Those who do not work should not eat.
This Hungarian quote means that you have to work to reap the rewards.
- A szükség a legnagyobb tanítómester – Necessity is the greatest teacher.
- Aki mer, az nyer – He who dares, wins.
This Hungarian proverb means that you have to take risks to be successful.
- A harag és a szerelem a legrosszabb tanácsadók – Anger and love are the worst advisors.
This Hungarian quote about love means that you can’t think straight when you are in love or angry so you shouldn’t make big decisions.
- A lónak négy lába van, mégis megbotlik – The horse has four legs and still stumbles.
This proverb means that even the best people can fail.
- Pénz beszél, kutya ugat – Money talks, dog barks.
This proverb means that with money, anything is possible.
- A cél szentesíti az eszközt – The purpose consecrates the means.
This Hungarian saying means that if you are doing something for a noble or important reason then it doesn’t matter how you did it.
- Hideg kéz, meleg szív – Cold hand, warm heart.
This Hungarian proverb about love means that someone who is strict with you, usually just wants the best for you.
- A két legerősebb harcos a türelem és az idő – The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
- Még a falnak is füle van – Even walls have ears.
This Hungarian saying is often used as a warning that you may be overheard.
- Aki másnak vermet ás, maga esik bele – Whoever digs a hole for someone else, will fall in it themselves.
- Az éhség a legjobb szakács – Hunger is the best cook.
- Nem zörög a haraszt, ha a szél nem fújja – The bushes don’t rattle if there’s no wind.
This proverb means that there is usually some true to all rumors.
- Sok kicsi sokra megy – Lots of ‘small’ adds up to one ‘big.’
This Hungarian saying about life is often used to encourage others to save their money.
- Olcsó húsnak híg a leve – Cheap meat produces thin broth.
- Vigyázz a testedre. Az az egyetlen hely, ahol muszáj élned – Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.
- Ne félj attól, hogy lassan haladsz, félj attól, hogy egy helyben állsz – Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
- Nem mind arany, ami fénylik – Not all that glitters is gold.
This proverb in Hungarian means that things are not always what they appear to be.
- Kinek nincsen pénze, ne menjen piacra – He who hasn’t money, shouldn’t go to the market.
This quote means that you shouldn’t do something if you are not qualified to do it.
- Aki délelőtt bolond, délután is az – A fool in the morning is a fool in the afternoon.
- Ha lúd, legyen kövér – If it’s a goose, it should be fat.
This Hungarian proverb means that if you’re going to do something, you may as well experience it to the fullest.
- Nëm esik messze az alma a fájától – The apple falls close to the tree.
This Hungarian proverb means that children often have similar traits to their parents.
- Amelyik kutya ugat, az nem harap – Barking dogs seldom bite.
This saying means that people who make threats rarely carry them out.
- Sok lúd disznót győz – Many geese defeat a pig.
This proverb highlights the importance of teamwork.
- Az egészség az igazi gazdagság, nem pedig az arany és az ezüst – It is health that is real wealth and not gold and silver.
Beautiful Hungarian Quotes & Hungarian Proverbs In English
Below I’ve listed a range of famous and inspirational Hungarian quotes in English and Hungarian as well as well known Hungarian proverbs.
- Az idő minden sebet begyógyít – Time heals all wounds.
This Hungarian quote teaches us to be patient as with time, sadness tends to go away.
- Álmodj félelem nélkül, szeress határok nélkül – Dream without fear, love without limits.
- Ki tudja, mit hoz a holnap – Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
This Hungarian saying teaches us to keep going and always have hope for what the future holds.
- Soha szerelem sóhajtás nélkül édes nem lehet – Love without sighs can never be sweet.
This Hungarian quote about love means that true love always comes with hardships.
- A sikerhez nincs lift. A lépcsőt kell megmásznod – There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.
- A világnak lehet, hogy csak egy valaki vagy, de egy valakinek lehet, hogy a világ vagy – To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
- Ne várj lehetőségre. Teremtsd meg – Don’t wait for an opportunity. Create it.
- A könyvek néma mesterek – Books are silent masters.
- Nincs rövidebb út azokhoz a helyekhez, ahová érdemes elmenni – There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
- A tested az igazán megfizethetetlen tulajdonod. Vigyázz rá – Your body is your most priceless possession. Take care of it.
- Nincsen rózsa tövis nélkül – There is no rose without thorns.
This proverb means that nothing and nobody is perfect.
- A szeretet nem arról szól, mit mondasz. A szerelem arról szól, mit teszel – Love is not what you say. Love is what you do.
- Tudni egy másik nyelven olyan, mintha lenne egy másik lelkünk – To have another language is to possess a second soul.
- Álomban és szerelemben nincs lehetetlenség – In a dream and love, nothing is impossible.
- Az becsüli a pénzt, kinek körme kopik utána – Those who appreciate money broke their nails for it.
This Hungarian quote means that you can only truly appreciate money if you worked hard for it.
- A család olyan, mint egy fa ágai. Különböző irányba megyünk, a gyökereink mégis ugyanazok maradnak – Family is like branches of a tree. We grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.
- A szerelem a bölcset is vakká teszi – Love makes even the wise blind.
This Hungarian proverb about love means that love can make even the wisest of people act irrational.
- A tudás hatalom – Knowledge is power.
- Az idő pénz – Time is money.
This quote means that time is a valuable resource that we can’t get more of.
- Mindenki a maga szerencséjének kovácsa – Everyone is the blacksmith of their own fate.
- Családtag bárki, aki feltétel nélkül szeret téged – Family is anyone who loves you unconditionally.
- Kenyér és bor nélkül meghűl a szerelem – Without bread and wine, love gets cold.
This Hungarian proverb means that love needs to be cherished to keep it alive. You need to put effort into a relationship.
- A siker nem arról szól, hogy mid van, hanem hogy ki vagy – Success is not in what you have, but who you are.
- A tiltott gyümölcs a legédesebb – The forbidden fruit is the sweetest.
- Egyetlen dolog van, ami értékesebb az időnknél, mégpedig az, akire szánjuk azt – There’s only one thing more precious than our time and that’s who we spend it on.
- Egy jó barátot nehéz találni, még nehezebb elhagyni, és lehetetlen elfelejteni – Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
- Ki a kicsit nem becsüli, a nagyot nem érdemli – Who doesn’t appreciate the little does not deserve the big.
- Nincs drágább az időnél – There is nothing more precious than time.
- A legjobb idő az új kezdetekhez most van – The best time for new beginnings is now.
- Egy baráttal sétálni a sötétben jobb, mint egyedül sétálni a fényben – Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.
- Az ételnek jobb íze van, mikor a családoddal eszed – Food tastes better when you eat it with your family.
Best Hungarian Idioms & Hungarian Expressions
Below I’ve listed the most well-known Hungarian idioms and expressions. Many of these have hidden meanings.
- Ismerik, mint a rossz pénzt – He is well-known like bad money.
This Hungarian idiom is used to describe an infamous person who is known to be a bad person.
- Annyi pénze van, mint békán a szőr – He has as much money as a frog has hair.
This Hungarian idiom is used to describe a person who is broke or has no money.
- Ne csinálj szúnyogból elefántot – Don’t make an elephant out of a mosquito.
This saying is used when someone makes a big deal out of something very small.
- A béka feneke alatt van – It is below the bottom of a frog.
This idiom is used when the quality of something is really bad.
- Ajándék lónak ne nézd a fogát – Don’t look at the tooth of a gift horse.
This Hungarian saying means that you shouldn’t look for faults in a gift.
- Eső után köpönyeg – After rain comes a raincoat.
This saying is used when a solution comes too late.
- Majd ha piros hó esik – Only when red snow falls.
This Hungarian idiom is used to describe an impossible situation. It’s like the English saying ‘when pigs fly’.
- Két legyet egy csapásra – Two flies with one hit.
This Hungarian idiom is used to say that you have solved two problems with one solution.
- Bagoly mondja verébnek, hogy nagyfejű – An owl says to a sparrow that they have a big head.
This idiom is used when someone sees fault in someone else while ignoring the same fault in themselves.
- Bolond lyukból bolond szél fúj – Foolish wind blows out of a foolish hole.
This Hungarian idiom means that foolish people can only say foolish things.
- Kenyérre lehet kenni – You can spread him/her on bread.
This funny Hungarian saying is used to describe someone who is naive.
- Ebcsont beforr – A dog’s broken bone will soon be healed.
This Hungarian idiom can be used to say someone’s wound will soon be healed.
- Nem kolbászból van a kerítés – The fence is not made of sausage.
This expression can be used to say ‘it is not as good as you think’.
- Ez nem az én asztalom – This is not my table.
Hungarian people use this expression to say that a task is not their responsibility.
- Ég és föld a különbség – The difference between them is like that between sky and earth.
This idiom is used when there is a big difference between two things.
- Egyik kutya, másik eb – One is a dog, the other is a hound.
This Hungarian saying is used to say that two things are the same.
- Most ugrik a majom a vízbe – The monkey will now jump in the water.
This idiom can be used to say ‘let’s see what happens’.
- Túl nagy fába vágta a fejszéjét – He/she put their axe in too big of a tree.
This expression can be used to say that someone has bitten off more than they can chew.
- Ki mint veti ágyát, úgy alussza álmát – As one makes their bed, so they sleep.
This Hungarian idiom is used when you have to bear the consequences of your actions.
Check out the videos below which feature a range of famous Hungarian quotes and well-known Hungarian sayings & proverbs.
Thanks for reading this post on the best Hungarian quotes about life, famous Hungarian sayings and fascinating Hungarian proverbs.
These Hungarian quotes & sayings give an interesting insight into the Hungarian beliefs and language.
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