Let's Learn Hungarian!

Fun lessons with Steve and Györgyi

  • Audio lessons
  • Learning resources
  • Premium materials
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Policies
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / audio / Budapest Metro recording: “Az ajtók záródnak!”

Budapest Metro recording: “Az ajtók záródnak!”

May 6, 2017 By Let's Learn Hungarian!

If you visit Budapest or live here, and if you take public transportation with any frequency, then you’re sure to hear recorded notices in Hungarian over the loudspeaker while riding the Metro system.

And if you’re like me, you may even hear these every day!

Budapest Metro car
Budapest Metro car. Source: BKV.hu

Of course, to get the meaning you could just listen to the English version that usually follows the Hungarian, recorded by local resident Rachel Appleby. But at Let’s Learn Hungarian we’re here to learn Hungarian! And I found a fantastic site that lists all of the recordings from the Metro in one place.

They even write down the Hungarian text for each recording. But what do these mean in English??

Let’s take the two easiest recordings on this site, which are anyway very similar to each other, and examine them:

“Tessék vigyázni, az ajtók záródnak.”

https://www.letslearnhungarian.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tessek-vigyazni.mp3

 

“Szíveskedjenek vigyázni, az ajtók záródnak.”

https://www.letslearnhungarian.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sziveskedjenek-vigyazni.mp3


 
As you can see, these two phrases differ only by one word, and mean basically the same thing.

Tessék vigyázni, az ajtók záródnak. – Please be careful, the doors are closing.
Szíveskedjenek vigyázni, az ajtók záródnak. – Please (be so kind as to) be careful, the doors are closing.


Let’s break them down word-by-word:

tessék – please (in this context)

szíveskedjenek – please be so kind as to (3p. plural, imperative, formal form)

verb stem: szíveskedik – be so kind as to

Obviously, “szíveskedjenek” is a more formal way of saying “please” than “tessék.” But in this context they have basically the same meaning.

vigyázni – to be careful (infinitive)

verb stem: vigyáz – be careful

Note that we have to use the infinitive after either “tessék” or “szíveskedjenek.”

Tessék vigyázni – Please be careful

Szíveskedjenek vigyázni – Please be so kind as to be careful

 The second phrase is identical in both recordings:

az ajtók – the doors

noun stem: ajtó – door

záródnak – are closing (3rd p. plural nominative)

verb stem: záródik – something closes

az ajtók záródnak – the doors are closing

And that’s our analysis of Budapest Metro recordings for today! We’ll be sure to include more audio of sounds and recordings heard in Hungary in future posts. Let us know if there’s one you would like us to cover!

Creative Commons License
This work by Let's Learn Hungarian! is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International

Filed Under: audio Tagged With: Budapest, metro, recordings, sounds

Newsletter Subscription

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

  • Beginning Hungarian – mystery business
  • Reader question: “két” or “kettő?”
  • Hungarian shopping: What kind of cookie is this?
  • Spice up your cell phone with these Hungarian language messages!
  • Beginning Hungarian: “Kérjük csengessenek!”

Copyright © 2021 · LetsLearnHungarian.net

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.