Many people have told me that watching stand up comedians is a fun way to learn a foreign language. Unfortunately, Hungarian stand up comedy didn’t really exist when I began learning Hungarian over 20 years ago, but it has become rather popular over the past 10 years or so. The fake laugh track can be a bit annoying, but otherwise stand up comedy can be an interesting way to learn Hungarian.
I think that the popular comic András Péter Kovács (often known only by his initials in Hungarian, “KAP”) is quite talented, even if I don’t totally connect with his humor. Here’s a short clip of him telling a joke. Watch the clip, and answer the question below.
A transcript of his joke, along with an English translation, will appear after you submit your answer.
Hungarian idiom of the week: a gatyám is rámegy
Here’s a funny and common idiom for this week:
gatyám (is) rámegy (very expensive)
This literally means something like “my pants go on it,” but is used to mean that something is quite expensive, especially something that you have already paid a lot for, or something that keeps costing you a lot of money.
Usage:
A gatyám is rámegy az új kocsira! – My new car is so expensive!
Real usage:
“Szeretem, csak néha a gatyám is rámegy.“
“I love it, but sometimes it is quite expensive.”
(from http://totalcar.hu/autok/opel/vectra_1995/szeretem_csak_neha_a_gatyam_is_ramegy/)
(PHOTO: “Stand Up Pants” by The Costume Guild CC By NC 2.0)
Watch: the movie “Moszkva tér”
In the last podcast, Györgyi gave an enthusiastic recommendation for the 2001 Hungarian film “Moszkva tér” (Moscow Square), which is set in Budapest in 1989 and gives a retro look back at the city at that time.
The city, of course, has changed so much since then. As we mentioned in the podcast, even Moszkva tér itself is now called Széll Kálmán tér.
The entire film is online, alas without English subtitles, but still it’s a good way of getting a feel of the Hungarian language. See how much you can understand!
Listen: the music of JAZZ + AZ
In our last podcast, Györgyi recommended one of her favorite Hungarian pop groups, Jazz + Az (pronounced “Jazz meg az”).
The group was formed in the late 1990s by Péter Geszti, who has recently turned into an impresario of sorts since becoming a mentor in the Hungarian X-Factor talent show a few years ago. Earlier in the 1990s, Geszti was a part of the Hungarian rap group Rapül?k.
Listen to Jazz + Az’s catchy, funky tune “Ma jól vagyok” (“I’m Fine Today”) below, with lyrics and another song of theirs:
It’s moving time!
Sziasztok!
Thanks for all of the recent feedback we’ve gotten from so many of you. Györgyi and I love to read your comments and hear how you are using the language and enjoying the podcast. It’s also very motivating for us, so please keep it up! I apologize for not responding to your comments and emails lately, but we’ve been real busy with our upcoming move back to Hungary. Györgyi has already moved back, and I’ll go myself in September.
As for the podcast, I was hoping to get one more with Györgyi done before she left, but it didn’t work out. I would like to continue the podcast though, so perhaps I’ll do a few survival lessons solo until I see her again.
Well thanks for listening everyone, and again if you have anything to say, we’d love to hear it.
Minden jót,
Steven