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Hungarian language demonstrates its greatest diversity when it is used for swearing. English is limited to the usage of four letter words when something bad happens. Hungarian employs complex, grammatically correct curses with imperative in these situations. It is possible to swear continuously in Hungarian for 30 seconds without repeating any word.

Warning! Explicit content follows! Only click the link under if you are over 18, and tolerate the use of bad words for academic purposes!

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English speaking Hungarians often respond to questions like “How are you?” with a stream of complaints. They are not people in despair; this is simply how you are expected to react to such questions in Hungarian.

You complain about yours and let your partner complain about theirs; this is our version of “how’s it going?”. It is as empty as the Anglo-Saxon formality, you don’t care about the other’s problems and don’t expect to be listened to.

If you run a business, you are always supposed to complain, even if you are about to go on the Stock Exchange and spend the rest of your life banging ex-models on a yacht on the Carribean. Unfortunately, the so-called positive thinking has infected some of the Hungarian business people, so they smile and are very sure everything is ok. They are considered to be boastful and even stuck up by some. True, they should damn well respect the Hungarian culture of complaint.

‘Bezzeg’ is a very heavily used Hungarian word that cannot be translated into English. Bezzeg can be used in the sense of “the neighbour’s grass is always greener”:

Bezzeg in Germany you don’t have to pay for the Autobahn!

It is especially used when Hungarians think someone else has unjust advantages:

Bezzeg in Italy the pensioners get so much money they come on a holiday to Budapest!

Bezzeg can also be used if you compare somebody – yourself, your wife or kid – with somebody else:

Bezzeg your neighbour’s kid passed his intermediate English exam at 15.!

The bezzeg-land in the Hungarian collective consciousness is where everything runs smooth and everybody succeeds.