Stop putting the cart before the horse

Don’t you feel stuck when asked to speak before you’ve had the chance to truly understand? Isn’t it frustrating to try to force a sentence, only to realize you didn’t even catch the question?

We flip the script

In the Playground, understanding a question in Hungarian is easy. You’ll breeze through dozens of questions in minutes. The only thing that might slow you down sometimes is thinking about your answer. How is this possible?

Start with understanding

I offer you Hungarian that you can easily understand and interact with. No need to take notes or grab a translator.

I make sure you understand every word as you hear it. When a new word appears, I write it down with its translation. And I’m ready to repeat this any time you need it.

Let it sink in

After the first encounter, you hear the new word many times. Always in context. Always in interaction. This is the crucial part — to experience understanding Hungarian and interacting in the language.

Memory hooks

Sometimes we use memory hooks as an extra aid. They are arbitrary — possibly crazy — connections between the sound of the Hungarian and something that already makes sense to you. We don’t take this too seriously, but it’s always an opportunity for a healthy laugh.

• Érdekes (interesting) sounds like Air de Cash — a French perfume for the dirty rich. Interesting, eh?

Can you think of a gesture to go with that?

Gestures — my live subtitles for you’

To bridge the gap between strange sounds and clear meaning, I use gestures. My hands, face, and body mirror the flow of the entire sentence, so you can see what I mean. Please look at me all the time!

My constant gesturing acts as a visual aid that helps you skip the mental translation phase.

Storyasking — a simple game

Storyasking is a guided conversation in Hungarian. Together, we build a story.

I start the game by making a statement or asking a question. Then, we continue with a constant flow of questions and answers.

• I make a statement — you react.
• I ask a question you know — you answer easily.
• I ask a question you don’t know — you make a guess. Proper nouns are especially welcome.

Throughout the game, you stay mentally active — focused on the story and our lively, light-hearted Hungarian-language banter.

You feel successful — you are using Hungarian all the time, not just “trying” to speak.

You speak when you’re ready

How active you are is up to you — it depends on your level and personality. You can speak as much or as little as you like. I’ll do most of the talking anyway, to give your brain the right amount of Hungarian to absorb.

Crosstalk — reply in English if you need to

This option may come in handy when you understand my Hungarian and have something to say but you don’t have the Hungarian to say it. You can use English — or a gesture. Point at the thing, point at me, point at yourself, nod, shake your head. I’ll understand you, and I’ll keep speaking Hungarian.

This removes the pressure to produce before you’re ready — and it actually speeds up your understanding. As you progress, Hungarian will flow out naturally. But there’s no timeline, no expectation. Understand first, speak when it feels right.

No pressure to remember

In the Playground, you’re not expected to “remember”. If you forget a word you need at the moment, I’ll simply give you a quick translation and we’ll move on.

How you naturally acquire grammar

To make sure you get a feel for Hungarian grammar without looking at a chart, we play with story variants and different perspectives.

Parallel stories

While building the main story, we make excursions — short side stories about you or me, a cat or a sandwich, a celebrity or a melon. The point is to use the same words and grammar in different situations. That’s how you become fluent.

Points of view

We practise telling each bite-size chunk of the story from different angles — from the perspective of me, you, or even the cat or the sandwich. This is how you naturally acquire verb endings and cases, just as you did with your first language.

Sound Hungarian

I’ll help you develop an ear for both the grammar and the music of Hungarian, so you can truly grasp what people mean. The way something is said is just as important as the words themselves.

The result? Once you’re out there, you won’t get the glassy looks or the dreaded question Tessék? You’ll be understood because you sound Hungarian.

Say the right word at the right time

In every situation, we practise using minimal language — the kind of natural Hungarian spoken in everyday conversations.

This helps you understand and use real-life Hungarian, where much is implied and little is spelled out.

Colloquial speech is brief and to the point — actually easier than textbook language, which often teaches you things no Hungarian would ever say.

• In the Playground, we don’t rely on ready‑made textbooks. The content of each session grows out of your needs and the vocabulary you’ll actually use in real life.

From understanding to effortless speech

Understanding is the engine that pulls the cart. But it isn’t the destination — fluency is. To turn comprehension into speech, we lean into three habits:

• Understanding is the North Star. If you don’t understand, the game stops. We make sure every word is clear before we start using it.
• Ride the plot. Don’t let a single tricky word trip you up. Trust the story — let it carry you along. The meaning will reveal itself in the next sentence. This builds the stamina you need for real-world conversations.
• The power of Again. Repetition isn’t boring when it’s spiced with adventure. Hearing a word in various contexts is how a strange sound becomes a tool you use without thinking.

Don’t feel pressured to speak before you’re ready. Listen and follow along for as long as you need. The more you understand, the more spontaneous speech will just pop out of your mouth.

The playground is open

Hungarian doesn’t have to be a puzzle you can’t solve. It can be a language you actually speak. Want to experience how it feels when it clicks?