Friendship with Hungarians
How do foreigners view Hungarians with regard to relationships?
One foreigner said, “I tried to make deep friendships with Hungarians that speak English but it seemed I could only go so far. The Hungarians I tried to befriend were extremely polite and kind but it seemed hard to get to level of opening the soul. Read more »
Hungarian Men
What about Hungarian men? An Australian woman made this comment, many other foreign women have said the same:
“When they are courting you, they are incredible. They focus on you like you are the only other person on the planet and that is the way they would love for it to be. But they are so jealous it is like an incurable disease. If I say hello to another man who may be an acquaintance they start asking questions and give him dirty looks. They want you to cut off all of your male friendships with people they don’t know and go insane if you spend time with any other man.”
Hungarian culture, Hungarian men, courting, jealousy
Hungarian Women
One answer that was positive from all foreigners, men and women alike was regarding Hungarian women. One beautiful American woman, who has traveled the world said, “I’ve never seen so many beautiful and stylish women anywhere! Men from every inhabited continent have expressed the same view. Read more »
Missions: Misreading Each Other
Following the flood of Western evangelical missions into Hungary, many young Hungarians were trained with superficial methods of evangelism which tended to ignore Hungarian culture and promote a “cold turkey” approach without building trust. Read more »
Showing Emotions
Showing emotions means being passionate to most Hungarians. It can also be seen as honest devotion, sensitivity, or simply being “real” (as opposed to fake). Read more »
Conversation: Misunderstandings, Hidden Expectations
Language is often indirect and imprecise, and purposely so. Hungarians are almost always less direct than Americans and depend on nuances of meaning in many cases. Read more »
What Friendship Means
Introducing someone as a “friend” communicates more commitment to the Hungarian than what you probably mean using this word, especially if you come from the North American culture. Read more »
Relationship-related Features of the Hungarian Culture
SUMMARY
- High wall on the outside, low wall on the inside
- Shy and reserved in expressing positive feelings in relationships (verbally and in touching)
- High-context communication
- Preference of stability, desire for long-term planning in friendships
- In business: The relationship drives the business
The Little Prince and the Fox
It was then that the fox appeared.
“Good morning,” said the fox.
“Good morning,” the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing.
“I am right here,” the voice said, “under the apple tree.”
“Who are you?” asked the little prince, and added, “You are very pretty to look at.” Read more »
Relationship Drives the Business in Hungary
As with most markets outside northwestern Europe, North America and Australia, it is vital to have established relationships in Hungary. Also, “who you know” counts for a great deal. This contrasts with the situation in deal-focused cultures such as that of Germany, where such contacts are always helpful but hardly essential. Read more »
How to Make Hungarians Like You
Give Hungarian people a good chance to get to know you. Do not rush the relationship.
Read more »
