# Hungarian name pronounciation question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hungarian-name-pronounciation-question/445626>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hungarian-name-pronounciation-question/445626 "2008-04-16T18:49:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hungarian-name-pronounciation-question/445626/1 "2008-04-16T18:49:11Z")

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Simple enough, how do you pronounce the name of former Hungarian Prime Minister/reluctant revolutionary Imre Nagy? All I’ve been able to figure out so far is that my initial pronounciation was way off.

thanks

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**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hungarian-name-pronounciation-question/445626/2 "2008-04-16T18:52:00Z")

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Nodj. The “o” sound is between an “ah” and an “oh.” This is, of course, when I’m talking about someone who’s actually from Hungary. When it was my maiden name, I pronounced it “Nay-gee,” with a hard “g.” That’s how my family still pronounces it–though that part was of primarily German extraction (I think they came over from Austria).

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**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hungarian-name-pronounciation-question/445626/3 "2008-04-16T19:14:24Z")

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It’s somewhat interesting to note that the pronunciation in [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) is not correct if saying it in Hungarian.  
[link](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/imre%20nagy)  
Angel of the Lord has it right or for an approximation just say ‘nudge’.

It translates to ‘big’ by the way.

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**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hungarian-name-pronounciation-question/445626/4 "2008-04-16T19:33:23Z")

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Thanks guys.

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hungarian-name-pronounciation-question/445626/5 "2008-04-16T19:38:26Z")

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Well, what about the first name? Is it just IM-ree?

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**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hungarian-name-pronounciation-question/445626/6 "2008-04-16T20:06:16Z")

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Oh yeah. Meant to say [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) got that better.  
More like Im-reh

reh rhymes with, uh, the ‘de’ in dent.  
I think anyway. I haven’t met anyone with that name. (And I was in Hungary for two weeks in August)