szervusz

See also: servus

Hungarian

Hungarian phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

For other Hungarian entries on this topic, see Greetings or Farewells.

Alternative forms

szerbusz

Etymology

The greeting evolved from the commoners’ greeting in Latin servus humillimus (“your humblest servant”), said to lords.^[1] No subservience is implied in modern use. Compare Slovak servus, Romanian servus, German servus, Swedish tjenare. See also the similar etymology at csaó and alászolgája.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈsɛrvus]
Audio: (file)
Hyphenation: szer‧vusz
Rhymes: -us

Interjection

szervusz

(semi-formal) hello, goodbye
cheers (toast)

Usage notes

(hello; goodbye):

Used both for hello and goodbye to someone whom the speaker addresses in the second person. When greeting a group of people, szervusztok is used. Szervusz is more formal and polite than the colloquial szia. It may be used, for example, if one is on first-name terms with the other (see tegeződik) but still wants to convey a respectful attitude.

(cheers):

Variations of “cheers”
	Singular	Plural
Informal “you”	egészségedre	egészségetekre
Formal “you”	egészségére	egészségükre
Oneself included		“we (all)” egészségünkre
Other alternatives: fenékig, szervusz, csincsin, egs (colloquial)

References

^ szervusz in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN. (See also its 2nd edition.)