"Viszontlátásra!"

Translation: Goodbye!

[JewishPolyglot]

Is there a way to break down the meaning of this word into individual roots?

[RyagonIV]

Let me break it down a bit further for you, cause the agglutination is the really sexy thing about the Hungarian language.

Viszont means 'likewise', 'same to you'.

Lát is 'to see', látás makes it a noun (the seeing), and the suffix -ra usually declares a movement onto something. Think of German "Auf Wiedersehen" if you're familiar.

So, taken together, you'll have something like "Unto seeing each other (again)."

[JewishPolyglot]

That was even better than the other one! A lingot for you as well!

[Metatron36]

Viszont also means "back" like "getting back at someone". You cannot say that "same to you" has anything to do with "viszontlárásra"

[LesGallay]

The actual translation is 'Until we meet again.' which is somewhat common in English.

[RyagonIV]

Les, I'm not sure what makes that an "actual translation".

[BenceFerdinandy]

viszont látásra, meaning something like "to see [each other] again"

[JewishPolyglot]

Thanks! Have a lingot :)

[BenceFerdinandy]

thanks :) mind you, "viszont" actually means however, in turn, so I guess this is a very old thing, I couldn't really find any sources on the internet about the etimology.

[hatcher]

It's like "on seeing (each other) again" so I think it must come from a longer phrase like "Let's drink on seeing each other again." But this is just my wild idea. :D

[Metatron36]

A similar form in English would be "until next time"

[Sninguistics]

So if I had to guess, vislát is the abbreviation of viszontlátásra?

[bbigblue]

Correct. Don't forget the z though: "viszlát".

[Sninguistics]

Oops, yes. Thank you!

[1084863832]

similar to french, a bientot (missing the accents!)

[sean.mullen]

The French equivalent is au revoir (until the seeing [each other] again).

[anpacaal]

Is the "sr" pronounced like an "sh" in English?

[RyagonIV]

Better: Hungarian letter 's' is pronounced like English 'sh'.
Hungarian letter 'sz' is pronounced like English 's'.

Here's a handy video on how to pronounce each of the 44(!) letters of the alphabet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwtwZTRDvYI

[Lomochibi]

'S' = English 'sh', but you also have to pronounce the r. And I suggest you start practising your rolled 'R's.. ;)

[Annie453457]

Is there an occasion when viszontlátásra should be used rather than viszlát? Viszontlátásra is a bit of a mouthful after all

[RyagonIV]

In more formal settings, with people you don't yet know, it's expected (or at least advisable) to use complete words. Like you would say "Goodbye" instead of just "Bye" at the end of a call with a customer of your company, for instance.

Hungarian is full of mouthfuls. :)

[MrtonPolgr]

with Auf Wiedersehen it's a fair comparison isn't it

[kos479137]

... Is the formal of good bye (i'm told). As such the corfect translation should be "till we see each other again!".

[Knuckles55]

Its a more respectful way of saying goodbye but my stupid tongue cant say it or remember how to spell it

[Wengusflengus]

it's spelt the way it's pronounced

[Marija269193]

Can you say "until later"?

[RyagonIV]

Marija, it should be okay, but note that the literal meaning of viszontlátásra is closer to "see you" in English. Plus, "until later" is a rather informal phrase, while the full viszontlátásra is very formal. The shortened viszlát would match better.

[Marija269193]

Makes sense, thanks!

[CseteRbert]

Goodbye