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Literally "I ask for forgiveness/leniency."
Elnézést = el (away) + néz (to look) + és (noun suffix) + t (accusative)
So even more literally: "I ask for looking away"
"Bocsánat" and "elnézést" are often interchangeable.
There's a tendency for "elnézést" when causing a minor inconvenience to someone (accidentally bumping into someone, briefly interrupting them, asking them to repeat something, because you didn't hear it, etc.)
"Bocsánat" expresses more regret (you wouldn't say "elnézést" to the person whose dog you just hit with your car).
"Elnézést kérek" is the more polite and stronger version of "elnézést", and similarly, "bocsánatot kérek" is more polite and stronger than simply "bocsánat"
So, for example...
I just bumped into you walking by on the street, so I say "elnézést". If I bump into you on the street and knock you into a wall lightly, I say "elnézést kérek". If I bump into you on the street, knock you into a wall and you fall down, I say "bocsánat". If I bump into you on the street, knock you into a wall, you fall down, and that causes someone else to trip over you, injuring themself too, I say "bocsánat kérek" to both of you.
Approximately correct?
Yes, that sounds appropriate. :) But of course there are no strict lines between these phrases.
A little correction: "bocsánatot kérek"
238
is the letter "l" in "elnézést" pronounced? i am struggling to convince myself that i hear it...?
I translated it as "pardon me" but it said it is wrong. I assume "pardon me" is as good as "excuse me"?
- 54
Emily Post wrote manuals of etiquette for the American market in the 1940s and 50s. She used to claim that the only two correct forms in English were 'Excuse me' and 'I beg your pardon'. She regarded 'pardon me' as a horror from the lower classes. On the other hand, she did allow 'pardon' said in the French manner ...
(I'm just reporting this, not saying that I agree with her.)
I do not agree with this...if that is an l,I may be thinking it should be an i for the word me...elnezest,seems to say "it looks to me"...kerek to me is some sort of "I want"...Sorry ...I am using my memory of using the language in the home years ago and am trying to unravel what I am trying to learn. I am addicted to the lessons and hate to stop. I am a singer and pianist retired and love singing the songs even if my pronounciations are off.
- 54
The word 'kerek' means 'I ask' or 'I ask for'. It is a verb. The infinitive form is 'kerni', and the dictionary form (third person singular) is 'ker'.
The word 'elnézés' is a noun. It means 'indulgence' or 'forbearance' or 'sufferance'. When the Hungarian word is used as the direct object, then a -t is added to the noun to show that it is a direct object in the accusative case.
So, in a nutshell, with 'elnézést' or 'elnézést kerek', you are asking someone to show forbearance or indulgence, to overlook something. But the usual translation into English is 'excuse me'.
This one needs looking at - when using the word blocks as opposed to keyboard, one of the options you're supposed to use to write the sentence in English, is in Hungarian!
You get "búcúzásra", which obviously shouldn't be an option when you're composing the sentence in English. I know this course is in Beta still, so it might be good to get this now.
E is not pronounced like æ, rather é. E is more like eh, because it is short. The accents or lack thereof shows whether it is long or short. In the word kérek, both long and short vowels are present, where it would be pronounced similar to kærek.
Actually, the IPA transcription for E is /ɛ/ (open-mid front unrounded vowel), and the IPA transcription for É is /e/ (close-mid front unrounded vowel). So rather E is the letter that represents a sound closer to /æ/ (near-open front unrounded vowel).
How do you typically respond to this if someone says it to you? Nem probléma. Nem baj. Nincs mit. ?
Doulingo gets stuff wrong and it's irritating and because I'm Hungarian sometimes I want to practice but it gives false information and then I'm like what? This is wrong.
