kezét csókolom

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.

Alternative forms

Etymology

Calque of German küss’ die Hand (“I kiss your hand”), a once common greeting in Austria-Hungary accompanied by a kiss on the hand.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈkɛzeːtt͡ʃoːkolom]

Phrase

kezét csókolom

(dated, formal) hello (see usage notes)

Usage notes

This form of greeting is exclusively reserved for situations where a kiss on the hand would have been appropriate in the olden days: that is, it is only said by men to women, and unlike csókolom, it is used towards young and old women alike. In this context, it is considered a very polite form of greeting.

Derived terms

csókolom