A foreign owner with a Hungarian flat, a Hungarian expat with a property back home, English-language correspondence with a Hungarian bank or a tenant – more and more situations call for home insurance vocabulary in both languages. This mini-dictionary gives the Hungarian pair for 33 English terms, each with a one-sentence explanation, to keep alongside quotes, policies and emails.
In short:
- 33 English–Hungarian pairs in four groups: words for the contract, the sums insured, losses, and claims settlement.
- An alphabetical collection of the Hungarian terms lives in its own article: glossary A–Z.
- A good starting point for an English-language letting situation: who should insure what.
Contract terms
- home insurance – lakásbiztosítás: the residential property policy that protects a home and its contents.
- buildings cover – épületfedezet: the part of the policy covering the structure and any fitted elements.
- contents cover – ingóságfedezet: the part covering the home's “removable” contents.
- policy – kötvény, biztosítási szerződés: the document recording the cover you've taken out.
- policyholder – szerződő: the person who signs the contract and pays the premium.
- insured – biztosított: the person whose insurable interest the policy protects.
- premium – biztosítási díj: the price paid regularly for the cover.
- endorsement (rider) – záradék, kiegészítő megállapodás: an element that amends or extends the policy.
Sums and values
- sum insured – biztosítási összeg: the ceiling up to which the insurer pays out.
- rebuilding value – újjáépítési érték: what it would cost to rebuild the property today – why this is the right measure.
- market price – piaci ár: the sale value – typically not a good basis for the sum insured.
- underinsurance – alulbiztosítás: the sum insured sits below the true value.
- proportional (pro rata) settlement – arányos térítés: a proportionally reduced payout under underinsurance – the detail.
- indexation – indexálás: the annual value-tracking that adjusts sums insured in line with prices.
- deductible (excess) – önrész: the part of a claim that stays with you.
- limit – limit: an internal payout cap for a particular type of loss or group of items.
Losses and events
- claim – kárigény, kárügy: the reported loss and the case that goes with it.
- exclusion – kizárás: what cover does not extend to.
- burglary – betöréses lopás: theft typically committed by forcible entry, as defined in the policy wording.
- robbery – rablás: taking property by force against a person.
- storm damage – viharkár: damage caused by wind above a defined strength.
- hail damage – jégkár: damage caused by hail, typically to a roof or shutters.
- burst pipe / water damage – csőtörés, vezetékes vízkár: the most common type of home claim in Hungary – the detail.
- glass breakage – üvegtörés: cover for breakage of fitted glazing.
- personal liability cover – magánemberi felelősségbiztosítás: for when you cause loss to someone else – what it covers.
Claims settlement and special situations
- claims line – kárvonal: the insurer's channel for reporting a loss – at a claim, this is the primary route.
- loss adjuster – kárszakértő: the professional who assesses the damage on site.
- claims settlement – kárrendezés: the process running from notification to payout.
- home assistance – assistance: emergency help arranged by the insurer, for example a call-out tradesperson.
- waiting period – várakozási idő: the period after signing during which cover is still limited.
- mortgagee clause – hitelbiztosítéki záradék: an entry on the policy in favour of the bank on a mortgage.
- renewal (policy anniversary) – évforduló: the contract's yearly anniversary date, the point for indexation and for cancellation.
- home inventory – vagyonleltár: a room-by-room list of your contents – the template.
In an English-language situation – as a foreign owner or handling things from abroad – the discussion can happen in English too: book a free 20-minute consultation.
A question about your own home? Run the numbers in minutes with the online calculator (in Hungarian), or book a free 20-minute consultation →
This article is for information purposes only; it contains general information and does not constitute an offer or insurance advice. The exact content of insurance contracts is defined by the insurers' terms and conditions in force.
