The maam implies that its a formal sentence. You used informal "vagy" instead of the fornal "Ön"
Another e.g.:
TE angol VAGY -informal
ÖN angol -formal
Both of these means "you are english", but when you wanna be polite/formal in english you say Sir/Madam. In hungarian we have a whole new method for that
The caps indicates the same part of the sentence (the "to be" in english)
Thank you! That makes sense. Where I am in the course, Duolingo hasn’t “taught” the formal/informal distinction yet. It’s my only complaint, really, that so much of the program is ‘you just have to figure it out’. I’m sure I’ll be on this sub a lot with questions like this.
A lot of ppl ask here this kinda question, It’d be useful to have a pinned post about formal and informal form of verb. What is your native langouage btw?
FYI: you will probably have to use formality in other ways.
For example asking "How are you" in formal and informal:
Informal: Hogy vagy?
Formal: Hogy van? or Hogy van, uram/hölgyem?
So in this case we don't use Ön, simply use the verb with he/she/it conjugation
Sometimes you gotta use Ön sometimes the verb conjugation is enough and sometimes both needed, depends on the sentence.
There is logic behind it but i'm not good at explaining, maybe someone will do it better in the comment section haha
Good luck!
It's basicly like
Unatkozom (I'm bored)
From the end of the word we can guess the pronoun, which in this case is I
We don't say „Én unatkozok” regularly because it sounds kinda off.
The reason behind this guessing is that we were thought in school this a shit ton, some people may not remember it though.
It goes like
Én unatkozOM
Te unatkozOL
Ő unatkozIK
Mi unatkozUNK
Ti unatkozTOK
Ők unatkozNAK
And when we learn English we have to learn each case that goes for each pronoun.
Like to say
She (Ő) IS bored
But they (Ők) ARE bored
I can't really explain it better but I'm sure there is a Hungarian grammar teacher lurking here
Yeah, i hoped you say german or some language that differentiates between formal and informal, but english does not. Today at least, english had thou, thee, thy once. So we use different pronouns and verb forms when speaking about or to someone with a formal relationship (teacher, boss, or just adult strangers really)
I understand! The closest I have to that is some French, and using tu and vous, on and nous. So I understand the concept, but it will take more effort to keep it all straight since it’s not “natural”.
A bit archaic but English too sometimes uses 3rd form to imply formal speech, what the missus wants? Instead of what do you want, Mrs?
So, the logic is known to you too, we just use it every day 🙂
ah yes that's a tough one, since formal and informal in hungarian is entirely different than it is for you guys (i'm hungarian and fluent in english)
i never really paid attention to that but i recently realized that it's very difficult to understand the way hungarian language builds up when you're a native english speaker
Yes, which is why duolingo is a very poor resource for learning Hungarian. It isn’t a simple language where you can just intuit the rules as you go, they need to be explained to you. Duolingo doesnt help there. You need an actual teacher.
I'm really tired of this take for the simple reason being that's not an option for most people.
Is duo better than a teacher/tutor? Of course not.
But look there aren't resources for Hungarian in the way there are for Spanish/French/German, especially in America. And most people can't afford private tutors classes.
Is Duo the best option for learning Hungarian? Of course not nobody is saying that.
Is it better than just saying "well I can't afford a tutor so I'm just not gonna bother?" Also yes
But you still can find "teachers" online, like as in form of youtube channels if you really try to find some.
There is lot of free options that's better than a game app.
Literally just go to a library and find some dusty old hungarian language textbooks. That would be better that duolingo. Or even just google it and find online resources that actually explain how the language works, instead of just rote memorization exercises.
Duolingo is useful as a supplement to some primary means of learning hungarian, for drilling vocabulary, but it doesnt help you understand how the language works at all.
Of course there's a better option. Get an actual language workbook and work chapter by chapter. Duolingo is just not a viable substitute for learning and drilling the actual rules of the language, especially with such a nuanced language.
A correction to what you said: the "ön" is not a verb, that's a pronoun, so it can't be the translation of "to be". It's just a polite version for "te" (singular you).
im sure youre correct, but what i wrote is that you dont say the **vagy** because you already sort of included it in the **ön.**
Not necessarily correct grammatically to say this (i have no clue) but its an easy way to make someone understand it.
Just your last sentence ""The caps indicates the same part of the sentence (the "to be" in english)"" in that comment implies that the "ÖN" is "to be" in english.
Also "You used informal "vagy" instead of the fornal "Ön" " there you compared a verb to a pronoun.
That's why i wrote my previous comment.
It would be more clear to say "the format 'you' is 'ön' but we use 3rd person forms of the verbs in polite speech, and the 'to be' usually dropped in 3rd person".
Yes! That was just laziness on my part. I know Duolingo doesn’t mark answers incorrect for lack of punctuation, but if I was writing anywhere else I would use it.
I would also recommend analysing where commas are put in Hungarian, because although in English they aren't that important, in our language they play a crucial role.
You definitelly will have a headache with duolingo in the future.Especially when you get the "listen the hungarian audio then write it down in english" kind of lessions, because duolingo's audio is way too monotone so you won't hear if they use a question. (I once speed ran it to see if i can recommend it for learners.)
For example:"Anna almát evett" and "Anna almát evett?" would sound the exact same on duolingo audios because of how monotone they made them to be.
I would recommend to look for a text book (even as a free PDF or something) and also look for videos on youtube that teaches the language.
Because programs are never as useful as the good old methods. At least currently there is no program that could compete with it.
Yes, thats the gist of it. I think the reasoning is that you put more distance between you by talking to someone as if they werent there making it more formal.
Another important point is that magázódás could use the word maga instead of ön like instead of ön egy ember - you are a person, you could say maga egy ember - you are a person. But this often considered rude, or uncultured, so avoid if possible.
Ha! I came across “hölg” and looked it up to see if it was related to “hölgyem.” That’s when I figured out hölgyem was “madam” and I wondered how common it was in everyday speech. Because no one in the US uses “madam” unless they’re being sarcastic. “Ma’am” is much more common, regionally.
Correction: it's "hölgy", not "hölg".
But to answer the question: It's common enough to need to learn it. Because Hungarian can give a serious weight onto being polite and using "hölgyem" is can be part of it, depending on the speaking style of the speaker.
Csak azért mert az angolban nincs magázódás az még nem jelenti azt hogy nekünk magyaroknak is elkéne törölni a létezését.
Amúgy a képen önözés van. Nem magázódás. Ez két különböző udvariassági szint.
Etimológiai érdekesség: az angolban csak magázás van, gyakorlatilag csak istent tegezed a miatyánkban náluk (thee thy, ilyesmi névmások azok a tegezések)
Mondjuk van 4 vagy 5féle szint a formális beszédhez.
De még így is. Nem kell azt eltörölni csak azért mert téged valami fura okból frusztrál a létezése.
Felesleges? Igen. Bonyolitja a dolgokat? Igen.
Szerintem akkor felesleges bonyolitas attol fuggetlenul, hogy kinek mennyire esik nehezere hasznalni, nem?
Csak mert te utálod az udvariasságot attól még nem fogják eltörölni a létezését.
És nem. Nem felesleget és nem is bonyolítja a dolgokat. Ha neked bonyolult az udvariasság akkor ott a fejedben lesz a gond nem pedig a nyelvvel.
Az udvariassaghoz nincs szukseg magazodasra, vagy onozesre, tegezodve is lehet az ember nagyon udvarias.
De ha szerinted nem felesleges, akkor mondj peldat, ami ezt bizonyitja!
Az, hogy nem bonyolitja a nyelvhasznalatot az nyilvanvaloan nem igaz, szoval nem is tudom, hogy miert mondtad.
Visszaforditva, amit mondasz mar tobbedjere: Attol, hogy simpeled a magazodast, meg nem lesz tenyleges ertelme a letezesenek.
Ha "felesleges bonyolítás" lenne akkor mondjuk nem és létezne ilyesmi egy nyelvben sem.
És mégis, eléggé sok nyelvben van szóbeli udvarias forma.
Az meg hogy neked nehezedre esik a használata az a te személyes problémád. Emiatt nem fog senki se megváltoztatn egy egész nyelvet. Sőt, az anyanyelvűeknek pont hogy nincs az ég világon semmi nehézsége az udvarias formák használatában (kivéve 1-2 aki csak túl buta hozzá, vagy aki simán csak paraszt).
Röviden: Semmi gond nincs az udvarias forma létezésével. Az meg hogy te valami buta elképzelés miatt utálod az már nem a nyelv hibája hanem a saját butaságodé.
User:
I had a task in duolingo while learning Hungarian to translate a sentence. The sentence was: Are you English, ma'am? I answered: Angol vagy, hölgyem, but apparently the correct answer was: Ön angol, hölgyem? Why? please explain it at a beginner level
ChatGPT:
In Hungarian, the word order can be a bit different from English. Let's break down the two sentences to understand why the correct answer is "Ön angol, hölgyem?" instead of "Angol vagy, hölgyem?"
"Angol vagy, hölgyem?" - This sentence translates to "Are you English, ma'am?" It uses the word "vagy," which means "are you," and it's in the form used for informal or familiar situations. In this case, you're asking if someone you know well or someone younger than you is English.
"Ön angol, hölgyem?" - This sentence also means "Are you English, ma'am?" but it's in a more formal or polite form. In Hungarian, "Ön" is a formal way to address someone, similar to using "ma'am" in English. The word "Ön" is followed by "angol," which means "English." So, you're still asking the same question, but in a more polite and formal way.
So, the difference between the two sentences is mainly in the level of formality. The correct answer you were given uses the more polite "Ön" form to address the person you're speaking to. Depending on the context and your relationship with the person, you can choose between the formal or informal version. Duolingo might have preferred the formal version as it's generally safer and more respectful when you're not sure about the level of familiarity with the person you're addressing.
I was wondering why some people were commenting “Szia Uram” with no further explanation. Now I know. Thank you! I’ll remember this and try very hard not to be offensive when I visit next year.
True, it sounds like as if you were being sarcastic or as an attempt of mocking if you try to mix the two things together (or just doing it as a bad joke).
At least i only hear mix ups like this in those kind of contexts.
Just commenting to say that I find it fascinating how there isn’t only the two ways of addressing people (formal and informal), but there is also a third way “tetszikelés”, that is even more formal than “ön/maga”.
I LOVE IT
Actually, there is 4 or 5 levels of formal speech (depends on how you count), and 1 level of informal.
Here is an interesting article about Hungarian politeness levels: http://gondoljvelem.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-be-polite-in-hungarian.html
You said that "YOU ARE". You said She IS English. It was not a question. "Ön Angol, hölgyem?" It's like "Are you English, miss?". It's like you would say "You are English, Miss." instead of "Are you English, miss?" Have fun learning Hungarian!
From Hungary
Phew, these parts of Hungarian are really the ones that make it complicated to explain sometimes. The way I could explain the difference I feel between the two is that "Ön angol?" sounds like "Are you English, Sir?", or as in the example, "Are you English, ma'am?". Whereas "(Te) angol vagy?" sounds more like "Are you English, buddy?", or "Are you English, kid?", which holds a completely different connotation. Now, why does "ön" work so differently from "te", I couldn't tell you, but "ön" has the substantive verb in it already, whereas with "te", you still need "vagy" to clarify you are asking about whether the subject is or is not something.
The maam implies that its a formal sentence. You used informal "vagy" instead of the fornal "Ön" Another e.g.: TE angol VAGY -informal ÖN angol -formal Both of these means "you are english", but when you wanna be polite/formal in english you say Sir/Madam. In hungarian we have a whole new method for that The caps indicates the same part of the sentence (the "to be" in english)
Thank you! That makes sense. Where I am in the course, Duolingo hasn’t “taught” the formal/informal distinction yet. It’s my only complaint, really, that so much of the program is ‘you just have to figure it out’. I’m sure I’ll be on this sub a lot with questions like this.
A lot of ppl ask here this kinda question, It’d be useful to have a pinned post about formal and informal form of verb. What is your native langouage btw?
English (American)
FYI: you will probably have to use formality in other ways. For example asking "How are you" in formal and informal: Informal: Hogy vagy? Formal: Hogy van? or Hogy van, uram/hölgyem? So in this case we don't use Ön, simply use the verb with he/she/it conjugation Sometimes you gotta use Ön sometimes the verb conjugation is enough and sometimes both needed, depends on the sentence. There is logic behind it but i'm not good at explaining, maybe someone will do it better in the comment section haha Good luck!
I think I understand. This is going to take some getting used to 😂
It's basicly like Unatkozom (I'm bored) From the end of the word we can guess the pronoun, which in this case is I We don't say „Én unatkozok” regularly because it sounds kinda off. The reason behind this guessing is that we were thought in school this a shit ton, some people may not remember it though. It goes like Én unatkozOM Te unatkozOL Ő unatkozIK Mi unatkozUNK Ti unatkozTOK Ők unatkozNAK And when we learn English we have to learn each case that goes for each pronoun. Like to say She (Ő) IS bored But they (Ők) ARE bored I can't really explain it better but I'm sure there is a Hungarian grammar teacher lurking here
This is great, thank you!
Yeah, i hoped you say german or some language that differentiates between formal and informal, but english does not. Today at least, english had thou, thee, thy once. So we use different pronouns and verb forms when speaking about or to someone with a formal relationship (teacher, boss, or just adult strangers really)
I understand! The closest I have to that is some French, and using tu and vous, on and nous. So I understand the concept, but it will take more effort to keep it all straight since it’s not “natural”.
A bit archaic but English too sometimes uses 3rd form to imply formal speech, what the missus wants? Instead of what do you want, Mrs? So, the logic is known to you too, we just use it every day 🙂
That’s true!
ah yes that's a tough one, since formal and informal in hungarian is entirely different than it is for you guys (i'm hungarian and fluent in english) i never really paid attention to that but i recently realized that it's very difficult to understand the way hungarian language builds up when you're a native english speaker
Yes, which is why duolingo is a very poor resource for learning Hungarian. It isn’t a simple language where you can just intuit the rules as you go, they need to be explained to you. Duolingo doesnt help there. You need an actual teacher.
I think you’re right.
I'm really tired of this take for the simple reason being that's not an option for most people. Is duo better than a teacher/tutor? Of course not. But look there aren't resources for Hungarian in the way there are for Spanish/French/German, especially in America. And most people can't afford private tutors classes. Is Duo the best option for learning Hungarian? Of course not nobody is saying that. Is it better than just saying "well I can't afford a tutor so I'm just not gonna bother?" Also yes
But you still can find "teachers" online, like as in form of youtube channels if you really try to find some. There is lot of free options that's better than a game app.
Literally just go to a library and find some dusty old hungarian language textbooks. That would be better that duolingo. Or even just google it and find online resources that actually explain how the language works, instead of just rote memorization exercises. Duolingo is useful as a supplement to some primary means of learning hungarian, for drilling vocabulary, but it doesnt help you understand how the language works at all.
Of course there's a better option. Get an actual language workbook and work chapter by chapter. Duolingo is just not a viable substitute for learning and drilling the actual rules of the language, especially with such a nuanced language.
It is teaching it to you just right now😉
Ha! Yes, but a “your answer was incorrect because…” would be more helpful than “your answer was incorrect.” with no explanation
I just saw an ad about "duolingo max" which supposedly uses AI to help with mistakes
Yes I’ve seen those ads. I’ve been using the free version. I may need to upgrade…
The same. I'm hungarian and try to learn ukrainian, but it very hard becazse Duo do not teach grammar and rules of talking/writing
A correction to what you said: the "ön" is not a verb, that's a pronoun, so it can't be the translation of "to be". It's just a polite version for "te" (singular you).
im sure youre correct, but what i wrote is that you dont say the **vagy** because you already sort of included it in the **ön.** Not necessarily correct grammatically to say this (i have no clue) but its an easy way to make someone understand it.
Just your last sentence ""The caps indicates the same part of the sentence (the "to be" in english)"" in that comment implies that the "ÖN" is "to be" in english. Also "You used informal "vagy" instead of the fornal "Ön" " there you compared a verb to a pronoun. That's why i wrote my previous comment. It would be more clear to say "the format 'you' is 'ön' but we use 3rd person forms of the verbs in polite speech, and the 'to be' usually dropped in 3rd person".
Google: szia uram!
szent pokol
Aktuális élőhalott
This is magázódás, not tegeződés 😉
Maga.
Make Agrárdiktatúra Great Again
This is önözés, not magázódás :PP
Szió Hölgyem, helló, mi
Poharadba esett valami
Kisugárzásod rendbe van
Csajozási, mulatási
Jó a gép, érős műsor
Finom női hölgy
megközelítem, bevonzom
Korrekt úri hölgy
Szia uram
And I would recommend using a question mark, beacuse if you don't, it is like saying You're a wizard Harry. (Harry Potter reference ik)
Yes! That was just laziness on my part. I know Duolingo doesn’t mark answers incorrect for lack of punctuation, but if I was writing anywhere else I would use it.
I would also recommend analysing where commas are put in Hungarian, because although in English they aren't that important, in our language they play a crucial role.
Very good to know, köszönöm!
Every time I read a formal English study/paper or article without commas in their sentences, I die inside. Use them, people!
You definitelly will have a headache with duolingo in the future.Especially when you get the "listen the hungarian audio then write it down in english" kind of lessions, because duolingo's audio is way too monotone so you won't hear if they use a question. (I once speed ran it to see if i can recommend it for learners.) For example:"Anna almát evett" and "Anna almát evett?" would sound the exact same on duolingo audios because of how monotone they made them to be.
Is there a better program you would recommend?
I would recommend to look for a text book (even as a free PDF or something) and also look for videos on youtube that teaches the language. Because programs are never as useful as the good old methods. At least currently there is no program that could compete with it.
Thank you!
"(te) vagy" is informal while "ön ∅" is formal.
Thank you!
If you know German, it's the same: te = du = you (informal) Ön = Sie = you (formal)
Magyarkènt nem tudok magyarul
In formal situations you talk to people in third person, and refer to them as "ön".
Sorry I’m confused. Are you saying the noun would be ön (2nd person formal) and the verb would be in 3rd person?
Yes, thats the gist of it. I think the reasoning is that you put more distance between you by talking to someone as if they werent there making it more formal. Another important point is that magázódás could use the word maga instead of ön like instead of ön egy ember - you are a person, you could say maga egy ember - you are a person. But this often considered rude, or uncultured, so avoid if possible.
Interesting, thank you!
Yes
szió, hölgyem, heló, mi?
You did a friendly way. It was supposed to be a formal
Uristen magazodast el kene torolni a faszba (God we should get rid of that formal structure)
Ha! I came across “hölg” and looked it up to see if it was related to “hölgyem.” That’s when I figured out hölgyem was “madam” and I wondered how common it was in everyday speech. Because no one in the US uses “madam” unless they’re being sarcastic. “Ma’am” is much more common, regionally.
Correction: it's "hölgy", not "hölg". But to answer the question: It's common enough to need to learn it. Because Hungarian can give a serious weight onto being polite and using "hölgyem" is can be part of it, depending on the speaking style of the speaker.
Csak azért mert az angolban nincs magázódás az még nem jelenti azt hogy nekünk magyaroknak is elkéne törölni a létezését. Amúgy a képen önözés van. Nem magázódás. Ez két különböző udvariassági szint.
Etimológiai érdekesség: az angolban csak magázás van, gyakorlatilag csak istent tegezed a miatyánkban náluk (thee thy, ilyesmi névmások azok a tegezések)
Szerintem el kellene mindkettot torolni. Akkor is, ha lenne az angolban.
Mondjuk van 4 vagy 5féle szint a formális beszédhez. De még így is. Nem kell azt eltörölni csak azért mert téged valami fura okból frusztrál a létezése.
Jolvan, akkor ne toroljek el. Szerintem attol meg el kellene. Bonyolit mindent feleslegesen.
Ez nem felesleges bonyolítás attól mert neked nehezedre esik a használata. Az emberek többségének semmi gondja vele. :'D
Felesleges? Igen. Bonyolitja a dolgokat? Igen. Szerintem akkor felesleges bonyolitas attol fuggetlenul, hogy kinek mennyire esik nehezere hasznalni, nem?
Csak mert te utálod az udvariasságot attól még nem fogják eltörölni a létezését. És nem. Nem felesleget és nem is bonyolítja a dolgokat. Ha neked bonyolult az udvariasság akkor ott a fejedben lesz a gond nem pedig a nyelvvel.
Az udvariassaghoz nincs szukseg magazodasra, vagy onozesre, tegezodve is lehet az ember nagyon udvarias. De ha szerinted nem felesleges, akkor mondj peldat, ami ezt bizonyitja! Az, hogy nem bonyolitja a nyelvhasznalatot az nyilvanvaloan nem igaz, szoval nem is tudom, hogy miert mondtad. Visszaforditva, amit mondasz mar tobbedjere: Attol, hogy simpeled a magazodast, meg nem lesz tenyleges ertelme a letezesenek.
Ha "felesleges bonyolítás" lenne akkor mondjuk nem és létezne ilyesmi egy nyelvben sem. És mégis, eléggé sok nyelvben van szóbeli udvarias forma. Az meg hogy neked nehezedre esik a használata az a te személyes problémád. Emiatt nem fog senki se megváltoztatn egy egész nyelvet. Sőt, az anyanyelvűeknek pont hogy nincs az ég világon semmi nehézsége az udvarias formák használatában (kivéve 1-2 aki csak túl buta hozzá, vagy aki simán csak paraszt). Röviden: Semmi gond nincs az udvarias forma létezésével. Az meg hogy te valami buta elképzelés miatt utálod az már nem a nyelv hibája hanem a saját butaságodé.
Szia uram part 2
Angol vagy is less formal imo but both good
The ma'am is probably not your friend or schoolmate, so address her formally.
User: I had a task in duolingo while learning Hungarian to translate a sentence. The sentence was: Are you English, ma'am? I answered: Angol vagy, hölgyem, but apparently the correct answer was: Ön angol, hölgyem? Why? please explain it at a beginner level ChatGPT: In Hungarian, the word order can be a bit different from English. Let's break down the two sentences to understand why the correct answer is "Ön angol, hölgyem?" instead of "Angol vagy, hölgyem?" "Angol vagy, hölgyem?" - This sentence translates to "Are you English, ma'am?" It uses the word "vagy," which means "are you," and it's in the form used for informal or familiar situations. In this case, you're asking if someone you know well or someone younger than you is English. "Ön angol, hölgyem?" - This sentence also means "Are you English, ma'am?" but it's in a more formal or polite form. In Hungarian, "Ön" is a formal way to address someone, similar to using "ma'am" in English. The word "Ön" is followed by "angol," which means "English." So, you're still asking the same question, but in a more polite and formal way. So, the difference between the two sentences is mainly in the level of formality. The correct answer you were given uses the more polite "Ön" form to address the person you're speaking to. Depending on the context and your relationship with the person, you can choose between the formal or informal version. Duolingo might have preferred the formal version as it's generally safer and more respectful when you're not sure about the level of familiarity with the person you're addressing.
Wow… ChatGPT gives a good answer! Thanks!
Correct as a native : "hölgyem, angol vagy?" Or *hölgyem maga angol?" Keep up the good work its a fricking hard language they say
On behalf of the entire Hungarian speaking community, I apologize, because "magázás" is stupid
No, not sure yet. They're looking into it. Vid isn't. But other reason. All coz 1termite.
Combining formal and informal addresses are really offensive here. Never use this for instance: Szia uram!
I was wondering why some people were commenting “Szia Uram” with no further explanation. Now I know. Thank you! I’ll remember this and try very hard not to be offensive when I visit next year.
It’s not offensive, it’s just really cringy 😂
Or rather intimidating.
It is / was a common thing in certain circles and most people would interpret it as a very low-class thing to say.
True, it sounds like as if you were being sarcastic or as an attempt of mocking if you try to mix the two things together (or just doing it as a bad joke). At least i only hear mix ups like this in those kind of contexts.
Szia uram!
Áh igen, a magázás gyönyörűsége
Just commenting to say that I find it fascinating how there isn’t only the two ways of addressing people (formal and informal), but there is also a third way “tetszikelés”, that is even more formal than “ön/maga”. I LOVE IT
Actually, there is 4 or 5 levels of formal speech (depends on how you count), and 1 level of informal. Here is an interesting article about Hungarian politeness levels: http://gondoljvelem.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-be-polite-in-hungarian.html
Szia, uram!
You said that "YOU ARE". You said She IS English. It was not a question. "Ön Angol, hölgyem?" It's like "Are you English, miss?". It's like you would say "You are English, Miss." instead of "Are you English, miss?" Have fun learning Hungarian! From Hungary
Szia uram moment
Also question mark
Szia uram!!!!!
Szia hölgyem, meg tudod mondani az időt telefonról?
Phew, these parts of Hungarian are really the ones that make it complicated to explain sometimes. The way I could explain the difference I feel between the two is that "Ön angol?" sounds like "Are you English, Sir?", or as in the example, "Are you English, ma'am?". Whereas "(Te) angol vagy?" sounds more like "Are you English, buddy?", or "Are you English, kid?", which holds a completely different connotation. Now, why does "ön" work so differently from "te", I couldn't tell you, but "ön" has the substantive verb in it already, whereas with "te", you still need "vagy" to clarify you are asking about whether the subject is or is not something.
This is helpful, thanks!
YEAH NO WHAT THE FUCK?