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English - Hungarian

onion

gb/ˈʌnjən/ us/ˈʌnjən/
A1 English
~ 8600
hagyma, vöröshagyma, sokrétegű helyzet, sokrétegű történet, sokrétegű ügy
NOUN A1
1
hagyma A1
vöröshagyma A2
Usage pattern:
to add [onion] to [a dish]
I chopped an onion for the salad.
Felaprítottam egy fej hagymát a salátához.
The recipe calls for two large onions and three tomatoes.
A recepthez két nagy fej hagyma és három paradicsom kell.
Cooking the onions slowly in butter will make them sweet.
She could smell fried onions coming from the kitchen.
Do you want onions on your burger?
Learner examples
I cut an onion for the soup.
Felvágtam egy fej hagymát a leveshez.
Onions make my eyes hurt.
A hagymától csíp a szemem.
We need one more onion for this meal.
He puts onion on his pizza.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the countable and uncountable use. Use "an onion / three onions" for whole bulbs, but "some onion" or "a little onion" for chopped pieces in a dish (e.g., "Add some onion," not "Add some onions" when you mean chopped onion in general).
Meaning
edible bulb used in cooking
Collocations
chop an onion |slice the onions |raw onion |red onion |onion soup |onion rings
Synonyms
onion bulb (More technical; stresses that it is the bulb part of the plant, often used in gardening or botany.)
Themes
food |cooking |daily life |food_drink |daily_life |core_vocabulary
Definition

A round white, yellow, or red bulb with a strong smell and taste that people cut and cook in many kinds of food.

A round or oval, usually strong-smelling bulb of the onion plant, used as a vegetable and flavoring in many dishes.

NOUN B1
2
vöröshagyma A2
Usage pattern:
to grow [onions] in [a garden/field]
We grow tomatoes and onions in our garden every year.
Minden évben paradicsomot és vöröshagymát termesztünk a kertünkben.
The onions in the field were almost ready to harvest.
A mezőn a vöröshagyma már majdnem betakarításra érett.
Plant the onions in rows about ten centimeters apart.
These onions will overwinter and produce bigger bulbs next season.
Learner examples
My father grows onions in the yard.
Apám vöröshagymát termeszt az udvaron.
The onion needs a lot of sun to grow well.
A vöröshagymának sok napfényre van szüksége ahhoz, hogy jól fejlődjön.
Farmers plant onions in spring.
Many onion plants were damaged by the storm.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "onion" can mean the whole plant, not just the bulb. Context with verbs like "plant", "grow", or "harvest" usually points to this plant meaning.
Meaning
plant that grows onion bulbs
Collocations
onion plants |onion seeds |onion field |grow onions
Synonyms
onion plant (More explicit; clearly refers to the whole living plant rather than just the bulb.)
Themes
plants |agriculture |gardening |food_drink |nature |core_vocabulary
Definition

The plant that grows in the ground and makes the onion bulb that people eat.

A plant of the species Allium cepa, grown for its edible bulb and leaves.

NOUN B2 INFORMAL
3
sokrétegű helyzet B2
sokrétegű történet B2
sokrétegű ügy B2
Usage pattern:
[something] is an onion of [problems/secrets/etc.]
The investigation is an onion of corruption and cover-ups.
A nyomozás egy sokrétegű ügy, tele korrupcióval és eltussolásokkal.
Her past turned out to be an onion of secrets and half-truths.
Kiderült, hogy a múltja titkokból és féligazságokból álló, sokrétegű történet.
The budget is an onion of hidden costs that we still have to uncover.
Learner examples
The story is like an onion with many layers.
A történet olyan, mint egy hagyma: sok rétege van.
His plan is an onion of problems.
A terve egymásra rakódó problémákból áll.
This case is an onion of new questions.
Common mistake:
This figurative use is less common and usually appears in set phrases like "like an onion" or with verbs such as "peel back the layers of the onion." Learners sometimes overuse it in formal writing; it is better suited to spoken or creative language.
Meaning
multi-layered complex situation (figurative)
Collocations
like an onion |layers of the onion |peel the onion |an onion of lies
Synonyms
layered problem (More transparent and less figurative; does not use the strong visual image of an onion.)
Antonyms
simple issue (Describes something straightforward, with no hidden layers or complexity.)
Themes
metaphor |communication |education |core_vocabulary
Definition

A way to talk about a problem or story that has many different parts, like layers, that you find one after another.

A figurative use describing something, especially a situation or story, as having many layers of complexity that must be uncovered gradually.

Grammar
Dictionary form
onion
IPA
GB/ˈʌnjən/
US/ˈʌnjən/
Syllables & stress
onion (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (onion)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: onion
  • Plural: onion, onions
Word family
Forms
onions noun
Related words
oniony adjective
Expressions

French onion soup

1
/fɹˈɛnt͡ʃ ˈʌnjən sˈup/
fixed phrase

soup made mainly from onions

A rich soup made with many onions and stock, usually served with bread and melted cheese on top.

Examples
  • I started my meal with a bowl of French onion soup.
  • French onion soup tastes best with slow-cooked onions.

green onion

1
/ɡɹˈin ˈʌnjən/
fixed phrase

young onion with long green leaves

A young onion with long green leaves and a small white bottom that people cut and eat in salads and many dishes.

Examples
  • She sprinkled chopped green onion on top of the noodles.
  • You can use green onion instead of regular onion in this recipe.

know your onions

1
/nˈoʊ jˈʊɹ ˈʌnjənz/
idiom informal

be very knowledgeable and competent

To know a lot about something and be very good at it.

Examples
  • When it comes to computers, she really knows her onions.
  • You can tell the new chef knows his onions from the way he works in the kitchen.

like an onion

1
/lˈaɪk ən ˈʌnjən/
fixed phrase

having many layers (figurative)

Used to say that something has many parts or levels that you can discover one after another, not all at once.

Examples
  • Their relationship is like an onion, with more history than you first see.
  • The novel is like an onion, revealing new truths chapter by chapter.

onion rings

1
/ˈʌnjən ɹˈɪŋz/
fixed phrase

deep-fried battered onion slices

Round pieces of onion in batter, cooked in hot oil and eaten as a snack or with a meal.

Examples
  • We ordered a burger with a side of onion rings.
  • These onion rings are really crispy and sweet.

peel back the layers of the onion

1
/pˈil bˈæk ðə lˈeɪɚz əv ðə ˈʌnjən/
idiom

examine something layer by layer

To look more and more deeply into a problem, story, or person, finding new facts each time.

Examples
  • The documentary slowly peels back the layers of the onion to reveal the truth.
  • As we peel back the layers of the onion, more problems appear.

spring onion

1
/spɹˈɪŋ ˈʌnjən/
fixed phrase

young onion (mainly BrE term)

A young onion with long green leaves, called this mainly in British English, eaten raw or cooked in many dishes.

Examples
  • The salad is topped with sliced spring onion.
  • Add some chopped spring onion right before serving.
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