Significado
The plan failed or was cancelled.
Contexto cultural
The 'kút' (well) was the center of village life. Losing something in it was a common tragedy, leading to this idiom. Famous poets like Petőfi used similar metaphors (smoke, wells) to describe the failure of the 1848 revolution plans. Hungarians use this idiom in professional emails to sound polite but clear about a project's end. The idiom reflects a cultural acceptance that things often go wrong, a trait often attributed to Central European history.
Drop the Article
Remember to say 'Kútba esett' and not 'A kútba esett' to sound like a native speaker.
Don't use for people
If you say 'Péter kútba esett', people will call an ambulance because they think he literally fell into a well!
Significado
The plan failed or was cancelled.
Drop the Article
Remember to say 'Kútba esett' and not 'A kútba esett' to sound like a native speaker.
Don't use for people
If you say 'Péter kútba esett', people will call an ambulance because they think he literally fell into a well!
The Shrug
When saying this, a small shrug of the shoulders often accompanies the phrase, showing acceptance of the situation.
Teste-se
Fill in the missing word to complete the idiom.
Sajnos a rossz idő miatt ______ esett a terv.
The idiom is 'kútba esik'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to say a plan failed?
Válassza ki a helyes mondatot!
The verb 'esett' (fell) is the correct part of this idiom.
Match the situation to the phrase.
A cég nem kapott pénzt, így nem tudnak új irodát nyitni.
'Terjeszkedés' means expansion, which fits the business context.
Complete the dialogue.
- Jössz holnap a koncertre? - Nem, sajnos ______.
This is the standard way to respond when a plan is cancelled.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Failure Idioms
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosSajnos a rossz idő miatt ______ esett a terv.
The idiom is 'kútba esik'.
Válassza ki a helyes mondatot!
The verb 'esett' (fell) is the correct part of this idiom.
A cég nem kapott pénzt, így nem tudnak új irodát nyitni.
'Terjeszkedés' means expansion, which fits the business context.
- Jössz holnap a koncertre? - Nem, sajnos ______.
This is the standard way to respond when a plan is cancelled.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
14 perguntasNo, it is perfectly neutral and can be used in almost any context.
Yes, it's very common for small social cancellations.
There isn't a single idiom, but you could say 'Sikerült a terv' (The plan succeeded) or 'Minden a terv szerint halad' (Everything is going according to plan).
It is 'kútba' with a long 'ú'.
Yes: 'Félek, hogy kútba fog esni a terv.' (I'm afraid the plan will fall through.)
Almost, but 'füstbe ment' is a bit more dramatic and poetic.
Only if your phone literally fell into a well. For a broken phone, use 'tönkrement'.
Majdnem kútba esett a terv.
Yes, it is a universal Hungarian idiom.
Yes, it is acceptable in formal writing, though 'meghiúsult' is more academic.
No, it can be 'üzlet' (deal), 'utazás' (trip), 'randi' (date), etc.
Because in the past, a well was a deep place from which you couldn't get things back.
No, it is standard Hungarian.
Usually, it implies external circumstances, but you can use it if the result is the same.
Frases relacionadas
Füstbe ment terv
synonymA plan that went up in smoke.
Dugába dőlt
synonymCollapsed like barrel staves.
Meghiúsul
specialized formTo fail/be thwarted.
Sikerül
contrastTo succeed.
