Key Takeaways
- Hindi is one of India's official languages and is widely spoken across the country of India, but also countries like Nepal, Mauritius, the United States, Fiji and Singapore.
- Hindi features multiple levels of formality in its language.
- Learning Hindi can facilitate understanding of other regional languages.
First things first, is Hindi the only national language of india? Short answer, no! It is one of the biggest though, alongside English, Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi, Telugu and others. Hindi is native to northern India and Pakistan, where the Hindustani language or dialect is called Urdu.
Urdu is written with an Arabic script rather than the Hindi Devanagari alphabet.
Obviously, learning Hindi takes a long time. You need to learn not just the Hindi alphabet and pronunciation, but all the grammar rules such as the different verb tenses, how to make an adjective agree with a noun and proper sentence structure.
Let's start with some Hindi words to ease you into learning.
Common Hindi Words
- Namaste - Hello
- Alvida - Bye
- Suprabhaat - Good morning
- Shubh sundhyaa - Good evening
- Main theek hoon - I am fine
- Kyaa chal rahaa hai? - What's new?
- Ye kitane ka hai - How much is this?
- Ksama karem - Excuse me, sorry
- Kripaya - Please
- Taiksi - Taxi
The Importance Of Hindi
Whether it is spirituality, food, art, architecture or industry that have led you to want to learn Hindi, Hindi is a great language to speak and the learning process doesn't have to be difficult. Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India and derives from Sanskrit, written in the Devanagari script.
Because of their similarities, learning how to speak Hindi will help you to speak Sanskrit, Urdu, Nepalese, Bengali, and Gujarati. One other thing to remark is that Hindi is written from left to right, so that’s a good start too, right? At least this is something that English speakers are familiar with!
One of India’s most challenging languages to learn, predominantly spoken in the southern state of Kerala, Malayalam is renowned for its complex script and sophisticated grammar, making it a particularly demanding language to master.
It’s also fairly easy to read Hindi as words are generally written as they are pronounced because each character of the Hindi alphabet has a different sound. First things first... make sure you practice those greetings and basic Hindi phrases!
Hindi Formal Registers
When we speak English, we have several registers in which we talk:
- The formal (used with persons of authority or strangers).
- The informal or colloquial (for friends and family).
In Hindi, there are many more subtleties to the formal and informal registers. There can be several versions of formal speak, depending on the rank of the person you are talking to (whether in terms of caste or just your boss), and their relationship to you.
There are also several informal registers, variations from friendly to intimate. This is hard for Hindi translators to convey. Words might appear as synonyms and have the same English translation, but belong to different levels of formality. You can read Hindi newspapers and improve your Hindi language skill.
Hindi Greetings and Salutations
1. Hello
The Hindi word for “hello” is namaste - literally, “I bow to you” - which they will. Though some Indians will shake hands, most bring their palms together in front of their chest, fingers up, and bow slightly. You can also say namaskaar or, as a respectful greeting to superiors or elders, pranaam. You can say these Hindi words of greeting at any time of day.
If you are speaking Urdu (a language with a lot of Persian and Arabic words), you will say assalaam-aleikum, “may God be with you,” a phrase that the Muslim people of Pakistan took from Arabic. “Hi” is suno or suniye.
2. Good-bye
When leaving, you might say namaste again, or phir milenge (”see you”). A casual “bye” is “alvida, whereas a more formal “farewell” is vidai. The equivalent to “so long” would be bahut lamba.
3. Good morning!
Suprabhaat is the Indian greeting for "good morning".
4. Good evening!
5. Welcome!
When welcoming someone you know very well, use aaiye and padhariye!
When welcoming a stranger, use swagt.
6. Nice to meet you
"Nice to meet you" is Ap se milkar kushi hui
7. How are you?
Saying "how are you":
- To a man or a group of people: Aap kaise hain?
- To a woman or a group comprised only of women: Aap kaisi hain?Casual (the equivalent to “how’s it going”):
There are also casual ways to ask "how are you?" in Hindi, including:
8. I am fine
9. Who are you/What is your name?
10. My name is…
My name is… Meraa naam (insert name here) hain.
It is interesting to note that this sentence is not modified according to gender - it’s the same phrase whether it is spoken to a man or a woman.
11. See you (tomorrow)
12. What's new?
13. Nothing much
Being polite in Basic Hindi
14. Please
Kripaya, used at the beginning of a sentence.
15. Thank you
When you look in your English-Hindi dictionary for the Hindi translation of “thank you”, you will find dhanyavaad. However, it is important to note that this word is not used lightly in an Indian language. Thanks for everyday things such as handing someone their Hindi dictionary or holding open the door are implied.
The word “dhanyavaad” is frequently used for very big favors and almost never with family or intimate friends - whom you can inadvertently insult if you thank them!
However, the younger generation has gotten more into the habit of saying “thank you” for smaller things - when in doubt, ask your acquaintances and friend if it is acceptable in a specific situation, or say how much you enjoy what was given or done for you rather than saying “thanks”.
16. You’re welcome (as a reply to “thank you”)
In case someone else has thanked you (no headache there), here are some ways you can say “You’re welcome”: Mera subhagya hai. Koi baat nahi.
17. Excuse me, sorry
Like many other aspects of the Hindi tongue, there are several registers for the expression “excuse me”, depending on the formality. This is one thing where Hindi to English translation dictionaries and apps often fail.
18. The forms of “you”
Some languages have a formal “you” and an informal “you” (English has lost its informal “you”). Hindi has formal, informal and intimate.
Knowing how intimate is intimate enough is difficult, however, so it’s better to err on the side of caution and use the informal with friends and family. Depending on who you are addressing, you should use:
| Register | To whom? | Word |
|---|---|---|
| Formal/respectful | Elders, superiors | Aap |
| Informal | Good acquaintances, friends | Tum |
| Intimate | Good friends and siblings, lovers | Tu |
19. Mister, Mrs.
While you can use Mistar and Misez for Mr. and Mrs, the Indian designations are Sri and Srimati.
When addressing someone, adding -jee after their name is a sign of respect: Mataa (mother) = mataa-jee Pitaa (father) = pitaa-jee Mina (girl’s name) = Mina-jee
Getting around in Hindi: Buying and Getting Places
Hopefully, if you get the chance to learn Hindi with an immersion holiday, you will also be doing some shopping - and hopefully more than just at the pharmacy! Here are some simple phrases you might need in shops (and to help you get there!)
20. How much is this?
Not everything is priced in the shops, so you need to know this important phrase: Ye kitane ka hai.
21. I like this
When presented with several options in a shop (the red or the blue saree?) you should use these Hindi phrases: I like this: Mujhe pasand hai. I don’t like this: Mujhe pasand nahi hai.
22. I am hungry / thirsty
When on your shopping spree, if you ever feel peckish (or thirsty) and want to go get something to eat, say: Mujhe bhook/pyaas lagi hai.
23. Right and left and middle
When searching for the perfect gift, you might need some Indian-language directions to get to the right store:
Right: daya
Left: baya
Middle: madhya
Straight: sidha
24. Means of transportation
And of course, you need to know how to get there! Here’s how to translate words for modes of transportation:
Taxi: taiksi
Train: tren, relgari
Subway: sabwe, bhumigat paidal par path
Bus: bas
Bus stop: bas stap
Other Useful Hindi Phrases for English Speakers
Of course, dictionaries are useful, and you shouldn’t visit India without a Hindi - English dictionary in your pack or loaded onto your phone. But words are one thing, intelligible sentences are something else.
It’s not enough to simply translate English to Hindi word for word - the sentences need to be grammatically correct, adapted to the status of the person you are talking to…
And while translation software is getting better and better, it’s still not the same as having a human Hindi translator - or learning to speak Hindi yourself. Here are some ready-to-use Indic phrases to help you out when traveling on the Indian subcontinent.
25. I’m not feeling well.
This sentence is important if you are feeling ill and need to lie down or get to a doctor. Mujhe theek nhi lg rha.
26. Can you help me?
If you are among strangers, you need to know how to ask for help without an English dictionary: Kya aap meri madad kar sakte hain?
Or, in an urgent situation, just “help”:
27. Words for “doctor” and “police”
The translations from English to Hindi are easy in this case, as the words are taken from English:
Doctor is daktar
Police is polis
28. Do you speak English?
While many language courses like to teach you “Do you speak Hindi?” as one of the first phrases in a new language, learning how to say “do you speak English” is much more useful for a beginner Hindi speaker.
29. I don’t speak Hindi
You might sometimes be addressed by people who want to help or just sell you something. Either way, you should tell them this: Mujhe hindi nahi ati hair. (I don’t speak Hindi.)
30. I don’t understand.
Being an intermediate student in a language can be frustrating. You know more than a few basic phrases, your vocabulary is fine for everyday situations, but you still often find yourself reaching for your Hindi dictionary to read signs; when talking to people, you will be using an English translator app for some phrases; when listening, use this sentence a lot: Mai samjha/samhi nahi.
31. Talk more slowly
Sometimes the problem is not so much that the person is using new words you don’t know, but that you can’t tell because they are talking so fast your brain can’t catch get it all translated to English by the time they’ve finished the sentence. You ask ask them so speak more slowly: Dhire dhire boliye.
32. What does it mean? How do you say it?
Of course, everyone appreciates it when someone makes an effort in learning their language. Since many Hindi speak fair to good English, you can try asking these questions and you'l have a good chance of understanding the answer:
What does [insert Hindi word] mean? […] ka artha/matlab kya hai?
How do you say [insert English words]? […] kaise kahate hai?
One Last Lesson From Us: Learning Hindi Numbers!
When confronted with Hindi vocabulary, one thing that seems to stump a lot of people are the Hindi numbers. Hindi uses a decimal system, and as long as you are counting from one to ten it’s literally a simple matter of memorization and logic.
After that, they function along the principles of prefix (unit) + suffix (decimal). Thus, pentsadh is 65, chavti is 34.
| Numeral | Word | Prefix | Decimal suffix | Decimal name (20, 30, 40) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ek | ik- | -ah | das |
| 2 | do | ba- | -bis | bees |
| 3 | tin | te- or ti- | -tis | tis |
| 4 | char | chav- | -lis | chalis |
| 5 | panch | pent- | -an | pachas |
| 6 | cheh | chiya- | -sadh | saadh |
| 7 | saat | sata- | -hatar | sattar |
| 8 | aath | adha- | -asi | assi |
| 9 | nao | un- (-1) + the suffix of the next decimal up (unnasi = 80-1 = 79 | -ave | nabbe |
| 10 | das | ek sau |
Eleven is gyaarah.
99 is ninyaanave, NOT un-ek-sau
Look here for the Devanagari numerals. If you wish to learn and have fun, check out our previous article about Hindi quizzes and games. To practice your Hindi, why not get yourself a “word of the day” calendar in Hindi? Or, once you’ve progressed a little beyond beginner status, read Hindi poets - poetry often uses interesting and unusual words.
Learning Hindi Online
With the wide reach of the Internet, we have access to a range of content, courses and tutors originating from all over the world.
Your options for language learning online are to sign up to an online study program, use online learning materials like films to educate yourself, or find a private tutor who can motivate and guide you on your language learning journey.
Perhaps you have already mastered the above and want to keep pushing to learn even more Hindi words and phrases online, with the use of apps or even by listening to radio and podcasts. Alternatively, you may have found it easier to grasp some of the elements of this language by reading articles or even books written in Hindi. Here's a couple podcasts to get you started:
Every learner works differently and gains knowledge at a different pace so, particularly if you're in a hurry to learn a new language, then you may need to turn to Hindi lessons with a real-life instructor if you really want to become proficient in the language.
Tutors are available online and in person, and are a great way to interact with second language lessons in a way that fits around your lifestyle. We'll learn more about finding tutors in a moment, but first, let's take a look at how you could improve your language skills with the use of the basic Internet and phone apps.
Apps
With some resources like DuoLingo, Rocket Languages, Babbel and HindiPod101, you can benefit from some free lessons, with the opportunity to pay for a subscription if you wish to advance further. There is no better option, as each tool is different from the other and may have features that appeal to some more than others.
Websites
Verbal Planet is a website and flexible learning tool which helps new starters to grasp the Hindi language. Like many online resources, this website allows you to learn around your own schedule, offering you a variety of lessons to pick and choose from to fit your lifestyle.
The success of this website is most of all down to its native, experienced Hindi teachers who can offer lively, fun and interesting conversations in their mother tongue language.
Learning Hindi With Superprof
One of the best ways to find an experienced Hindi tutor is to consult experienced tutors via platforms like Superprof, a leading, international company allowing tutors and students to connect and form working partnerships.
With the use of Superprof's user-friendly website, you can instantly locate tutors offering Hindi language services in your area, as well as those farther afield who are able to offer online tuition.
Furthermore, you can filter your search to show only native speakers, if you so wish, and can choose which level of education you require (i.e. primary school, college, adult education etc) or simply which level you believe you are working at (beginner, intermediate or advanced).
but prices range from around $10 per lesson to $30 per hour.
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Very useful but pronounciation i have to lesson n learn
It was very nice ☺️
I want to learn and live in India and learn their culture and food and dressing and language . India is a very good country
You really helped me with my assignment
Dhanyavaad…
Hi Daniella, I’m glad we could help you with your assignment! Svaagat haiṅ :)
Amazing