Indo-Aryan language spoken in India
Phrasebooks > Hindi phrasebook

Hindi (हिन्दी) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in India, Nepal, and throughout the Indian diaspora in Fiji, Singapore, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana, South Africa, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius and other countries. Where there are 22 official languages and over 1,000 dialects of India, Hindi and English take precedence in government affairs. It is a link-language for over half of India's population. It is also one of the 3 official languages of Fiji.

Hindi is descended from Sanskrit, sometimes called "the mother of all languages," or "Latin of the East." Standard Hindi is based on the खड़ी बोली Khaṛī Bolī dialect (lit. "Pure language"). A mixture of Hindi and Urdu, called Hindustani (though this name is also applied to the Caribbean dialect of Hindi), is the form heard in most Bollywood films, trying to appeal to the widest audience possible. Hindustani is different than what is taught at the literary level and what is used by news programs and the government in India.

As per the 2011 census, Hindi is the fastest growing language in India, followed by Kashmiri, Meitei (Manipuri), Gujarati, and Bengali.

A striking fact is that, depending on the source, Hindi is listed anywhere from the 2nd to 5th most widely spoken language in the world. In contrast to languages such as Mandarin or Spanish, there has not been much promotion of learning Hindi as a second language outside of India and some neigbouring South Asian countries such as Bhutan.

Writing

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Hindi is written in the Devanāgarī (देवनागरी) script, like Nepali, Marathi and a number of other Indian languages. Learning Devanagari is not quite as difficult as you might think at first glance, but mastering it takes a while and is beyond the scope of most travellers. See Learning Devanagari for a primer.

 
The World Hindi Secretariat Headquarters in Mauritius.

Pronunciation

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Most English speakers find Hindi pronunciation rather challenging, as there are 11 separate vowels and 35 separate consonants, employing a large number of distinctions not found in English. Don't let this intimidate you: Many speakers do not speak standard Hindi in practice but rather in regional accents which don't use as many consonants and/or vowels.

Vowels

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The key distinction is the difference between short and long vowels. In this phrasebook, long vowels are noted with a digraph (two letters), whereas short vowels are listed as one letter.

Devanagari Pseudo-phoneticisation Equivalent/Comments
uh as in about
ah as in father
ih as in sit
ee as in elite
u as in put
oo as in moon
rih as in trip or Scottish heard (this form is rarely used in Hindi)
eh long e. It is not a diphthong; the tone does not fall.
ay as in fair, sometimes a longer ए, in Eastern dialects as in bright
oh not a diphthong; tone does not fall.
aw as in caught, in Eastern dialects as in town
o as in not

Consonants

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Hindi consonants have many qualities not familiar to native English speakers including aspiration and retroflex consonants.

Aspiration means "with a puff of air", and is the difference between the sound of the letter "k" in English kin (aspirated) and skip (unaspirated). In this phrasebook, aspirated sounds are spelled with an h (so English "kin" would be khin) and unaspirated sounds without it (so "skip" is still skip). Hindi aspiration is quite forceful and it's OK to emphasize the puff.

Hindi retroflex consonants, on the other hand, are not really found in English. They should be pronounced with the tongue tip curled back. Practice with a native speaker, or just pronounce as usual — you'll usually still get the message across.

Devanagari Pseudo-phoneticisation Equivalent/Comments
k (beginning of syllable)
ck (end of syllable)
as in skip.
kh as in sinkhole.
g as in go.
gh as in doghouse.
ng as in sing. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords, does not occur independently.
ch as in church.
chh as in pinchhit.
j as in jump.
jh as in dodge her.
ny as in canyon. Used only in Sanskrit loan words, does not occur independently.
tt as in tick. Retroflex, but still a "hard" t sound similar to English.
tth as in lighthouse. Retroflex
dd as in doom. Retroflex
ddh as in mudhut. Retroflex
nn retroflex n. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords.
t does not exist in English. more dental t, with a bit of a th sound. Softer than an English t.
th aspirated version of the previous letter, not as in thanks or the.
d dental d.
dh aspirated version of the above.
n dental n.
p as in spin.
ph as in u'ph'ill.
b as in be.
bh as in abhor.
m as in mere.
y as in yet.
r as in Spanish pero, a tongue trip. Don't roll as in Spanish rr, German or Scottish English.
l as in lean.
v/w as in Spanish vaca, between English v and w, but without the lip rounding of an English w. (IPA: ʋ).
sh as in shoot.
ssh almost indistinguishable retroflex of the above. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords.
s (beginning of syllable)
ss (end of syllable)
as in see.
h as in him.

Nuqta

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Besides vowel diacritics, Hindi also has a special diacritic for consonants, called nuqta (नुक़्ता nooq-tah). It is used to alter the pronunciation of consonants to render loanwords.

क़ q
like skip but further back in the throat (IPA: q)
ख़ kh
like Chanukkah or Scottish loch (IPA: x)
ग़ gh
like Dutch geen  (IPA: ɣ)
ज़ z
like zoo (IPA: z)
झ़ zh
like measure (IPA: ʒ)
फ़ f
like fin (IPA: f)

Stress

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For emphasising words don't stress them by voice (which would be regarded as a sign of aggressiveness) but add a to after them.

yuhh kyah hay? ("what's this?") → yuhh toh kyah hay? - ("what is this?")

Voice should always be very low and with few changes in pitch, loudness and stress, so please: relax!.

One of the only stresses found in Hindi is the last long syllable prior to the last syllable (e.g. in "dhuh-nyuh-vahd" stress "dhuh"). But it is a mild stress which occurs naturally, so don't force it. Don't even think about it!

शुभकामनाएँ! (shoobh-kahm-nah-ẽh!) — Good luck

Grammar

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Pronouns Singular Plural
1st Person मैं (mayn) (I) हम (huhm) (We)
2nd Person (intimate) तू (tōo) (You) -
2nd Person (familiar) तुम (toom) (You) तुम (toom) (You)
2nd Person (honorary) आप (aap) (You) आप (aap) (You)
3rd Person Proximal (familiar) यह (yuhh) (This/He/She/It) ये (yeh) (These/He/She/It)
3rd Person Proximal (honorary) ये (yeh) (He/She) ये (yeh) (He/She)
3rd Person Distal (familiar) वह (vuhh) (That/He/She/It) वे (veh) (Those/He/She/It)
3rd Person Distal (honorary) वो (voh) (That/He/She/It) वो (voh) (They/These)

Gender & The 2nd Person Pronoun: Certain words have different endings depending on your gender. If you are a man, say these with an -आ suffix, and if you're a woman, -ई. However; when addressing the person respectively with ahp (आप), the masculine ending takes the plural form. This is not all that different from the behavior of other Indo-European languages, c.f. German Sie, which like ahp is also both the respectful 2nd person pronoun and plural form of address. The other two forms are the familiar toom (तुम) and intimate tōo (तू). These change the forms of certain words. Toom is for friends and peers, tōo for small children (within the family); between 'significant others' in private; traditionally to lower castes; in the past, slaves; and, paradoxically, when supplicating to the gods/God (c.f. Greek mythology). As a general rule, stick with ahp, until you become more familiar with the language and culture. Forget about tōo altogether, at the best using it would be a faux pas and at the worst, very offensive. For those reasons as well as practical ones, this section will only use the ahp form.

Grammatical Gender: Like many major European languages, but not English, Hindi nouns have a grammatical gender assigned to them. There are two genders in Hindi, masculine and feminine, and even inanimate objects have a gender.

Hindi Phrases

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Distribution of L1 speakers of the Hindi family of languages (as defined by the Government of India; includes Rajasthani, Western Pahari, Eastern Hindi, among others) in India.
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Cultural notes

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Greetings: There are no time elemental greetings in conversational Hindi such as good morning, good afternoon, etc. And each religion has its own greetings. It is considered very gracious to address a person by their respective greetings, but not necessary.

Namaste (नमस्ते nuh-muhss-teh) is the most ubiquitous greeting. Though of Hindu origin it is now mostly secular. You say namaste with your hands folded and by bowing slightly – but don't go overboard Japanese style! Namaste literally means "I bow to you." The original religious significance was of bowing to the soul (aht-mah) within another. It is custom to touch the feet of someone older than you when saying namaste. Namaskār (नमस्कार nuh-muhss-kahr) has the same meaning, but is used less often in Hindi, though it is common in other Indian languages such as Gujarati and Bengali. Namaskār is thought of as more formal, and as such is used more often when addressing a group or a person of importance. The Sikhs also fold their hands and bow, but have their own greetings. Sat śrī akāl (सत श्री अकाल suht shree uh-kahl) is the most common, which comes from the Punjabi ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ meaning "God alone is Truth." Though Sikh people are mostly found in the Punjab region of India, Punjabi greetings are used by Sikhs all over the world. After meeting someone for the first time आपसे मिलकर बहुत खुशी हुई (ahp-seh mil-kuhr buh-hoot khoo-shee hoo-ee) may be said, meaning "I'm very happy to meet you."

Civilities: In Western cultures, saying phrases like please, thank you, you're welcome, excuse me, sorry, etc. are so ingrained into the people from a young age that they say them without a second thought. Not so for Indians. Saying such phrases in an inappropriate circumstance might even embarrass the person, or cheapen the gravity of the phrase itself. These phrases are only said in a sincere sense. For example, don't say धन्यवाद (dhuh-nyuh-vahd, thank you) after a clerk hands you your grocery bag, but when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for you. Sometimes, English words themselves are used; due to the British colonial influence, especially in urban areas and among the upper class. In this case, use them as you would in English.

When someone is in your way, instead of saying excuse me, or zara suniye, just let out an aspirated ts sound with your tongue behind your teeth to attract their attention. This might seem rude, but is no more rude than children saying "pssst" to get a friend's attention during class! In conclusion, though Hindi has corresponding words to ours, this does not mean that the context in which they are used also correspond likewise. Don't let all of this lead you to believe Indians are cold though – nothing could be further from the truth! These sentiments are merely communicated through body language rather than verbally. To show your thanks, a simple smile will do the trick. Other common gestures include the famous "head bobble"; and a hand gesture made by swiftly swinging the wrist so your palm is facing the sky and your forefingers slightly elongated. Before travelling to India, rent some Bollywood films so that if a spontaneous Bhangra breaks out in the streets, you'll be ready to join in! All kidding aside, they can demonstrate body language and customs far better than any book is able to, all while acclimatizing you to the language as well.

Prefixes & Suffixes: When you answer with the words "yes" and "no", the word (जी jee) may be added afterwards to give it a more polite tone. Sometimes, speakers will simply reply with , as an affirmation of something someone says. is added to a person's name as a sign of respect. For example; in India, Mahatma Gandhi is often referred to as Gandhiji (गांधीजी).

Another suffix which is indispensable is -wallah (-वाला -vah-lah). Many books devote whole chapters to -wallah. With nouns, it gives the meaning "the one or thing that does" and with verbs, it indicates something is about to happen. Examples:

  • noun – shop (दुकान doo-kahn) + (-वाला wah-lah) = shopkeeper (दुकानवाला doo-kahn-wah-lah)
  • verb – to come (आना ah-nah) + (-वाला wah-lah) = (the) ... is coming (... आनेवाला है ... ah-neh-wah-lah hay)

English loanwords: The British Empire's influence spread into the language itself, and this continues today with American culture being exported throughout the world. So, an English word or phrase may almost always be inserted into any Hindi sentence. You will often hear Indians, whom while talking in Hindi, pepper their sentences with English words. Sometimes, they'll even alternate sentences, going from Hindi to English, and back to Hindi! The local urbanites call it Hinglish, a mixture of the two languages. English loanwords are particularly used for modern inventions/technologies, so words like TV, computer and microwave are the same as in English apart from the slight change of accent. However; this is mostly in the cities, and learning some Hindi will have been all the more rewarding when in rural or non-tourist areas, as well as allowing you to communicate with a wider variety of people in the cities.

Basics

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Common signs


OPEN
CLOSED
ENTRANCE
EXIT
PUSH
PULL
TOILET
MEN
WOMEN
FORBIDDEN
मना है (muh-nuh hay)
Accha! OK? TK!

One of the most useful words to know is accha (अच्छा uhch-chha). It is both an adjective and interjection. Its meanings include (but are not limited to!): good, excellent, healthy, well, OK, really?, awesome!, hmm..., a-ha!, etc.! If you learn no other word, remember this one.

Another common all-purpose word is ṭhīk hai (ठीक है ttheeck hay), pronounced and occasionally even spelled out as "TK". It is used in the same manner, meaning: OK/all right, yes/understood (affirmation), right/correct, etc. Sometimes shortened to just ṭhīk.

English Hindi Pseudo-phoneticisation
Hello (when answering the phone) हेलो heh-loh
Hello नमस्ते nuh-muhss-teh
Hello/Goodbye नमस्कार nuh-muhss-kahr
Hello/Goodbye (Hindu, respectful) प्रणाम pruh-nnahm
Hello/Goodbye (Hindu, colloquial) राम राम rahm rahm
Hello/Goodbye (Sikh) सत श्री अकाल suht shree uh-kahl
Hello/Goodbye (Sikh, formal) वाहिगुरू जी का खाल्स vah-hih-goo-rōo jee kah khalss
Hello/Goodbye (Sikh, reply) वाहिगुरू जी की फ़तह vah-hih-goo-rōo jee kee fuh-tuh
See you later फिर मिलेंगे phir mih-lehng-geh
How are you? आप कैसे/कैसी हैं? ahp kay-seh/kay-see hayn? (masc./fem.)
How are you? आप ख़ैरियत से हैँ? ahp khay-rih-yuht seh hayn?
I am fine मैं ठीक हूँ mayn ttheeck hōon
OK/fine (colloq.) ठीक है ttheeck hay
Fine, and you? (more formal reply) ठीक, आप सुनाइये ttheeck, ahp soo-naih-yeh
What is your name? आपका नाम क्या है? ahp-kah nahm kyah hay?
My name is ___ . मेरा नाम ___ है। meh-rah nahm ___ hay.
Nice to meet you (formal). आपसे मिलकर बहुत ख़ूशी हुई। ahp-seh mihl-kuhr buh-hoot khōo-shee hoo-ee
Nice to meet you too (reply). मुझे भी moo-jheh bhee
Yes हाँ hahn
No/not नहीं nuh-hihn
Do you speak English? आपको अंग्रेज़ी आती है? ahp-koh uhng-greh-zih ah-tee hay?
Is there someone here who speaks English? क्या किसी को अंग्रेज़ी आती है? kyah kih-see koh uhng-greh-zih ah-tee hay?
I don't speak Hindi. मुझे हिन्दी नहीं आती है। moo-jheh hihn-dee nuh-heen ah-tee hay.
I can't speak Hindi मैं हिन्दी नहीं बोल सकता हूँ। maihn hihn-dee nuh-heen bohl suhck-tah hōon.
I speak some Hindi. मुझे कुछ हिन्दी आती है। moo-jheh koochh hihn-dee ah-tee hay.
I don't understand. मैं समझा/समझी नहीं। maihn suhm-jhah/suhm-jhee nuh-heen (masc./fem.)
Speak more slowly धीरे धीरे बोलिये dhee-reh dhee-reh boh-lih-yeh
Come again? फिरसे? phihr-seh?
What does "..." mean? "..." का मतलब कया है? "..." kah muht-luhb kyuh hay?
How do you say "..."? "..." कैसे कहते हैं? "..." kay-seh kuh-huh-teh hayn?
Where are you from? आप कहाँ से हैं? ahp kuh-hahn seh hayn?
I'm from ... मैं ... से हूँ mayn ... seh hōon
Please कृपया krihp-yah
Thank you धन्यवाद / शुक्रिया / थैंक्यू dhuhn-yuh-vahd/shoock-rih-yah / thayng-kyōo
Thank you very much बहुत बहुत शुक्रिया,... buh-hoot buh-hoot thayng-kyōo,...
You're welcome आपका स्वागत है ahp-kah swah-guht hay
You're welcome (lit. don't mention it) कोई बात नहीं koh-ee baht nuh-heen
Excuse me (getting someone's attention) सुनिये soo-nih-yeh
Pardon me क्षमा कीजिये (k)sshuh-mah kee-jih-yeh
Pardon me/I'm sorry माफ़ कीजिये mahf kee-jih-yeh
Where is the toilet? टॉयलेट / शौचालय कहाँ है? ttoy-lehtt / shaw-chah-lay kuh-hahn hay?
Good!, really?, nice, etc. अच्छा uhch-chhah
Just one minute एक मिनट ehk mih-nuhtt
What time is it? कितने बजे हैं? kiht-neh buh-jeh hayn?
 
A sign saying Thank You in Hindi.

Forms of Address

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English Hindi Transliteration
Mr. मिस्टर / श्री mihss-ttuhr / shree
Mrs. मिसेज़ / श्रीमती mih-sehz / shree-muh-tee
Mr. (Sikh: ਸਰਦਾਰ) सरदार suhr-dahr
Mrs. (Sikh: ਸਰਦਾਰਨੀ) सरदारनी suhr-dahr-nee
Sir महोदय muh-hoh-day
Dr. डॉक्टर ddock-ttuhr

Interrogatives

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English Hindi Transliteration
how/of what kind? कैसा? kaisa
how much/many? कितना/कितने? kitna/kitne
what? क्या? kyā?
when? कब? kab?
where? कहाँ? kahān?
who? कौन? kaun?
which? कौनसा? kaunsa?
why? क्यों? kyon?

Numbers

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The numerals used to write in decimal are called Indo-Arabic numerals. Developed in India, they were borrowed by the Arabs, and gradually spread to Europe. The similarities are hard to miss. Here are their respective numerals.

Indo-Arabic Devanagari
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9




Hindi numbers ending in 9 are named as "un" (-1) plus the next multiple of ten. Instead of naming powers of a thousand, Hindi has unique names for a thousand, a hundred thousand, ten million etc.

Numeral Hindi Transliteration Numeral Hindi Transliteration Numeral Hindi Transliteration Numeral Hindi Transliteration
0 शून्य shUnya, bi.ndi 25 पच्चीस paccīs 50 पचास pacās 75 पचहत्तर pachattar
1 एक ek 26 छब्बीस chabbīs 51 इक्यावन ikyāvan 76 छिहत्तर chihattar
2 दो do 27 सत्ताईस satāīs 52 बावन bāvan 77 सतहत्तर sathattar
3 तीन tīn 28 अट्ठाईस aṭṭhāīs 53 तिरपन tirpan 78 अठहत्तर aṭhhattar
4 चार chār 29 उनतीस untīs 54 चौवन cauvan 79 उन्यासी unyāsī
5 पांच pānc 30 तीस tīs 55 पचपन pacpan 80 अस्सी assī
6 छह, छै, छः cheh, chai, cheḥ 31 इकत्तीस ikttīs 56 छप्पन chappan 81 इक्यासी ikyāsī
7 सात sāt 32 बत्तीस battīs 57 सत्तावन sattāvan 82 बयासी bayāsī
8 आठ āṭh 33 तैंतीस taintīs 58 अट्ठावन aṭṭhāvan 83 तिरासी tirāsī
9 नौ nau 34 चौंतीस cauntīs 59 उनसठ unsaṭh 84 चौरासी caurāsī
10 दस das 35 पैंतीस paintīs 60 साठ sāṭh 85 पचासी pacāsī
11 ग्यारह gyāreh 36 छत्तीस chattīs 61 इकसठ iksaṭh 86 छियासी chiyāsī
12 बारह bareh 37 सैंतीस saintīs 62 बासठ bāsaṭh 87 सात्तासी sattāsī
13 तेरह tereh 38 अड़तीस aṛtīs 63 तिरसठ tirsaṭh 88 अट्ठासी aṭṭhāsī
14 चौदह caudeh 39 उनतालीस untālīs 64 चौंसठ cainsaṭh 89 नवासी navāsī
15 पंद्रह pandreh 40 चालीस cālīs 65 पैंसठ painsaṭh 90 नब्बे nabbe
16 सोलह soleh 41 इकतालीस iktālīs 66 छियासठ chiyāsaṭh 91 इक्यानवे ikyānave
17 सत्रह satreh 42 बयालीस bayālīs 67 सरसठ sarsaṭh 92 बानावे bānave
18 अठारह aṭhāreh 43 तैंतालीस taintālīs 68 अड़सठ aṛsaṭh 93 तिरानवे tirānave
19 उन्नीस unnīs 44 चवालीस cavālīs 69 उनत्तहर unhattar 94 चौरानवे caurānave
20 बीस bīs 45 पैंतालीस paintālīs 70 सत्तर sattar 95 पचानवे pacānave
21 इक्कीस ikkīs 46 छियालीस chiyālīs 71 इकहत्तर ikhattar 96 छियानवे chiyānave
22 बाईस bāīs 47 सैंतालीस saintālīs 72 बहत्तर behattar 97 सत्तानवे sattānave
23 तेईस teīs 48 अड़तालीस aṛtālīs 73 तिहत्तर tihattar 98 अट्ठानवे aṭṭhānave
24 चौबीस caubīs 49 उनचास uncās 74 च्हत्तर cauhattar 99 निन्यानवे ninyānave


Numeral Hindi Transliteration
100 सौ sau
200 दो सौ do sau
300 तीन सौ tīn sau
1000 हज़ार hazār
2000 दो हज़ार do hazār
3000 तीन हज़ार tīn hazār
1,00,000 लाख lākh
1,00,00,000 करोड़ karoṛ
1,00,00,00,000 अरब arab
1,00,00,00,00,000 ? kharab
number _____ (train, bus, etc.) नबंर _____ ट्रेन, बस, ... nambar _____ ṭren, bas, ...
1 half आधा ādhā
less कम/थोड़ा kam/thoṛa
more अधिक/ज्यादा adhik/jyāda

Time

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English Hindi Transliteration
now अब, अभी ab, abhī
later बाद में, फिर bād men, phir
before पहले pehle
morning सुबह, सवेरा subeh, savera(early morn.)
afternoon दोपहर dopehar
evening शाम shām
night रात rāt


Clock time

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English Hindi Transliteration
one o'clock AM रात में एक बजे rāt men ek baje
two o'clock AM रात में दो बजे rāt men do baje
noon दोपहर dopehar
one o'clock PM दोपहर एक बजे dopehar ek baje
two o'clock PM दोपहर दो बजे dopehar do baje
midnight आधी रात ādhī rāt

Duration

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English Hindi Transliteration
minute मिनट minaṭ
hour घंटा ghanṭa
day दिन din
week हफ़्ता hafta
month महीना mahīna
year साल sāl

Days

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English Hindi Transliteration
Today आज āj
Yesterday/Tomorrow (depends on context/tense) कल ... kal
Day after tomorrow/day before yesterday परसों parson
Week हफ़्ता hafta
This week इस हफ़्ते is hafte
Last week पिछले हफ़्ते pichle hafte
Next week अगले हफ़्ते agle hafte
Two weeks दो हफ़्ते do hafte
Month महीना mahīna


The Hindi days of the week are each named after a planet and correspond to the Western days of the week, i.e. Sunday = Ravivār ( the Sun's day [lit. time or period]). Thursday (Thor's day) = Guruvār (Jupiter's day), Saturday/Saturn's day = Śani's (Saturn's day), etc. The ending "-वार" (-vār), meaning day, time, or period is often dropped colloquially.

Day Hindi Transliteration
Sunday इतवार/रवि‍वार itvār, ravivār (Sun)
Monday सोमवार somvār (Moon)
Tuesday मंगलवार mangalvār (Mars)
Wednesday बुधवार budhvār (Mercury)
Thursday गुरुवार/बृहस्पतिवार guruvār/brihaspativār (Jupiter)
Friday शुक्रवार śukravār (Venus)
Saturday शनि‍वार śanivār (Saturn)

Months

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India has two main calendars in use, though other groups like the Parsis have their own calendar as well. The Western (Gregorian) calendar is used for day to day and business affairs, and the Hindu calendar is used by religious communities.

Gregorian Calendar
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Name Hindi Transliteration
January जनवरी janvarī
February फ़रवरी farvarī
March मार्च mārc
April अप्रैल aprail
May मई maī
June जून jūn
July जुलाई julāī
August अगस्त agast
September सितम्बर sitambar
October अक्तूबर aktūbar
November नवम्बर navambar
December दिसम्बर disambar
Hindu Calendar
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The Hindu Calendar (विक्रम संवत् Vikram saṃvat) is named after a legendary king of Ujjain, who is supposed to have founded the Vikramditya (विक्रमादित्य) era c. 56 BCE. The year 57 BCE was the first year of this (संवत् saṃvat) era. Thus, to calculate the current date of the Hindu calendar, add 57 years. Today, the Hindu Calendar is used mainly for religious purposes and calculating festivals. Because it is based on the lunar month, every 30 months an "impure" intercalary leap month is added, during which no ceremonies are performed. The Hindi names are variations of the original Sanskrit ones.

Name Hindi № of Days Gregorian Equivalent
Chaitra चैत्र/चैत 30 (March - April)
Baisākh बैसाख 31 (April - May)
Jaisṭha जेठ 31 (May - June)
Ashāṛ असाढ़ ? (June-July)
Srāvan सावन 31 (July-August)
Bhādron भादों 31 (August-September)
क्वार 30 (September-October)
Kārttik कातिक 30 (October-November)
Aghran अगहन 30 (November-December)
Poūs पूस 30 (December-January)
Māgh माघ 30 (January-February)
Phalgun फागुन 30 (February-March)
Molmās मलमास ? ?

Writing the time and date

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The time is written exactly as in English, that is hours followed by minutes. 12:45am will thus be दोपहर के 12 बजकर पैंतालीस मिनट (dopehar ke 12 bajkar paintālīs minaṭ), note that बजकर (bajkar) would indicate something like "o'clock" in English . मिनट (minaṭ) is a direct translation of the English word "minute/s."

Colours

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Colour Hindi Transliteration
colour रंग rang
colourful रंगबिरंगी rangbirangī
colourless बेरंग berang
black काला kālā
white सफ़ेद safed/shwet
red लाल lāl
pink, rosy गुलाबी gulābī
orange नारंगी nārangī
saffron केसिरया kesirayā
yellow पीला pīla
green हरा harā
blue नीला nīlā
turquoise फ़िरोज़ी firozī
purple बैंगनी, जाम्नी bainganī, jāmnī
brown भूरा bhūrā
grey स्लेटी sleṭī
golden सुनहरा suneharā
silver चांदी chāndī (also the metal)
shiny चमकीला chamkīlā
deep, dark गहरा geharā
pale, light हल्का halkā

Transportation

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Travel Vocabulary

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English Hindi Transliteration
Train ट्रेन, रेलगाड़ी ṭren, relgāṛī
Train Station स्टेशन sṭeśan
Bus बस bas; baṛī
Bus Station बस का अड्डा bas ka aḍḍa
Bus Stop बस स्टाप bas sṭāp
Bicycle साइकिल sāikil
Rickshaw रिक्शा rickśa
Auto Rickshaw आटो āṭo
Taxi टैक्सी ṭaiksī
Car गाड़ी, कार gāṛī, kār
Airplane हवाई जहाज़ havāī jahāz
Airport हवाई अड्डा havāī adda

Bus and Train

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How much is a ticket to _____ ?
_____ जाने की टिकट कितने की है? _____ jaane ki ticket kitne ki hai?
One ticket to _____
एक _____ की टिकट दीजिये. Ek _____ ki ticket dijiye.
Where does this train go?
ये ट्रेन किधर जाती है? Yeh train kidhar jaati hai?
Does this train/bus stop in _____?
क्या ये ट्रेन/बस _____ पर रुकती है? Kya yeh train/bus _____ par rukti hai?
When does the train/bus for _____ leave?
_____ की ट्रेन/बस कब निकलेगी? _____ ki train/bus kab niklegi?
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
ये ट्रेन/बस _____ कब पहुँचेगी? Yeh train/bus _____ kab pahuchegi?

Directions

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How do I get to _____ ?
____ tak kaise jaoON?
____the train station?
रेलवे स्टेशन_____? — railway station
____the bus station?
बस अड्डे____? — bas aḍḍa...?
____the airport?
हवाई अड्डे____? — havaai aḍḍa...?
____Town square?
चौक____? — chowk
____Hotel?
_____ होटल...? — hotel
Where can I find (some)____
(कुछ) ____ कहाँ मिलेंगे? — (kuch) ... kidharai? (?)
____hotels?
होटलें____ — hotelEIN
____restaurants?
रेस्ट्राँ____? — restRON
____bars?
शराब ख़ाने...? — sharaab khaNE
____sites to see?
...dekhne layek jaghain*? (...)
Can you show me on the map?
मुझे नक़्शे में दिखा दीजिये — mujhe nakSHE mEIN dikhaa deejiYE
Can you tell me the way to _____?
मुझे _____ का रास्ता बताइए? — — muJHE _____ kaa rasta bataIYE
street
सड़क — saDak
path
रास्ता — raastaa
Turn left.
बायीं तरफ़ मुड़िये — bāyīn muDiye
Turn right.
दाहिनी तरफ़ मुड़िये — dāhinī muDiye
right
दाहिना — dāhina
left
बायाँ — bāyā
straight ahead
सीधे — sīdhe
towards the _____
_____ की ओर — _____ kee OR
past the _____
_____ के अगले — _____ ke agle
before the _____
_____ के पिछले — _____ ke piCHHle
Watch for the _____.
_____ देखो — _____ dekho
intersection
चौराहा — chOWraahaa
north
उत्तर — uttar
south
दक्षिण — dakshin
east
पूर्व — pūrv
west
पश्चिम — paścim
uphill
चढ़ाई — chaDHai

Taxi

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Taxi!
टैकसी — taiksi
Take me to _____, please
_____ जाना है — ____jaanaa hAI
How much does it cost to get to _____?
____ जाने को कितना लगता है? — ____ jaane ko kitnaa lagtaa hAI

Lodging

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Do you have any rooms available?
Kamra Kirayi pe milega? (...)
How much is a room for one person/two people?
Ek/Do admi ka kitna lagega? (...)
Does the room come with...
Room mein ---- hain kya? (...)
...bedsheets?
...bedsheets? (chaddar hai?)
...a bathroom?
...ek bathroom? (snaanaghara)
...a telephone?
...ek telephone? (teliphone)
...a TV?
...a TV? (teevee)
May I see the room first?
May I see the room first? (pehle, kamra dekh lun? )
Do you have anything quieter?
Do you have anything quieter? (apkai pas aur chupchap/shA.nta/sthira he?)
...bigger?
...bigger? (Aur Barrha)
...cleaner?
...cleaner? (Aur Saaf)
...cheaper?
...cheaper? (Aur Susta)
OK, I'll take it.
OK, I'll take it. (Theek hai, laileinge)
I will stay for _____ night(s).
I will stay for _____ night(s). (____raath rahengei)
Can you suggest another hotel?
Can you suggest another hotel? (Aur koi hotel batadijeeai)
Do you have a safe?
Do you have a safe? (surakShita sthAna hoga?)
...lockers?
...lockers? (sharAna sthAna)
Is breakfast/supper included?
Is breakfast/supper included? (jalapAna/raathka bhojana-byAlu dhArana he?)
What time is breakfast/supper?
What time is breakfast/supper? (kaleva/byAlu kis samaya he?)
Please clean my room.
Please clean my room. (kamra saaf kurlo.)
Can you wake me at _____? | Can you wake me at _____? (____time pe jugana)
I want to check out.
I want to check out. (mainai nikalna he)

Money

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Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? (American/australian/canadian doelur mAnthai/svIkara karthai he?)
Do you accept British pounds?
Do you accept British pounds? (British pound svIkara karthaihe?)
Do you accept credit cards?
Do you accept credit cards? (CreditKaard svIkara karthaihe?)
Can you change money for me?
Can you change money for me? (rupaya parivartna karthaihe?)
Where can I get money changed?
Where can I get money changed? (paisa parivartna kidhar karloo?)
Can you change a traveler's check for me?
Can you change a traveler's check for me? (traveler check parivartna kurlaiga?)
Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
Where can I get a traveler's check changed? (traveler check kiddhar parivartna karoo)
What is the exchange rate?
What is the exchange rate? (parivartna ka bHaoon kitnae?)
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? (AeTeeEmm kiddhare?)

Eating

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A table for one person/two people, (please).
एक/दो लोग/-ओं के लिये जगह चाहिये — ek/do log/-on ke liye jagah cāhiye
Can I look at the menu, please?
मेणयू कर्ड दीजिये — menyoo kard diijiyeh
Can I look in the kitchen?
Can I look in the kitchen? (kya mai kitchen ke andar dekh sakta hoon)
Is there a house specialty?
Is there a house specialty? (iis hotel ka special kya hai)
Is there a local specialty?
Is there a local specialty? (iis jaga ka special kya hai)
I'm a vegetarian.
मैं शाकाहारी हूँ — main śākāhārī
I don't eat pork.
मैं सुअर का मांस नहीं खाता/-ती — main suar ka māns nahīn khāta/-ī
I don't eat beef.
मैं गाय का मांस नहीं खाता/-ती — main gāy (gā‘ī) māns nahīn khāta
I only eat kosher/halal food.
मैं सिर्फ़ कोशर/हलाल खाना खाता — main sirf kośar/halāl khāna khāta (?)
Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)
Can you make it "lite", please? (kum tail mey mil sakta hai)
fixed-price meal
एक दाम का खाना — ek dām ka khāna (?)
à la carte
आ-ला कार्ट — ā-lā kārṭ
breakfast
नाश्ता — jalapAna
lunch
दोपहर का खाना — dopehar ka khāna; sa-pehar ka khāna
tea (meal)
शाम का खाना — sa.ndhya ka khāna
dinner
रात का खाना — rāt ka khāna
I want _____.
मैं _____ चाहिये — mujhe _____ cāhiye
I want a dish containing _____.
मैं _____ का खाना चाहिये — — mujhe _____ ka khāna cāhiye (?)
meat
मांस — māns
chicken
मुर्ग़ — chi.nganA, murgi
beef
गाय का मांस — gāy ka māns
fish
मछली — machlī
lamb
भेड़ का मांस — bheṛ ka māns/mutton
cheese
पनीर — panīr, chIja
eggs
अंडा — anḍa
lentils
दाल — dāl
(fresh) vegetables
(ताज़ा) सब्ज़ी — tarakAri, bhAji
(fresh) fruits
(ताज़ा) फल — pHal
bread
रोटी, नान, पराँठा... — roṭī, parānṭha...
rice
चावल — cāval
sweetmeats
लड्डू — laḍḍū
samosa : समोसा — samosa
spice(s)
मसाला — mirchi
chutney
चटनी — caṭnī
curry
सालन, कढ़ी — sālan, kaṛhī (< Tamil கறி)
ghee (clarified butter)
घी — ghī
May I have a glass/cup/bottle of _____?
मेरे लिये एक ग्लास/प्याला/बोतल _____ लाना — ميرے ﻟﺌﮯ mere liye ek glās/pyāla/boṭal _____ lāna
coffee
काफ़ी — kāfī
tea
चाय — cāy (i.e. chai)
juice
रस — ras
water
पानी, जल — pānī, jal
carbonated water
सोडा — soḍa
milk
दूध — dūdh
lassi (yoghurt drink)
लस्सी — lassī
sweet, salty, mango (lassi)
मीठा, नमकी, आम — mīṭha, namakī, ām
cool drink (Indian Eng. 'soda, cola, etc.')
ठंडी/सौफ़्ट ड्रिंक — ţhanḍī/saufṭ ḍrink
soft drink (attn- in S. Asia this means a sherbet drink, not cola!)
शरबत — śarbat
alcohol
शराब — sharāb
beer
बियर — biyar
red/white wine
(लाल/साफ़ेद) मिदरा, वाइन — — madira, vāin
Whisky
ह्विस्की, स्काच — hviskī/wiskī, skāc
May I have some _____?
May I have some _____? (muje kuch _____ milega)
salt
नमक — namak
black pepper
काली मिर्च — kālī mirc
chile
मिर्च — mirc
butter
मक्खन — makkhan
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
बैरा!, वेटर! — baira!, veṭar!
I'm finished.
मैं ख़तम है — main khatam hai (?)
It was delicious.
बढ़िया — بڑهيا — baṛhiya
Please clear the plates.
प्लेटें लीजिये — pleten lījiye
The check, please.
बिल/चेक लाइये — bil/cek lāiye

Bars

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Do you serve alcohol?
Do you serve alcohol? Recommended: Can I get alcohol? (Sharab milega)
Is there table service?
Is there table service? (kya table service mil sakti hai)
A beer/two beers, please.
A beer/two beers, please. (kripaya ek beer/do beer de)
A glass of red/white wine, please. एक गिलास लाल/सफेद वाइन (ek glass lal/safed wine)
A bottle, please.
A bottle, please. (ek bottle dena)
_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.
_____ and _____, please. (...)
whiskey
whiskey (whiskey/daru)
vodka
vodka (...)
rum
rum (...)
water
पानी (paani)
club soda
club soda (soda)
tonic water
tonic water (...)
orange juice
orange juice (...)
Coke (soda)
कोक (kok)
Do you have any bar snacks?
Do you have any bar snacks? (kuch khane ke liye hai)
One more, please.
One more, please. (ek aur)
Another round, please.
Another round, please. (ek aur round milega)
When is closing time?
When is closing time? (kab tak khula hai(what time is bar open till)/ bar band kab hota haiWhen does the bar close?)

Shopping

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Do you have this in my size?
Do you have this in my size? (...) mere saiz ka milegaa?
How much is this?
How much is this? (...) iska kitna hoga?
That's too expensive.
That's too expensive. (...) bahut mehnga hai
Would you take _____?
Would you take _____? (...) kya aap _____ lena chahege?
expensive
महंगा mehnga
cheap
सस्ता sastā
I can't afford it.
I can't afford it. (...) main nahi le sakta
I don't want it.
I don't want it. (...) mujhe nahi chahiye
You're cheating me.
You're cheating me. (...) tu mujhe fassa rahe hoo
I'm not interested.
I'm not interested. (..) mujhe shauk nahi hai
OK, I'll take it.
OK, I'll take it. (...) theek hai, main le letā hoon
Can I have a bag?
Can I have a bag? (...) kyā āp mujhe thaili dege
Do you ship (overseas)?
Do you ship (overseas)? (...) parcel kar sakthe hoo
I need...
मुझे ...चाहिये — mujhe ... cāhiye
...toothpaste.
(दँत) मंजन... — (dant) manjan
...a toothbrush.
टूथ ब्रश... — tūth braś
...tampons.
टैम्पोन... — ṭaimpon
...soap.
साबुन... — sābun
...shampoo.
शैंपू... — śaimpū
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
दर्द की दवा/"ऐस्प्रिन"... — dard kī dawā
...cold medicine.
खाँसी की दवा... — khānsī kī dawā
...stomach medicine.
दस्तावर... — pet ki dawa / dastāvar
...a razor.
रेज़र/उस्तरा... — rezar, ustara
...an umbrella.
छाता... — chātā
...sunblock lotion.
...sunblock lotion. (...)
...a postcard.
पोस्ट कार्ड... — posṭ kārḍ
...postage stamp.
डाक शुल्क/महसूल... — ḍāk tikat/sṭaimp
...batteries.
बैट्री... — baiṭrī
...writing paper.
काग़ज़... — kāgaz
...a pen.
क़लम... — kalam
...a pencil
पेन्सिल... — pensil
...an English-language book.
अंग्रेज़ी की किताब... — angrezī kī kitāb/pothI
... an English-language magazine.
अंग्रेज़ी की पत्रिका... — angrezī ka/kī patrika/risālah/maigazīn
...an English-language newspaper.
अंगरेज़ी का अख़बार... — angrezī kā akhbār; ...an English-Hindi dictionary. : अंग्रेज़ी-हिन्दी कोश... — angrezī-hindī koś

Driving

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I want to rent a car.
मुझे कार किराया चाहिये — mujhe kār kirāya par cāhiye
Can I get insurance?
मुझे बीमा का कार सकता है? — mera insurance ho sakta (-ī) hai? (?)
petrol shed
पेट्रोल पंप — peṭrol pamp
petrol
पेट्रोल — peṭrol
diesel
डीज़ल — ḍīzal

Note: Indian Traffic Signs are much like those in Europe. Words are written in English and sometimes the regional language.

Problems

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Leave me alone.
(mujhe akela chhod do)
Don't touch me!
मुझे मत छूओ । (mujhe chunā mat / mujhe mat chuo)
I'll call the police.
I'll call the police. पोलीस को बुलाता हूं । (main police ko bulaaoonga)
Police!
पोलीस ! पोलीस ! (police ! police !)
Stop! Thief!
रुको ! चोर ! (rukho! chor!)
I need your help.
मुझे अपकी सहायता चाहिये । (mujhe āpki sahayta/madad chahie)
It's an emergency.
यह एक मुसिबत है । (yeh ek musibat hai)
I'm lost.
मैं रास्ता भूल गया । (main rasta bhul gaya)
I lost my bag.
मेरा बैग गुम हो गया । (mera bag alage ho gaya)
I lost my wallet.
मेरा पर्स गुम हो गया । (mera purse ghoom ho gaya)
I'm sick.
मेरी तबियत ठीक नहीं है । (meri tabhiyet tikh nai hei)
I've been injured.
मुझे चोट लगी है । (mujhe chot lagi hai)
I need a doctor.
मुझे डॉक्टर चाहिये । (mujhe doctor chahie)
Can I use your phone?
क्या मै फ़ोन कर सकता हूं ? (kya main phone kar sakta hoon ?)

Authority

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I haven't done anything wrong.
I haven't done anything wrong. (.maine kuch galat nahi kiya..)
It was a misunderstanding.
It was a misunderstanding. (.Woh ek bhool thi..)
Where are you taking me?
Where are you taking me? (.Aap mujhe kahan le ja rahe hain?..)
Am I under arrest?
Am I under arrest? (.Kya mein giraftaar ho raha hoon?..)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. (.Mein America/Australia/Britain/Canada ka nagrik hoon..)
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
I need to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. (.Mujhe America/ Australia/Britain/Canada ke rajdoot se sampark karna hai..)
I want to talk to a lawyer.
I want to talk to a lawyer. (.Mujhe apne vakil se baat karni hai..)
Can I just pay a fine now?
Can I just pay a fine now? (.Kya mein jurmaana abhi de sakta hoon?..)

Learning more

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This Hindi phrasebook is a usable article. It explains pronunciation and the bare essentials of travel communication. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.