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

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.

Pronunciation

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

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
uhas in about
ahas in father
ihas in sit
eeas in elite
uas in put
ooas in moon
rihas in trip or Scottish heard (this form is rarely used in Hindi)
ehlong e. It is not a diphthong; the tone does not fall.
ayas in fair, sometimes a longer ए, in Eastern dialects as in bright
ohnot a diphthong; tone does not fall.
awas in caught, in Eastern dialects as in town
oas in not

Consonants

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.
khas in sinkhole.
gas in go.
ghas in doghouse.
ngas in sing. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords, does not occur independently.
chas in church.
chhas in pinchhit.
jas in jump.
jhas in dodge her.
nyas in canyon. Used only in Sanskrit loan words, does not occur independently.
ttas in tick. Retroflex, but still a "hard" t sound similar to English.
tthas in lighthouse. Retroflex
ddas in doom. Retroflex
ddhas in mudhut. Retroflex
nnretroflex n. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords.
tdoes not exist in English. more dental t, with a bit of a th sound. Softer than an English t.
thaspirated version of the previous letter, not as in thanks or the.
ddental d.
dhaspirated version of the above.
ndental n.
pas in spin.
phas in u'ph'ill.
bas in be.
bhas in abhor.
mas in mere.
yas in yet.
ras in Spanish pero, a tongue trip. Don't roll as in Spanish rr, German or Scottish English.
las in lean.
v/was in Spanish vaca, between English v and w, but without the lip rounding of an English w. (IPA: ʋ).
shas in shoot.
sshalmost indistinguishable retroflex of the above. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords.
s (beginning of syllable)
ss (end of syllable)
as in see.
has in him.

Nuqta

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

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

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

Cultural notes

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

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)हेलोheh-loh
Helloनमस्तेnuh-muhss-teh
Hello/Goodbyeनमस्कारnuh-muhss-kahr
Hello/Goodbye (Hindu, respectful)प्रणामpruh-nnahm
Hello/Goodbye (Hindu, colloquial)राम रामrahm rahm
Hello/Goodbye (Sikh)सत श्री अकालsuht shree uh-kahl
Hello/Goodbye (Sikh, formal)वाहिगुरू जी का खाल्सvah-hih-goo-rōo jee kah khalss
Hello/Goodbye (Sikh, reply)वाहिगुरू जी की फ़तहvah-hih-goo-rōo jee kee fuh-tuh
See you laterफिर मिलेंगेphir 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 fineमैं ठीक हूँmayn ttheeck hōon
OK/fine (colloq.)ठीक हैttheeck hay
Fine, and you? (more formal reply)ठीक, आप सुनाइयेttheeck, 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 भीmoo-jheh bhee
Yesहाँhahn
No/notनहींnuh-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 Hindiमैं 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 slowlyधीरे धीरे बोलियेdhee-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 हूँmayn ... seh hōon
Pleaseकृपयाkrihp-yah
Thank youधन्यवाद / शुक्रिया / थैंक्यूdhuhn-yuh-vahd/shoock-rih-yah / thayng-kyōo
Thank you very muchबहुत बहुत शुक्रिया,...buh-hoot buh-hoot thayng-kyōo,...
You're welcomeआपका स्वागत हैahp-kah swah-guht hay
You're welcome (lit. don't mention it)कोई बात नहींkoh-ee baht nuh-heen
Excuse me (getting someone's attention)सुनियेsoo-nih-yeh
Pardon meक्षमा कीजिये(k)sshuh-mah kee-jih-yeh
Pardon me/I'm sorryमाफ़ कीजियेmahf kee-jih-yeh
Where is the toilet?टॉयलेट / शौचालय कहाँ है?ttoy-lehtt / shaw-chah-lay kuh-hahn hay?
Good!, really?, nice, etc.अच्छाuhch-chhah
Just one minuteएक मिनटehk mih-nuhtt
What time is it?कितने बजे हैं?kiht-neh buh-jeh hayn?

Forms of Address

English Hindi Transliteration
Mr.मिस्टर / श्रीmihss-ttuhr / shree
Mrs.मिसेज़ / श्रीमतीmih-sehz / shree-muh-tee
Mr. (Sikh: ਸਰਦਾਰ)सरदारsuhr-dahr
Mrs. (Sikh: ਸਰਦਾਰਨੀ)सरदारनीsuhr-dahr-nee
Sirमहोदयmuh-hoh-day
Dr.डॉक्टरddock-ttuhr

Interrogatives

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

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
0शून्यshUnya, bi.ndi25पच्चीसpaccīs50पचासpacās75पचहत्तरpachattar
1एकek26छब्बीसchabbīs51इक्यावनikyāvan76छिहत्तरchihattar
2दोdo27सत्ताईसsatāīs52बावनbāvan77सतहत्तरsathattar
3तीनtīn28अट्ठाईसaṭṭhāīs53तिरपनtirpan78अठहत्तरaṭhhattar
4चारchār29उनतीसuntīs54चौवनcauvan79उन्यासीunyāsī
5पांचpānc30तीसtīs55पचपनpacpan80अस्सीassī
6छह, छै, छःcheh, chai, cheḥ31इकत्तीसikttīs56छप्पनchappan81इक्यासीikyāsī
7सातsāt32बत्तीसbattīs57सत्तावनsattāvan82बयासीbayāsī
8आठāṭh33तैंतीसtaintīs58अट्ठावनaṭṭhāvan83तिरासीtirāsī
9नौnau34चौंतीसcauntīs59उनसठunsaṭh84चौरासीcaurāsī
10दसdas35पैंतीसpaintīs60साठsāṭh85पचासीpacāsī
11ग्यारहgyāreh36छत्तीसchattīs61इकसठiksaṭh86छियासीchiyāsī
12बारहbareh37सैंतीसsaintīs62बासठbāsaṭh87सात्तासीsattāsī
13तेरहtereh38अड़तीसaṛtīs63तिरसठtirsaṭh88अट्ठासीaṭṭhāsī
14चौदहcaudeh39उनतालीसuntālīs64चौंसठcainsaṭh89नवासीnavāsī
15पंद्रहpandreh40चालीसcālīs65पैंसठpainsaṭh90नब्बेnabbe
16सोलहsoleh41इकतालीसiktālīs66छियासठchiyāsaṭh91इक्यानवेikyānave
17सत्रहsatreh42बयालीसbayālīs67सरसठsarsaṭh92बानावेbānave
18अठारहaṭhāreh43तैंतालीसtaintālīs68अड़सठaṛsaṭh93तिरानवेtirānave
19उन्नीसunnīs44चवालीसcavālīs69उनत्तहरunhattar94चौरानवेcaurānave
20बीसbīs45पैंतालीसpaintālīs70सत्तरsattar95पचानवेpacānave
21इक्कीसikkīs46छियालीसchiyālīs71इकहत्तरikhattar96छियानवेchiyānave
22बाईसbāīs47सैंतालीसsaintālīs72बहत्तरbehattar97सत्तानवेsattānave
23तेईसteīs48अड़तालीसaṛtālīs73तिहत्तरtihattar98अट्ठानवेaṭṭhānave
24चौबीसcaubīs49उनचासuncās74च्हत्तरcauhattar99निन्यानवेninyānave


Numeral Hindi Transliteration
100सौsau
200दो सौdo sau
300तीन सौtīn sau
1000हज़ारhazār
2000दो हज़ारdo hazār
3000तीन हज़ारtīn hazār
1,00,000लाखlākh
1,00,00,000करोड़karoṛ
1,00,00,00,000अरबarab
1,00,00,00,00,000?kharab
number _____ (train, bus, etc.)नबंर _____ ट्रेन, बस, ...nambar _____ ṭren, bas, ...
1 halfआधाādhā
lessकम/थोड़ाkam/thoṛa
moreअधिक/ज्यादाadhik/jyāda

Time

English Hindi Transliteration
nowअब, अभीab, abhī
laterबाद में, फिरbād men, phir
beforeपहलेpehle
morningसुबह, सवेराsubeh, savera(early morn.)
afternoonदोपहरdopehar
eveningशामshām
nightरातrāt


Clock time

English Hindi Transliteration
one o'clock AMरात में एक बजेrāt men ek baje
two o'clock AMरात में दो बजेrāt men do baje
noonदोपहरdopehar
one o'clock PMदोपहर एक बजेdopehar ek baje
two o'clock PMदोपहर दो बजेdopehar do baje
midnightआधी रातādhī rāt

Duration

English Hindi Transliteration
minuteमिनटminaṭ
hourघंटाghanṭa
dayदिनdin
weekहफ़्ताhafta
monthमहीनाmahīna
yearसालsāl

Days

English Hindi Transliteration
Todayआजāj
Yesterday/Tomorrow (depends on context/tense)कल... kal
Day after tomorrow/day before yesterdayपरसोंparson
Weekहफ़्ताhafta
This weekइस हफ़्तेis hafte
Last weekपिछले हफ़्तेpichle hafte
Next weekअगले हफ़्तेagle hafte
Two weeksदो हफ़्तेdo hafte
Monthमहीनाmahīna


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
Sundayइतवार/रवि‍वारitvār, ravivār (Sun)
Mondayसोमवारsomvār (Moon)
Tuesdayमंगलवारmangalvār (Mars)
Wednesdayबुधवारbudhvār (Mercury)
Thursdayगुरुवार/बृहस्पतिवारguruvār/brihaspativār (Jupiter)
Fridayशुक्रवारśukravār (Venus)
Saturdayशनि‍वारśanivār (Saturn)

Months

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
Name Hindi Transliteration
Januaryजनवरीjanvarī
Februaryफ़रवरीfarvarī
Marchमार्चmārc
Aprilअप्रैलaprail
Mayमईmaī
Juneजूनjūn
Julyजुलाईjulāī
Augustअगस्तagast
Septemberसितम्बरsitambar
Octoberअक्तूबरaktūbar
Novemberनवम्बरnavambar
Decemberदिसम्बरdisambar
Hindu Calendar

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
Chaitraचैत्र/चैत30(March - April)
Baisākhबैसाख31(April - May)
Jaisṭhaजेठ31(May - June)
Ashāṛअसाढ़?(June-July)
Srāvanसावन31(July-August)
Bhādronभादों31(August-September)
क्वार30(September-October)
Kārttikकातिक30(October-November)
Aghranअगहन30(November-December)
Poūsपूस30(December-January)
Māghमाघ30(January-February)
Phalgunफागुन30(February-March)
Molmāsमलमास??

Writing the time and date

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

Colour Hindi Transliteration
colourरंगrang
colourfulरंगबिरंगीrangbirangī
colourlessबेरंगberang
blackकालाkālā
whiteसफ़ेदsafed/shwet
redलालlāl
pink, rosyगुलाबीgulābī
orangeनारंगीnārangī
saffronकेसिरयाkesirayā
yellowपीलाpīla
greenहराharā
blueनीलाnīlā
turquoiseफ़िरोज़ीfirozī
purpleबैंगनी, जाम्नीbainganī, jāmnī
brownभूराbhūrā
greyस्लेटीsleṭī
goldenसुनहराsuneharā
silverचांदीchāndī (also the metal)
shinyचमकीलाchamkīlā
deep, darkगहराgeharā
pale, lightहल्काhalkā

Travel Vocabulary

English Hindi Transliteration
Trainट्रेन, रेलगाड़ीṭren, relgāṛī
Train Stationस्टेशनsṭeśan
Busबसbas; baṛī
Bus Stationबस का अड्डाbas ka aḍḍa
Bus Stopबस स्टापbas sṭāp
Bicycleसाइकिलsāikil
Rickshawरिक्शाrickśa
Auto Rickshawआटोāṭo
Taxiटैक्सीṭaiksī
Carगाड़ी, कारgāṛī, kār
Airplaneहवाई जहाज़havāī jahāz
Airportहवाई अड्डाhavāī adda

Bus and Train

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

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

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

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? (phele,kumra 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

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

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

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

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... gaz
...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

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

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

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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