2.1 Vowels
2.2 Consonants
Hindi consonants have many qualities not familiar to native English speakers including aspiration and retroex
consonants.
Aspiration means with a pu 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
A striking fact is that, depending on the source, Hindi kin would be khin) and unaspirated sounds without it
is listed anywhere around the 5th most widely spoken (so skip is still skip). Hindi aspiration is quite forceful
language in the world. In contrast to languages such as and its OK to emphasize the pu.
Mandarin or Spanish, there has not been much stress outHindi retroex consonants, on the other hand, are not reside of India in promoting Hindi education.
ally 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.
Writing
2.3 Stress
Pronunciation
One of the only stresses found in Hindi is the last long syllable prior to the last syllable (e.g. in dhnyavd stress
dh"). But it is a mild stress which occurs naturally, so
Most English speakers nd Hindi pronunciation rather
don't force it. Don't even think about it!
challenging, as there are 11 separate vowels and 35 separate consonants, employing a large number of distinctions ! / ubhkmnen ! / Good luck
not found in English. Don't let this intimidate you:
Many speakers do not speak standard Hindi at home, and
are quite used to regional accents and mangling in various 3 Hindi Phrases
degrees.
1
3.1
Cultural Notes
HINDI PHRASES
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.
Prexes & Suxes: When you answer with the words
Namaste is the most ubiquitous greeting. Though of yes and no, the word j () may be added afterHindu origin it is now mostly secular. You say namaste wards to give it a more polite tone. Sometimes, speakers
with your hands folded and by bowing slightly but don't will simply reply with j, as an armation of something
go overboard Japanese style! Namaste literally means I someone says. J is added to a persons name as a sign of
bow to you. The original religious signicance was of respect. For example; in India, Mahatma Gandhi is often
bowing to the soul (tm) within another. It is custom referred to as Gandhiji ().
to touch the feet of someone older than you when saying Namaste. Namaskr has the same meaning, but is
used less often in Hindi, though it is common in other Indian languages such as Gujarati and Bengali. Namaskr
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 sr akl is the most common, which
comes from the Punjabi 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
rst time pse milkar bahut khu hu. may be said, meaning after meeting you much happiness has happened (to
me).
Another sux which is indispensable is vla (-), often rendered in English as "-wallah. Many books devote
whole chapters to vla. 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 ( dukn) + vla = shopkeeper
( duknvla)
verb to come ( na) + vla = (the) ... is coming (... ... nevla hay)
English Loan Words: The British Empires inuence
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! English loan words 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.
3.7
Colors
3.2
Basics
3.3
Forms of Address
3.4
Interrogatives
3
the rst year of this ( savat) 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.
3.6.5 Writing the time and date
3.5
Numbers
3.7 Colors
3.6
Time
3.6.1
Clock time
3.6.2
Duration
3.6.3
Days
The Hindi days of the week are each named after a planet Where does this train go? ?
and correspond to the Western days of the week, i.e.
Yeh train kidhar jaati hai?
Sunday = Ravivr ( the Suns day [lit. time or period]).
Thursday (Thors day) = Guruvr (Jupiters day), Satur- Does this train/bus stop in _____? /
_____ ? Kya yeh train/bus _____ par
day/Saturns day = anis (Saturns day), etc. The endrukti hai?
ing "-" (-vr), meaning day, time, or period is often
dropped colloquially.
When does the train/bus for _____ leave? _____
/ ? _____ ki train/bus kab
niklegi?
3.6.4 Months
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
India has two main calendars in use, though other groups
/ _____ ?
Yeh train/bus
like the Parsis have their own calendar as well. The West_____ kab pahuchegi?
ern (Gregorian) calendar is used for day to day and business aairs, and the Hindu calendar is used by religious
3.8.3 Directions
communities.
How do I get to _____ ? ____ tak kaise jaoON?
Gregorian Calendar
HINDI PHRASES
3.9 Lodging
Can you show me on the map? ...a bathroom? ...a bathroom? (snaanaghara)
mujhe nakSHE mEIN dikhaa deejiYE
...a telephone? ...a telephone? (teliphone)
Can you tell me the way to _____? _____
? muJHE _____ kaa rasta ...a TV? ...a TV? (teevee)
bataIYE
May I see the room rst? May I see the room rst?
street saDak
(phele,kumra dekh lun? )
path raastaa
Do you have anything quieter? Do you have anything
Turn left. byn muDiye
quieter? (apkai pas aur chupchap/shA.nta/sthira
he?)
Turn right. dhin muDiye
right dhina
left by
OK, I'll take it. OK, I'll take it. (Theek hai, laileinge)
south dakshin
east prv
west pacim
uphill chaDHai
3.8.4
What time is breakfast/supper? What time is breakfast/supper? (kaleva/byAlu kis samaya he?)
Taxi
Please clean my room. Please clean my room. (kamra
saaf kurlo.)
Taxi! taiksi
Take me to _____, please _____
____jaanaa hAI
(mainai
3.11
Eating
3.10 Money
3.11 Eating
lentils dl
rice cval
sweetmeats la
samosa : samosa
// _____
mere liye ek gls/pyla/boal _____ lna
milk ddh
water (paani)
HINDI PHRASES
soft drink (attn- in S. Asia this means a sherbet drink, Coke (soda) Coke (Coke)
not cola!)
Do you have any bar snacks? Do you have any bar
arbat
snacks? (kuch khane ke liye hai)
alcohol sharb
One more, please. One more, please. (ek aur)
beer biyar
Another round, please. Another round, please. (ek
red/white wine (/) ,
aur round milega)
madira, vin
When is closing time? When is closing time? (kab tak
Whisky , hvisk/wisk, skc
khula hai(what time is bar open till)/ bar band kab
hota haiWhen is closing time?)
May I have some _____? May I have some _____?
(muje kuch _____ milega)
salt namak
3.13 Shopping
chile mirc
butter makkhan
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
!, ! baira!, vear!
I'm nished. main khatam hai (?)
expensive mehnga
cheap sast
3.12 Bars
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.
shauk nahi hai
(..)
mujhe
OK, I'll take it. OK, I'll take it. (...) theek hai, main le
let hoon
Can I have a bag? Can I have a bag? (...) ky p mujhe thaili dege
3.15
Problems
3.15 Problems
pet ki dawa /
3.14 Driving
Where are you taking me? Where are you taking me?
(.Aap mujhe kahan le ja rahe hain?..)
I want to rent a car. mu- Am I under arrest? Am I under arrest? (.Kya mein giraftaar ho raha hoon?..)
jhe kr kirya par chiye
Can I get insurance? ?
mera insurance ho sakta (-) hai? (?)
gas (petrol) station perol pamp
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.
diesel zal
I
need
to
talk
to
the
American/Australian/British/Canadian
emNote: Indian Trac Signs are much like those in Europe.
bassy/consulate.
(.Mujhe America/ AusWords are written in English and sometimes the regional
tralia/Britain/Canada ke rajdoot se sampark
language.
karna hai..)
petrol perol
Learning more
Learn Hindi Online - Free Online Hindi Grammar
Lessons
Learning Hindi - Free Online Conversation Hindi
Phrases and Grammar Lessons
L-Ceps Personaltrainer Hindi - Hindi Language
Learning Software
L-Lingo Hindi - Free 40 Lesson Learn Hindi Online
Flash Application
Hindi Speaking Tree - Hindi Lessons From India
Speak HindiBasic sentences in Hindi
ISpeakHindi.com - Daily learn Hindi Podcast
Hindi Phrasebook - Ten online lessons for Hindi
phrases and words
Learn Hindi Online - Common Hindi phrases with
authentic audio clips for correct pronunciation
Hindi Verbs - Learn key Hindi verbs, conjugation,
grammar, and popular proverbs
4.1
Books
Despite Hindi being among Chinese, Spanish and English as the most spoken languages, there is a dearth of
resources on the subject(s), and even fewer which are
worth-while. Instead of anger of frustration, the Hindi
student should instead feel a smug superiority of being
ahead of everyone else who are learning other languages,
which may ll the rows of bookshelves in bookstores now,
but cannot compare with the vast amount of volumes to
be written on Hindi in the future! Here is a list of the
better books and dictionaries. Stay away from books written for Indians who already know another related Indian
language (such as the National Integration series), which
make such claims as Learn This or That Language in 30
days!" Remember the rule of thumb: If it sounds too good
to be true, it usually is. If you know German, Margot
Gatzla-Hlsig, has continued the incomparable German
tradition of Indologie with two dictionaries and numerous
books on Hindi.
Lonely Planet Hindi & Urdu Phrasebook by Richard
Delacy (Lonely Planet Publications).
ISBN:
0864424256. Excellent. Rare, in that both Hindi
LEARNING MORE
4.3
Software
Dictionaries
4.2
Audio
4.3
Software
Rosetta Stone Hindi Personal Edition Level 1 (CDRom). Both Mac and PC.
10
5.1
Text
Hindi phrasebook Source: http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hindi%20phrasebook?oldid=2702408 Contributors: Cjensen, Wrh2, Sertmann, Jpatokal, Petertzgerald, Dguillaume, Sumone10154, Inas, Pashley, Ravikiran r, Cacahuate, Saqib, David Edgar, RegentsPark,
ClausHansen, (WT-en) Huttite, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) PierreAbbat, (WT-en) Abi, (WT-en) Upamanyuwikitravel, (WT-en) Gedran,
(WT-en) Callidior, (WT-en) Kotobaya, (WT-en) Bera7m, (WT-en) Parande, (WT-en) Apoorv.khare, (WT-en) Tushark, Ikan Kekek,
Jayabharat, RaviC, CarsracBot, Texugo, ChubbyWimbus, WOSlinker, Lo Ximiendo, Traveler100bot, DaGizza, SteveRBot, Addbot, ,
Yummypumpkin and Anonymous: 97
5.2
Images
5.3
Content license