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Learn basic Hindi for travel in India
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by Guest Author | August 9, 2017
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A little Hindi goes a long way in India
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This is a guest post by Indian blogger Shalu Sharma, who recently published a book called “Essential Words and Phrases for Travellers to India.” To learn some of the basic phrases you will need, and to buy the book, read on. As long as you know English, there will be few communication issues in India. Most Indians
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know some English, however some will not be able to converse as fluently as you would prefer
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including taxi drivers, waiters, porters and hotel staff. This is where some basic Hindi words, phrases and sentences can come handy.
Where exactly is Hindi spoken?
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Hindi can be spoken in most parts of India, especially the urban areas. It is the main language of
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the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Hindi is the national language of India and it is
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thought that 60% of India’s population speak Hindi. The other 40% can understand Hindi to some extent. In most North and Central Indian states where Hindi is not the main language — such as West Bengal, Gujarat, Punjab, Orrisa, Maharashtra and states in the North East — you should be able to get away with speaking Hindi. People belonging to these states have no objections to Hindi and Hindi is even taught as a secondary language. In some South Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh and
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Karnataka many people will respond if you speak Hindi with them. However, two South Indian states where Hindi is not spoken, and even discouraged, are Tamil Nadu and Kerala. But, in recent years, even people from these states are watching more Hindi movies than ever before and getting to know the Hindi language. So if you were to polish up on some Hindi before going to India, it will prove to be a valuable asset no matter where you are going. Hindi can be quite challenging for the average English speaker. It is a phonetic language, so
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it’s spoken as it is written. Hindi uses a lot of English words so you can often replace Hindi words with English. For example, there are no words for “station” or “doctor” in Hindi (if there is one, I am not aware of it and have been speaking Hindi all my life). Some other commonly used English words include railway, hospital, train, cycle, motor, bus, cricket, karma, thug, guru, jungle, bungalow and so on. [NOTE: some of these English words originated in India.] If you are stuck on a Hindi word, then replace it with its English equivalent. Below are some common Hindi words, phrases and sentences widely used in India. Just pronounce the words the way they’re written.
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Basic Hindi words, phrases and sentences Hello – Namaste or Pranam Hello Amit – Namaste Amit ji (ji at the end of the name is used to show respect) Me – Mai I am from USA – Mai USA se hum
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Mine – Mera This is mine – Ye mera hai
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Who – Kaun Who are you – Aap kaun hai Clothes – Kapra Where are my clothes – Mera kapra kaha hai Tea – Chai I need a cup of tea – Mujhe ek cup chai chahiye Water – Paani I need a bottle of water – Mujhe ek bottle paani chahiye Food – Khana Give me food – Mujhe khana do Do you speak English – Kya apa English bolte hai
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Speak slowly – Dheray boliye Yes – Haa
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How are you – App kaise hai I am fine – Mai thik hu Nice to meet you – Aap se milkar khusi hui Who are you – App kaun hai What is your name – Aap ka kya naam hai My name is Mariellen – Mera naam Mariellen hai Where are you from – Aap kaha se hai I am from Canada – Mai Canada se hu Where is the station – Station kaha hai Where is the bus stand – Bus stand kaha hai Where is the toilet – Toilet kaha hai Can you help me – Kya aap meri madaad karenge What’s this – Ye kya hai I want to buy this – Mujhe ye kharidna hai How much is this – Ye kitnay ka hai Lower the price – Daam kum kijiye
There are some things that make learning Hindi challenging. Hindi has gender nouns (masculine or feminine); it is perhaps the most difficult part of learning Hindi. Also, the various states of India speak Hindi differently. For instance, my Bihari Hindi is different from Hindi spoken in Delhi. It’s only when we write Hindi that we use the formal methodology. Finally, though India is a country where English is spoken widely, it is still useful to learn some basic Hindi for your travels to India. I suggest you memorize some of these key words Hindi words and phrases and don’t be afraid to use them. – Shalu Sharma
About the author Shalu Sharma is the author of “Essential Hindi Words And Phrases For Travellers To India.” Shalu is also the editor and founder of ShaluSharma.com, a blog about travels to India. Originally from Bihar, she speaks Hindi at home.
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