Hindi phrasebook

Hindi () is an Indo-European 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.

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 stress outside of India in promoting Hindi education.

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.

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 __k__in (aspirated) and s__k__ip (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.

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 s__k__ip but further back in the throat ; ख़ <u>kh</u> : ; ग़ <u>gh</u> : like Dutch __g__een ; ज़ z : ; झ़ zh : ; फ़ 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

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 jī (जी jee) may be added afterwards to give it a more polite tone. Sometimes, speakers will simply reply with jī, as an affirmation of something someone says. Jī 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.

Forms of Address

Interrogatives

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.

Time

Clock time

Duration

Days

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.

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

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.

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

Transportation

Travel Vocabulary

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 <u>kh</u>atam 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? (kya aap sharaab bechte hain) ; 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 hai_When 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... — kā<u>g</u>az ; ...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

• Learn Hindi Online (dead link: January 2023) - 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 (dead link: January 2023) - Free 40 Lesson Learn Hindi Online Flash Application
• Hindi Speaking Tree - Hindi Lessons From India
• ISpeakHindi.com (dead link: January 2023) - 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

See also

• Urdu phrasebook
• Assamese phrasebook
• Gujarati phrasebook
• Sylheti phrasebook
• Maithili phrasebook