Hindi phrasebook Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

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.

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.

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.

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
अ	uh	as in about
आ	ah	as in father
इ	ih	as in sit
ई	ee	as in elite
उ	u	as in put
ऊ	oo	as in moon
ऋ	rih	as in trip or Scottish heard (this form is rarely used in Hindi)
ए	eh	long e. It is not a diphthong; the tone does not fall.
ऐ	ay	as in fair, sometimes a longer ए, in Eastern dialects as in bright
ओ	oh	not a diphthong; tone does not fall.
औ	aw	as in caught, in Eastern dialects as in town
ऑ	o	as in not

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
क	k (beginning of syllable) ck (end of syllable)	as in skip.
ख	kh	as in sinkhole.
ग	g	as in go.
घ	gh	as in doghouse.
ङ	ng	as in sing. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords, does not occur independently.
च	ch	as in church.
छ	chh	as in pinchhit.
ज	j	as in jump.
झ	jh	as in dodge her.
ञ	ny	as in canyon. Used only in Sanskrit loan words, does not occur independently.
ट	tt	as in tick. Retroflex, but still a "hard" t sound similar to English.
ठ	tth	as in lighthouse. Retroflex
ड	dd	as in doom. Retroflex
ढ	ddh	as in mudhut. Retroflex
ण	nn	retroflex n. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords.
त	t	does not exist in English. more dental t, with a bit of a th sound. Softer than an English t.
थ	th	aspirated version of the previous letter, not as in thanks or the.
द	d	dental d.
ध	dh	aspirated version of the above.
न	n	dental n.
प	p	as in spin.
फ	ph	as in u'ph'ill.
ब	b	as in be.
भ	bh	as in abhor.
म	m	as in mere.
य	y	as in yet.
र	r	as in Spanish pero, a tongue trip. Don't roll as in Spanish rr, German or Scottish English.
ल	l	as in lean.
व	v/w	as in Spanish vaca, between English v and w, but without the lip rounding of an English w. (IPA: ʋ).
श	sh	as in shoot.
ष	ssh	almost indistinguishable retroflex of the above. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords.
स	s (beginning of syllable) ss (end of syllable)	as in see.
ह	h	as in him.

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)

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

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.

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.

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?

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

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?

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	०
1	१
2	२
3	३
4	४
5	५
6	६
7	७
8	८
9	९

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

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

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

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

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)

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.

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

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	?	?

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."

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

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

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?

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!

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

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)

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?)

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

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?)

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

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.

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 ?)

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?..)

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