'''Hindi''' ?????? is an Indo-European language spoken in India, Bangladesh, 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, Germany, etc.). Of the 22 national languages and over 1,000 dialects of India, Hindi is promoted by the government and viewed by over half the population as a "link-language."

Hindi is descended from Sanskrit, sometimes called "the mother of all languages," or "Latin of the East." Hindi developed from the proto-Hindi ???? ???? Kha?? Bol? (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, that try 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-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. In 2006, however, President Bush brought education of India's languages, including Hindi, to the forefront in the United States through the National Security Language Initiative, thus highlighting the need for closer ties and understanding between the two countries. This phrasebook may help lift the veil of this "exotic" language, actually a relative of English, in addition to the primary goal of helping travellers who wish to visit India.

Writing

Hindi is written in the '''Devan?gar?''' (????????) script, shared with 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''': for most of its speakers, Hindi is not a mother tongue, and many native speakers are quite used to regional accents and mangling in various degrees.

Vowels

The key distinction is the difference between '''short''' and '''long''' vowels. In this phrase book, long vowels are noted with a macron (''?''), which short vowels are listed without one. You will often come across non-standard romanizations, noted in parentheses below when applicable.

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Consonants

Many Hindi consonants come in three different forms: '''aspirated''', '''unaspirated''' and '''retroflex'''.

Aspiration means "with a puff of air", and is the difference between the sound of the letter "p" in English '''''p'''in'' (aspirated) and ''s'''p'''it'' (unaspirated). In this phrasebook, aspirated sounds are spelled with an h (so English "pin" would be ''phin'') and unaspirated sounds without it (so "spit" is still ''spit''). Hindi aspiration is quite forceful and it's OK to emphasize the puff: ''b'''h'''arti''.

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.

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Stress

For emphasizing words don't stress them by voice (which would be regarded as a sign of aggressiveness) but add a ''to'' after them.

: ''yeh ky? hai?'' ("what's this?") → ''yeh to ky? hai?'' - ("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 "dh?nyav?d" stress "dh?"). But it is a mild stress which occurs naturally, so don't force it. Don't even think about it!

??????????! / ?ubhk?mn?e<sup>n</sup>! / Good luck

Hindi Phrases

Cultural Notes

'''Greetings:''' There are no time elemental greetings in 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'' is the most ubiquitous greeting, and though of Hindu origin is now mostly secular. It is said with hands folded and a small gesture of bowing ? but don't go overboard Japanese style! ''Namaste'' literally means "I bow to you." ''Namaste'' can be described as the "aloha" of India, as it is used both for Hello and Goodbye. The original religious significance was of bowing to the soul (''?tm?'') within another. It is custom to touch the feet of someone older than you when saying ''Namaste''. ''Namask?r'' has the same meaning, but is used less often in Hindi, though it is common in other Indian languages such as Gujarati and Bengali. ''Namask?r'' 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? ak?l'' is the most common, which comes from the Punjabi ??? ???? ???? meaning "God alone is Truth." Though Sikhism is mostly centered in the Punjab region of India, Punjabi greetings are used by Sikhs all over the world, as Punjabi is the language of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Scripture. After meeting someone for the first time ''?pse milkar bahut <u>kh</u>uś? hu?.'' may be said, meaning "after meeting you much happiness has happened (to me)."

'''Civilities:''' In Western cultures saying phrases like ''please'', ''thank you'', ''you're welcome'', ''excuse me'', ''sorry'', etc. are so ingrained into us from a young age that we 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 ??????? (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. Just remember that like Germans, and the French, they sometimes have trouble with English ''th'' sounds and therefore pronounce ''th'' as ?. 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 infamous "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 travellling 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:''' With the words for "yes" and "no" ''j?'' (??) may be added before to give it a more polite tone. Sometimes speakers will simply reply with ''j?'', as an affirmation of something someone says. ''J?'' is added to a person's name as a sign of respect. For example; in India Mahatma Gandhi is known simply as ''Gandhiji'' (???????). Another suffix which is indispensable is ''v?la'' (-????), often rendered in English as "-wallah". Many books devote whole chapters to v?la. 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 (????? ''duk?n'') + ''v?la'' = shopkeeper (????????? ''duk?nv?la'')
  • verb ? to come (??? ''?na'') + ''v?la'' = (the) ... is coming (... ??????? ?? ''... ?nev?la hay'')
  • '''English Loan Words:''' 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! Upon meeting an Indian, many times you may not even get to practice your Hindi, because they want to practice ''their'' English on ''you''! 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.

    '''Gender & The 2nd Person Pronoun:''' Certain words have different endings depending on your gender. If you are a man say these with an -a suffix, and if you're a woman, -?. However; when addressing the person respectively with ''?p'' (??), 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 ''?p'' is also both the respectful 2nd person pronoun ''and'' plural form of address. The other two forms are the familiar ''tum'' (???) and intimate ''tū'' (??). These change the forms of certain words. ''Tum'' is for friends and peers, ''tū'' 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 ''?p'', until you become more familiar with the language and culture. Forget about ''tū'' 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 ''?p'' form.

    Basics

    Another common all-purpose word is ''?h?k hai'', 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 ''?h?k''.}}

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    Forms of Address

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    Interrogatives

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    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. {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Roman !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Devanagari <br> <br> <br> 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. These peculiarities don't seem to have effected the proliferation of Indian mathematicians.

    {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Numeral !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Hindi !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Transliteration !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Numeral !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Hindi !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Transliteration !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Numeral !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Hindi !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Transliteration !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Numeral !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Hindi !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Transliteration

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    Time

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    Clock time

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    Duration

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    Days

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    The Hindu days of the week are each ruled by a planet, and corresponding exactly to ancient cultures in the West, i.e. Sunday = Raviv?r (Lord of the Sun's day [lit. time or period]). Thursday/O.N. Torsdagr, Thor's day = Guruv?r (Lord of Jupiter's day), Saturday/Saturn's day = ?ani's (Lord of Saturn's day), etc. Unlike her Western counterparts, in India, Astrology is still a vital part of Hindu culture. Though attitudes may vary on its validity, priests are still consulted, as per tradition, for an auspicious day to hold a wedding. -??? (''-v?r''), meaning ''day, time, or period'' is often dropped colloquially.

    {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Day !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Hindi !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Transliteration

    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

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    Hindu Calendar

    The Hindu Calendar (?????? ????? ''Vikram sa?vat'') is named after a legendary king of Ujjain who is supposed to have founded the Vikramditya (????????????) era c. 56 BCE. The year 57 BCE was the first year of this (????? ''sa?vat'') 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.

    {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Name !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Hindi !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|__ of Days !bgcolor=#EEEEEE|Gregorian Equivalent

    Writing the time and date

    Give some examples how to write clock times and dates if it differs from English. The time is written exactly as in English, that is hours followed by minutes. 12:45am will thus be ????? ?? 12 ???? ???????? ???? (''dopehar ke 12 bajkar paint?l?s mina?''), note that ???? (''bajkar'') would indicate something like "o'clock" in English . ???? (''mina?'') is just a literal translation of "minutes."

    Colors

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    Transportation

    Travel Vocabulary

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    Bus and Train

    ; How much is a ticket to _____ ? : _____ ???? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? _____ jaane ki ticket kitne ki hai? ; One ticket to _____ : ?? _____ ?? ???? ??????. Ek _____ ki ticket dijiye. ; Where does this train go? : ?? ????? ???? ???? ??? Yeh train kidhar jaati hai? ; Does this train/bus stop in _____? : ???? ?? ?????/?? _____ ?? ????? ??? Kya yeh train/bus _____ par rukti hai? ; When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : _____ ?? ?????/?? ?? ???????? _____ ki train/bus kab niklegi? ; When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : ?? ?????/?? _____ ?? ????????? Yeh train/bus _____ kab pahuchegi?

    Directions

    ; How do I get to _____ ? : _____ — ____ tak kaise jaoON? ; ____the train station? : ????? ??????_____? — railway station

    ; ____the bus station? : ?? ?????____? — bas a??a...? ; ____the airport? : ???? ?????____? — ????...? — ; ____Town square? : ???____? — chowk ; ____Hotel? : _____ ????...? — hotel ; Where can I find (some)____: (???) ____ ???? ???????? — (kuch) ... kidharai? (?) ; ____hotels? : ??????____ — hotelEIN ; ____restaurants? : ?????????____? — restRON ; ____bars? : ???? ?????...? — sharaab khaNE ; ____sites to see? : ...dekhne layek jaghain*? (''...'') ; Can you show me on the map? : ???? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? — mujhe nakSHE mEIN dikhaa deejiYE ; Can you tell me the way to _____? : ???? _____ ?? ?????? ?????? — — muJHE _____ kaa rasta bataIYE ; street : ???? — saDak ; path : ?????? — raastaa ; Turn left. : ????? ???? ??????? — b?y?<sup>n</sup> muDiye ; Turn right. : ?????? ???? ??????? — d?hin? muDiye ; right : ?????? — d?hina ; left : ????? — b?y? ; straight ahead : ???? — s?dhe ; towards the _____ : _____ ?? ?? — _____ kee OR ; past the _____ : _____ ?? ???? — _____ ke agle ; before the _____ : _____ ?? ????? — _____ ke piCHHle ; Watch for the _____. : _____ ???? — _____ dekho ; intersection : ?????? — chOWraahaa ; north : ????? — uttar ; south : ?????? — dakshin ; east : ????? — p?rv ; west : ?????? — pa?cim ; uphill : ????? — chaDHai

    Taxi

    ; Taxi! : ????? — taiksi ; Take me to _____, please : _____ ???? ?? — ____jaanaa hAI ; How much does it cost to get to _____? : ____ ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? — ____ 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? (''charaapaaii kai loI'') ; ...a bathroom? : ...a bathroom? (''snaanaghara'') ; ...a telephone? : ...a telephone? (''telipone'') ; ...a TV? : ...a TV? (''teevee'') ; May I see the room first? : May I see the room first? (''phela,kumra dhaik lon? '') ; Do you have anything quieter? : Do you have anything quieter? (''apkai pas aur chupchap/shA.nta/sthira he?'') ; ...bigger? : ...bigger? (''Aur Bharra'') ; ...cleaner? : ...cleaner? (''Aur Saaf'') ; ...cheaper? : ...cheaper? (''Aur Sustha'') ; OK, I'll take it. : OK, I'll take it. (''Teeke, lailaithein'') ; I will stay for _____ night(s). : I will stay for _____ night(s). (''____raath raingai'') ; Can you suggest another hotel? : Can you suggest another hotel? (''Aur koi hotel pathadiyijeeai'') ; 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). : ??/?? ???/-?? ?? ???? ??? ?????? — ek/do log/-o<sup>n</sup> ke liye jagah c?hiye ; Can I look at the menu, please? : ????? ???? ?????? — 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. : ??? ???????? ??? — mai<sup>n</sup> ??k?h?r? ; I don't eat pork. : ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????/-?? — mai<sup>n</sup> suar ka m?ns nah?<sup>n</sup> kh?ta/-? ; I don't eat beef. : ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????/-?? — mai<sup>n</sup> g?y (g?_e?) m?ns nah?<sup>n</sup> kh?ta ; I only eat kosher/halal food. : ??? ?????? ????/???? ???? ???? — mai<sup>n</sup> sirf ko?ar/hal?l kh?na kh?ta (?) ; 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 : ?? ??? ?? ???? — ek d?m ka kh?na (?) ; a la carte : ?-?? ????? — ?-l? k?r? ; breakfast : ?????? — jalapAna ; lunch : ????? ?? ???? — dopehar ka kh?na; sa-pehar ka kh?na ; tea (''meal'') : ??? ?? ???? — sa.ndhya ka kh?na ; dinner : ??? ?? ???? — r?t ka kh?na ; I want _____. : ??? _____ ?????? — mujhe _____ c?hiye ; I want a dish containing _____. : ??? _____ ?? ???? ?????? — — mujhe _____ ka kh?na c?hiye (?) ; meat : ???? — m?ns ; chicken : ?????? — chi.nganA, murgi ; beef : ??? ?? ???? — g?y ka m?ns ; fish : ???? — machl? ; lamb : ???? ?? ???? — bhe? ka m?ns/mutton ; cheese : ???? — pan?r, chIja ; eggs : ???? — an?a ; lentils : ??? — d?l ; (fresh) vegetables : (?????) ?????? — tarakAri, bhAji ; (fresh) fruits : (?????) ?? — pHal ; bread : ????, ???, ??????... — ro??, par?<sup>n</sup>?ha... ; rice : ???? — c?val ; sweetmeats : ????? — la??? : samosa : ????? — samosa ; spice(s) : ????? — mirchi ; chutney : ???? — ca?n? ; curry : ????, ???? — s?lan, ka?h? (< Tamil கறி) ; ghee (clarified butter) : ?? — gh? ; May I have a glass/cup/bottle of _____? : ???? ???? ?? ?????/??????/???? _____ ???? — ???? ﻟﺌﮯ mere liye ek gl?s/py?la/bo?al _____ l?na ; coffee : ????? — k?f? ; tea : ??? — c?y (i.e. ''chai'') ; juice : ?? — ras ; water : ????, ?? — p?n?, jal ; carbonated water : ???? — so?a ; milk : ??? — d?dh ; lassi (yoghurt drink) : ????? — lass? ; sweet, salty, mango (lassi): ????, ????, ?? — m??ha, namak?, ?m ; cool drink (''Indian Eng. 'soda, cola, etc.''') : ????/?????? ?????? — ?han??/sauf? ?rink ; soft drink (''attn- in S. Asia this means a sherbet drink, not cola!'') : ???? — ?arbat ; alcohol : ???? — shar?b ; beer : ???? — biyar ; red/white wine : (???/??????) ?????, ???? — — madira (< Port. Madeira), v?in ; Whisky : ????????, ????? — hvisk?/wisk?, sk?c ; May I have some _____? : May I have some _____? (''muje kuch _____ milega'') ; salt : ??? — namak ; black pepper : ???? ????? — k?l? mirc ; chile : ????? — mirc ; butter : ????? — makkhan ; Excuse me, waiter? (''getting attention of server''): ????!, ????! — baira!, ve?ar! ; I'm finished. : ??? ???? ?? — mai<sup>n</sup> <u>kh</u>atam hai (?) ; It was delicious. : ?????? — ????? — ba?hiya ; Please clear the plates. : ??????? ?????? — plete<sup>n</sup> l?jiye ; The check, please. : ???/??? ????? — bil/cek l?iye

    Bars

    ; Do you serve alcohol? : Do you serve alcohol? (''kya aap shaarab 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. (''krupaya ek beer/do beers de'') ; A glass of red/white wine, please. : A glass of red/white wine, please. (''ek glass lal/safed wine'') ; A pint, please. : A pint, please. (''ek bottle dena'') ; 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 : ???? (''p?n?'') ; club soda : club soda (''soda'') ; tonic water : tonic water (''...'') ; orange juice : orange juice (''...'') ; Coke (''soda'') : Coke (''Coke'') ; 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 is closing time?)

    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 : expensive (''...'') mehnga ; cheap : cheap (''...'') sast? ; 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 let? hoon ; Can I have a bag? : Can I have a bag? (''...'') ky? ?p mujhe thaili dege ; Do you ship (overseas)? : Do you ship (overseas)? (''...'') parcel kar sakthe hoo ; I need... : ???? ...?????? — mujhe ... c?hiye ; ...toothpaste. : (???) ????... — (da<sup>n</sup>t) manjan ; ...a toothbrush. : ??? ????... — t?th bra? ; ...tampons. : ???????... — ?aimpon ; ...soap. : ?????... — s?bun ; ...shampoo. : ?????... — ?aimp? ; ...pain reliever. (''e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen'') : ???? ?? ???/"????????"... — dard k? daw? ; ...cold medicine. : ????? ?? ???... — kh?<sup>n</sup>s? k? daw? ; ...stomach medicine. : ???????... — dast?var ; ...a razor. : ?????/??????... — rezar, ustara ; ...an umbrella. : ????... — ch?t? ; ...sunblock lotion. : ...sunblock lotion. (''...'') ; ...a postcard. : ????? ?????... — pos? k?r? ; ...postage stamp. : ??? ?????/?????... — ??k mehs?l/s?aimp ; ...batteries. : ??????... — bai?r? ; ...writing paper. : ??????... — k?<u>g</u>az ; ...a pen. : ????... — kalam ; ...a pencil : ???????... — pensil ; ...an English-language book. : ????????? ?? ?????... — angrez? k? kit?b/pothI ; ... an English-language magazine. : ????????? ?? ???????... — angrez? ka/k? patrika/ris?lah/maigaz?n ; ...an English-language newspaper. : ???????? ?? ??????... — angrez? k? akhb?r; ...an English-Hindi dictionary. : ?????????-?????? ???... — angrez?-hind? ko?

    Driving

    ; I want to rent a car. : ???? ??? ?????? ?????? — mujhe k?r kir?ya c?hiye ; Can I get insurance? : ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? — mujhe insurance ka k?r sakta (-?) hai? (?) ; gas (''petrol'') station : ??????? ??? — pe?rol pamp ; petrol : ??????? — pe?rol ; diesel : ????? — ??zal

    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 chod do'') ; Don't touch me! : ???? ?? ??? ? (''mujhe chun? mat'' / mujhe mat chuo) ; I'll call the police. : I'll call the police. ????? ?? ?????? ??? ? (''police ko bulaaoonga main'') ; Police! : ????? ! ????? ! (''police ! police !'') ; Stop! Thief! : ???? ! ??? ! (''rukho! chor!'') ; I need your help. : ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ? (''mujhe ?pki sahayta chahie'') ; It's an emergency. : ?????? ?? ? (''samasya hai'') ; I'm lost. : ??? ?????? ??? ??? ? (''main rasta bhul gaya'') ; I lost my bag. : ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ? (''mera bag alage ho gaya'') ; I lost my wallet. : ???? ???? ??? ?? ??? ? (''mera purse ghoom ho gaya'') ; I'm sick. : ???? ?????? ?? ? (''mujhe bhukaar hai'') ; I've been injured. : ???? ??? ??? ?? ? (''mujhko chot lagi hai'') ; I need a doctor. : ???? ?????? ?????? ? (''mujhko doctor chahie'') ; Can I use your phone? : ???? ?? ???? ??? ? (''phone kar sakta hoon main ?'')

    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 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 karin hai..'') ; Can I just pay a fine now? : Can I just pay a fine now? (''.Kya mein jurmaana abhi de sakta hoon?..'')

    Learning more

  • [http://www.l-ceps.com/en/hindi/learn-hindi-ptrainer.html L-Ceps Personaltrainer Hindi] - Hindi Language Learning Software
  • [http://www.languageshome.com/English-Hindi.htm Speak Hindi]Basic sentences in Hindi
  • [http://www.ISpeakHindi.com ISpeakHindi.com] - Daily learn Hindi Podcast
  • [http://free.lessons.l-ceps.com/learn-hindi-free-lesson-1.html Hindi Phrasebook] - Ten online lessons for Hindi phrases and words
  • 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 fill 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 Gatzlaff-Halsig, 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 Devanagari and Urdu Nas<u>kh</u> are ''en face''. Also includes glossary and cultural notes, etc. Highly recommended for travellers, and a great auxiliary source for students.
  • ''Teach Yourself Beginner's Hindi Script'' by Rupert Snell (McGraw-Hill). ISBN: 0071419845. - An entertaining and easy to use introduction to Devanagari.
  • ''Teach Yourself Beginner's Hindi'' by Rupert Snell (McGraw-Hill). ISBN: 0071424369. If you've never studied a language before or are a younger student this book might be where to start. Otherwise, don't waste your money and get the Complete Course instead.
  • ''Teach Yourself Hindi Complete Course'' by Rupert Snell with Simon Weightman (McGraw-Hill). ISBN: 0071420126. By far this book is the most popular, and the usual starting point for those interested in learning Hindi. It is highly recommended that you purchase this with accompanying CD's (they are not available separately).
  • ''Teach Yourself Hindi Dictionary'' by Rupert Snell (McGraw-Hill). ISBN: 0071435034. Companion to his other books in the Teach Yourself series. For Beginners, or younger students. Is '''not''' a complete dictionary in any sense of the word.
  • ''Introduction to Hindi Grammar'' by Usha R. Jain (IAS Publishers). ISBN: 094461325X. Usha R. Jain's books, which she wrote for her Hindi class at the University of California at Berkeley are more straightforward and easier to use than Snell. Her books are preferred by Hindi professors and private teachers alike throughout North America and Europe. Available with a set of accompanying CD's.
  • ''Intermediate Hindi Reader'' by Usha R Jain (IAS Publishers). ASIN: B000739HIG. 21 readings with serial glossaries to improve the student's comprehension of Hindi and expand vocabulary. Available with accompanying CD's and/or multimedia CD-Rom.
  • ''A Primer of Modern Standard Hindi'' by Michael C. Shapiro (Motilal Banarsidass Publishers). ISBN: 8120804759. An academic approach, by an eminent scholar of South Asia. Focuses more on written than conversational Hindi.
  • ''Say It in Hindi'' by Veena T. Oldenburg (Dover Publications). ISBN: 0486239594. If Delacy's book lacked anything, you may find it here. Mostly due to the fact that the book focuses on Hindi only. One major flaw is that the book uses an archaic Devanagari font, which may prove difficult to some readers. Worth taking a look at, but as a supplement to other books.
  • ''Colloquial Hindi: A Complete Language Course'' by Tej K. Bhatia (Routledge). ISBN: 0415110874. Takes a different approach to teaching the language. Is more sympathetic to the average learner and doesn't go warp speed like Snell and Weightman's ''Teach Yourself Hindi''. However; the biggest flaw is the minimal attention given to Devanagari, and the transliteration is not standard - may be more confusing than necessary to those already comfortable with the conventional style. Perhaps the best feature are the accompanying CD's.
  • Dictionaries

  • ''The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary'' by R. S. McGregor (Oxford University Press). ISBN: 019864339X. Essential for the student.
  • ''Oxford English-Hindi Dictionary'' by S. K. Verma (Laurier Books Ltd). ISBN: 0195648196. Common companion to R.S. McGregor's dictionary, but somewhat lacking compared with the former.
  • ''The Modern English Hindi-Dictionary'' by I. N. Anand (Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers). ISBN: 8121504619. Though designed for Indians translating English, this is also a great tool for students. Includes modern and technical terms.
  • ''English-Hindi Dictionary'' by Father Camille Bulcke (French & European Publications). ISBN: 0828811318. Recommended by many professors for their students.
  • Audio

  • ''Hindi'' by Pimsleur (Pimsleur). ISBN: 0743506251. Great for the auditory learner of for listening to in the car. Helps immerse listener into the sounds of Hindi and developing listening skills. Good overall introduction to the language, but be aware that many of the phrases are much too formal to use in common, everyday speech.
  • ''Teach Yourself Hindi Conversation'' by Rupert Snell (McGraw-Hil). ISBN: 0071456554. Focus on spoken Hindi. Includes small reference book.
  • ''Spoken Hindi'' by Surendra K. Gambhir (Audio-Forum). ISBN: 0884326993. Includes book.
  • Software

  • ''Rosetta Stone Hindi Personal Edition Level 1'' (CD-Rom). Both Mac and PC.