Pronunciation guide

The phoneme inventory of Bengali consists of 29 consonants and 14 vowels, including the seven nasalized vowels. Vowel sounds can either be independent or hooked on to the consonant in the form of diacritics.

Vowels

The independent vowel is on the left, the diacritic (which is hooked on to the consonant) is on the right.

; ? ? : Like "a" in "cat" (a). ; ? ? : Like "e" in "bed" (e). ; ? ? : Like "a" in "rather" (?). ; ? ? : Like "i" in "nile" (a). ; ?? : Like "ay" in "may" (ay). ; ? ? : Like "e" in "red" (e). ; ? ? : Like "ee" in "reed" (i). ; ? ? : Like "i" in "rid" (i). ; ? ? : Like "o" in "hot" (o). ; ? ? : Like "oa" in "boat" (o). ; ?? : Like "oy" in "boy" (oy). ; ? ? : Like "u" in "put" (u). ; ? ? : Like "ui" in "quick" (wi).

Consonants

; ? : Like "b" in "boy" (b). ; ? : Like "ch" in "cheat" (c). ; ? : Like "d" in "doubt" (d). ; ? : Like "f" in "frog" (f). ; ? : Like "g" in "go" (g). ; ? : Like "h" in "hit" (h). ; ? : Like "j" in "juggle" (j). ; ? : Like "k" in "skin" (k). ; ? : Like "l" in "loud" (l). ; ? : Like "m" in "man" (m). ; ? : Like "n" in "no" (n). ; ? : Like "ng" in "king" (ng). ; ? : Like "p" in "spit" (p). ; ? : Like "r" in "run", but slightly trilled (r). ; ? : Like "s" in "so" (s). ; ? : Like "t" in "talk" (t). ; ? : Like "y" in "yes" (y).

Aspirated consonants

Aspirated consonants are pronounced with a puff of air.

; ? : Like "b" in "blight" (b'). ; ? : Like "ch" in "cheese" (c'). ; ? : Like "d" in "din" (d'). ; ? : Like "g" in "language" (g'). ; ? : Like "j" in "jam" (j'). ; ? : Like "k" in "kick" (k'). ; ? : Like "p" in "pit" (p'). ; ? : Like "t" in "tin" (t').

Retroflex consonants

Retroflex consonants are pronounced with the tip of the tongue flapping against the roof of the mouth.

; ? : Like "d" in "doubt" but retroflex (?). ; ?? : Like "r" in "run" but slightly trilled retroflex (?). ; ? : Like "t" in "talk" but retroflex (?).

Aspirated retroflex consonants

Aspirated retroflex consonants are pronounced with the tip of the tongue flapping against the roof of the mouth and a puff of air.

; ? : Like "d" in "din" but retroflex (?'). ; ? : Like "t" in "tin" but retroflex (?').

Phrase list

Basics

; OPEN : ????? ; CLOSED : ?? ; ENTRANCE : ???? ; EXIT : ???????? ; PUSH : ??????? ; PULL : ?? ; TOILET : ????? ; MEN : ????? ????? ; WOMEN : ????? ; FORBIDDEN : }}

; Hello. (Hindu): Nomoshkar. ; Hello. (Muslim): Assalamualaikum (or) Slamlikum ; How are you? : (Apni) kemon achhen? (formal)<br>(Tumi) kemon achho? ; (I'm) fine. : (Ami) bhalo (achhi). ; What is your name? : Apnar nam ki? (formal)<br>Tomar nam ki? ; My name is ______ . : Amar nam ______ . ; Nice to meet you. : Apnar shathe porichoe hoe amar khub-i bhalo laglo. (formal)<br>Tomar shathe porichoe hoe amar khub-i bhalo laglo. ; Please. : Doeakore. (formal)<br>Ektu. ; Thank you. : Dhonnobad. (formal) ; You're welcome. : Kichhu mone korben na. (formal)<br>Kichhu mone koro na. ; Yes. : Ji. (formal)<br>He. ; No. : Jina. (formal)<br>Na. ; Excuse me. (''getting attention'') : Ei-je! Dada (when addressing a man) Didi (when addressing a lady) ; Excuse me. (''to pass by someone'') : Dekhi? ; I'm sorry. : Ami khub-i dukkhito. ; Forgive me. : Maf korun.<br>Maf koro. ; Goodbye : Khodafez. (Muslim) ; I can't speak ''name of language'' [that well]. : (Ami) ____ [oto bhalo] bolte pari na. ; Do you speak English? : Apni-ki Ingreji bolte paren?<br>Tumi-ki Ingreji bolte paro? ; Is there someone here who speaks English? : Ekhane keu achhe, je Ingreji bolte paren? ; Help! : Bachao! ; Look out! : Shabdhan! ; Good morning. : Suprobhat. (highly formal) ; Good evening. : Subho shondha. (highly formal) ; Good night. : Subho ratri. (highly formal) ; I don't understand. : (Ami) bujhi na. ; Where is the toilet? : Toeletta kothae?

Problems

shomosha

Numbers

0 Shunno <br> 1 Ek <br> 2 Dui <br> 3 Tin <br> 4 Char <br> 5 Pach <br> 6 Chhoe <br> 7 Shat <br> 8 At <br> 9 Noe <br> 10 Dosh <br> 11 Egaro <br> 12 Baro <br> 13 Tero <br> 14 Chouddo <br> 15 Ponero <br> 16 Sholo <br> 17 Shotero <br> 18 Atharo <br> 19 Unnish <br>

20 Bish / Kuri <br> 30 Trish <br> 40 Chollish <br> 50 Ponchash <br> 60 Shat <br> 70 Shottur <br> 80 Ashi <br> 90 Nobboi <br>

100 Ek sho <br> 1,000 Ek hajar <br> 10,000 Dosh hajar <br> 100,000 Ek lakh <br> 1,000,000 Dosh lakh <br> 10,000,000 Ek kuti <br>

Time

Clock time

Duration

Days

; Monday: Shombar ; Tuesday: Monggolbar ; Wednesday: Budhbar ; Thursday: Brihoshpotibar ; Friday: Shukrobar ; Saturday: Shonibar ; Sunday: Robibar

Months

Writing time and date

Colors

; black: kalo ; white: shada ; red: lal ; pink: golapi ; orange: komla ; yellow: holud ; green: shobuj ; blue: nil ; purple: beguni

Transportation

Bus and train

Directions

; here: eikhane ; there: oikhane ; (on/to the) right: dan (dike) ; (on/to the) left: ba (dike) ; (on/to the) north: uttor (dike) ; (on/to the) south: dokkhin (dike) ; (on/to the) east: purbo (dike) ; (on/to the) west: poshchim (dike) ; straight: shoja ; in front: shamne ; behind: pichhe / pichhon dike ; Go (___).: (___) jan. (formal) <br> (___) jao. ; Turn around (___).: (___) Ghurun. (formal) <br> (___) Ghoro. ; Keep going (___).: (___) Jete thakun. (formal) <br> (___) Jete thako. ; Stop (___).: (___) Thamun. (formal) <br> (___) Thamo.

Taxi

Lodging

Money

Poysha

Eating

Khabar

Bars

Shopping

Bajar

Driving

Authority

Learning more

  • [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Bengali Bengali language page on Wikimedia]