Hindi, an Indo-Aryan language, is widely spoken in India and in many other countries by the Indian diaspora. It’s characterized by its use of Devanagari script and has a rich literary tradition. This lesson covers essential conversational phrases and questions in Hindi, including transliteration for pronunciation help, to navigate various social interactions effectively.

Greetings

• Hello/Hi – “नमस्ते” (Namaste) / “नमस्कार” (Namaskar)
• Good morning – “सुप्रभात” (Suprabhaat)
• Good afternoon – “नमस्ते” (Namaste) [Namaste is used any time of day]
• Good evening – “शुभ संध्या” (Shubh Sandhya)
• Good night – “शुभ रात्रि” (Shubh Raatri)
• Goodbye – “अलविदा” (Alvida)

Introducing Yourself or Others

• My name is [name]. – “मेरा नाम [नाम] है।” (Mera naam [naam] hai.)
• This is [name]. – “यह [नाम] है।” (Yah [naam] hai.)
• I am from [country]. – “मैं [देश] से हूँ।” (Main [desh] se hoon.)
• I live in [city/place]. – “मैं [शहर/जगह] में रहता/रहती हूँ।” (Main [shehar/jagah] mein rahta/rahti hoon.)

Asking for Directions or People

• Where is the [place]? – “[जगह] कहाँ है?” ([Jagah] kahaan hai?)
• How do I get to [place]? – “मैं [जगह] कैसे जाऊँ?” (Main [jagah] kaise jaaun?)
• Is this the way to [place]? – “क्या यह रास्ता [जगह] को जाता है?” (Kya yah raasta [jagah] ko jaata hai?)
• Can you show me on the map? – “क्या आप मुझे नक्शे पर दिखा सकते हैं?” (Kya aap mujhe nakshe par dikha sakte hain?)

Solving a Misunderstanding

• Sorry, I don’t understand. – “माफ़ कीजिए, मुझे समझ नहीं आया।” (Maaf kijiye, mujhe samajh nahi aaya.)
• Can you please repeat that? – “कृपया क्या आप इसे दोहरा सकते हैं?” (Kripya kya aap ise dohra sakte hain?)
• I mean… – “मेरा मतलब है…” (Mera matlab hai…)
• What does [word] mean? – “[शब्द] का क्या मतलब है?” ([Shabd] ka kya matlab hai?)

Farewell Expressions

• See you later – “फिर मिलेंगे” (Phir milenge)
• Take care – “ध्यान रखना” (Dhyaan rakhna)
• Have a good day – “आपका दिन अच्छा जाए” (Aapka din accha jaaye)

Travel and Dining

• I would like to book a room. – “मैं एक कमरा बुक करना चाहता/चाहती हूँ।” (Main ek kamra book karna chahta/chahti hoon.)
• Can I see the menu, please? – “क्या मैं मेन्यू देख सकता/सकती हूँ?” (Kya main menu dekh sakta/sakti hoon?)
• I am vegetarian. – “मैं शाकाहारी हूँ।” (Main shakahari hoon.)
• The bill, please. – “बिल दीजिए।” (Bill dijiye.)

Shopping

• How much does this cost? – “इसकी कीमत क्या है?” (Iski keemat kya hai?)
• Do you have this in another size? – “क्या यह दूसरे आकार में उपलब्ध है?” (Kya yah doosre aakaar mein uplabdh hai?)
• I’m just looking, thanks. – “मैं सिर्फ देख रहा/रही हूँ, धन्यवाद।” (Main sirf dekh raha/rahi hoon, dhanyavad.)
• Can I pay by card? – “क्या मैं कार्ड से भुगतान कर सकता/सकती हूँ?” (Kya main card se bhugtan kar sakta/sakti hoon?)

Dating and Love

• You look beautiful. (to a woman) / You look handsome. (to a man) – “तुम बहुत सुंदर लग रही हो।” / “तुम बहुत सुंदर लग रहे हो।” (Tum bahut sundar lag rahi ho. / Tum bahut sundar lag rahe ho.)
• I miss you. – “मैं तुम्हें याद करता/करती हूँ।” (Main tumhe yaad karta/karti hoon.)
• I love you. – “मैं तुमसे प्यार करता/करती हूँ।” (Main tumse pyar karta/karti hoon.)
• Would you like to go out with me? – “क्या तुम मेरे साथ बाहर जाना चाहोगे/चाहोगी?” (Kya tum mere saath bahar jaana chahoge/chahogi?)

Emergencies

• Help! – “मदद!” (Madad!)
• Call the police! – “पुलिस को बुलाओ!” (Police ko bulao!)
• I need a doctor. – “मुझे डॉक्टर की जरूरत है।” (Mujhe doctor ki zaroorat hai.)
• Where is the nearest hospital? – “नजदीकी अस्पताल कहाँ है?” (Najdiki aspatal kahaan hai?)

These phrases provide a solid foundation for basic communication in Hindi. Practice speaking and listening regularly, engage with Hindi media, and don’t hesitate to converse with native speakers. Remember, language learning is a journey—embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and continue to explore the rich linguistic and cultural nuances of Hindi.