The most widely spoken language in India is Hindi. It is the official language of the country's government.
Useful Hindi Phrases for Travelers
English is also widely spoken in this country. If you want to make friends with the locals, it's worth learning a few phrases from an Indian language phrasebook.
Tourists are highly regarded in villages, as they are not often seen there. However, to communicate with them, an Indian phrasebook with pronunciation is indispensable. With this phrasebook, you can travel independently across the country.
Hindi is most prevalent in the northern and central regions of India. It's less significant on the Nicobar and Andaman Islands. In popular Indian resorts in the south of the country, English is more commonly heard. To feel more confident in this country, we suggest you familiarize yourself with a list of useful phrases in Indian language:
| English Phrase | Hindi Phrase (Transliteration) |
|---|---|
| Do you speak Hindi? | Aap Hindi mein bolte hain? |
| Yes, I speak (a little). | Ji haan, (thora) bolta hoon. |
| No, I don't speak Hindi. | Ji nahi, nahi bolta. |
| I speak English (French, German). | Main English (German, French) bolta hoon. |
| Please repeat, I didn't understand. | Kripaya dohraye, main nahi samjha. |
| Please speak slower (more clearly), I don't understand. | Kripaya aahista-aahista boliye, main nahi samajhta. |
| What did you say? | Aapne kya kaha? |
| What does this word mean? | Is shabd ka matlab kya hai? |
| What is this called in Hindi? | Hindi mein isko kya kehte hain? |
| Show me this word in the dictionary. | Shabdkosh mein mujhe yah shabd dikhaiye. |
| I (we) need a translator. | Mujh(ko) doobhashiye ki zarurat hai. |
| Greeting | (Swagat) |
| Hello! | Namaskar! |
| Good day! | Namaste! |
| Good morning! | Namaste! |
| Good evening! | Namaste! |
| Goodbye! | Namaste (Namaskar)! Alvida! |
| See you! | Phir milenge! |
| Good night! | Namaste! |
| Take care! | Khush raho (rahiye)! |
| Introduction | Parichay |
| Let me introduce you to Mr... | Main aapka parichay Shri... se karana chahta hoon. |
| Hello, nice to meet you. | Namaste, aap se milkar bari khushi hai. |
| My name is... | Mera naam... hai. |
| Here is my business card. | Yah mera card hai. |
| What is your name? | Aapka kya naam hai? |
| I am an engineer (doctor, worker, businessman, teacher, musician, student, journalist, learner, housewife). | Main engineer (doctor, mazdoor, vyapaari, adhyapak, sangeetkar, vidyarthi, patrakar, chhatra, grihasthini) hoon. |
| I am in India on business. | Main kaam se Bharat aaya hoon. |
