Pronouns in Hindi

The important thing to learn in any language is how to refer to people. The most common way is by using personal pronouns. In Hindi, there is no “he” and “she” difference as in the English language. But the pronoun (you) is complicated by formality. You'll use slightly different variations of this words depending to whom you are referring and how well you know them.

• "I" pronounce as "Main".
• "My/Mine" pronounce as "Mera".
• "He/She/They" pronounce as "Woh".
• "His/Her" pronounce as "Uska/Uski".
• "We" pronounce as "Hum".
• "Ours" pronounce as "Humara".
• "You" pronounce as "Tum/Tu ".(informal)
• "Yours" pronounce as "Tumhara/Tera".(informal)
• "Yours" pronounce as "Aapka".(formal)
• "You" pronounce as "Aap".(formal)

Use the informal “Tum”, “Tu”, “Tumhara” and “Tera” for friends, family, children and people you know well. “Aap” and “Aapka” are formal second person pronouns and are used on formal occasions, to address strangers, seniors and authority figures. They are also quite often used between family members. This is mostly seen in Northern India, where parents may use “Aap” when addressing their children. For example - “Beta, aap khaoge?” (Son/daughter, will you eat?)

To learn a language, you have to work, too. Click Here! to know more about personal pronouns.

Courteous Phrases

Being polite is just as important in India as anywhere else in this world. The following words and phrases cover most of the pleasantries required for polite conversation. After all, learning to say the expressions of common courtesy in India before traveling is just good manners.

• "Yes" pronounce as "Haan".
• "No" pronounce as "Nahin".
• "Please" pronounce as "Kripya".
• "Thank you" pronounce as "Dhanyavaad".
• "Thank you very much" pronounce as "Bahut bahut dhanyavaad".
• "You are welcome" pronounce as "Aapka swagat hai".
• "It's nothing" pronounce as "Ye kuch nahin hai".
• "Excuse me" pronounce as "Kshama kijiye".
• "By all means" pronounce as "Har tarah se".
• "Can you please repeat" pronounce as "Kya tum doharane ki kripya kar sakte ho".

Learning basic Hindi phrases takes practice and can become fairly easy. I feel the key is to try speaking it as much as possible. If this is not possible then why not try Rocket Hindi which can make you learn Hindi in as little as eight weeks

Discussing your Job in Hindi

Business contacts with people in other countries continues to increase in importance. Because modern technology supports the quick exchange of information over vast distances, you may have to talk to foreign business partners — or even travel to their countries. If you happen to have business contacts with Indian companies, knowing some basic Hindi business vocabulary may be useful. Because English is the language of business, however, Indian has adopted many English computer and software terms.

Karyalaya is Hindi for "office," but people often use "nizi karyalaya" to refer to their "personal office". The following sentences give you a taste of the phrases you hear in offices everywhere:

• "My desk is too small." pronounced as "Meri meja bahut choti hai"
• "Is it a big company?" pronounced as "Kya yeh ek badi kampani hai?"
• "Not really, let's say medium-sized." pronounced as "Vastav mein nahin, madhyam aakar ki kahana".
• "He works for a small agency." pronounced as "Woh ek choti si ejensi ke liye kaam karta hai"
• "I like my job." pronounced as " Mujhe apna kaam pasand hai."

To learn a language, you have to work, too. Choose a practical method that allows you to start learning the most important Hindi words. For more details about such a method click Learn Hindi Fast!

Colors in Hindi

Develop an Italian shopping vocabulary to gain a new cultural experience when traveling. The following words describe the most common "rang" (colors).

• "Blue" pronounce as "Neela".
• "Yellow" pronounce as "Peela".
• "Brown" pronounce as "Bhura".
• "Black" pronounce as "kala".
• "Red" pronounce as "Lal".
• "Green" pronounce as "Hara".
• "White" pronounce as "Safed".
• "Violet" pronounce as "Bangani".

To understand the tones of these different colors,it is best to accompanied it with an audio help. Rocket Hindi comes with 5 different components to help you identify the tones, words, meanings and the usage of the words.

Click Here For Rocket Hindi

Basic Question Words in Hindi

To communicate in Hindi and to travel with ease, there are practical questions in Hindi (or any language for that matter) that you'll use daily and have to know:

• "Who?" pronounce as "Kaun?"
• "What?" pronounce as "Kya?"
• "When?" pronounce as "Kab?"
• "Where?" pronounce as "Kahan?"
• "Why?" pronounce as "Kyun?"
• "How?" pronounce as "Kaise?"
• "How much?, How many?" pronounce as "Kitna?, Kitne?"
• "Which?" pronounce as "Kaun Sa?"
• "May I?" pronounce as "Kya main?"

Learning basic Hindi questions takes practice and can become fairly easy. I feel the key is to try speaking it as much as possible. If this is not possible then why not try one of the many language exchange resources available online now.

How To Say "Food Items" In Hindi

In Hindi-speaking countries, as in most of the rest of the world, there are three "khana" (meals) a day: "nasta" (breakfast), "dopahar ka khana" (lunch), and "raat ka khana" (dinner). To tell someone you're hungry in Hindi, say "Mujhe kuch khana hai" (I want to eat). If you want to ask somebody if he or she is hungry, you say "Kya tumhe bhukh lagi hai?" (Are you hungry?).

Here are some food items you can order.

• "Vegetables" pronounced as "sabji".
• "Meat" pronounced as "mansa".
• "Chocolate" pronounced as "cokaleta".
• "Rice" pronounced as "cavala".
• "Fruit" pronounced as "phala".
• "Dessert" pronounced as "mithai".
• "Salad" pronounced as "salada".
• "Fish" pronounced as "machali".
• "Salt" pronounced as "namak".
• "Cheese" pronounced as "paneer".
• "Curd" pronounced as "dahi".

Have you planned a trip to India? To know more about food items, Click Here!

Picking Up Hindi Quickly

You'll find many ways that you can pick up Hindi from everyday situations. Here are a few tips:

Ask for food in Hindi
If you go to an Indian restaurant, don't be shy! Order your favorite dishes by using their original names. Think of your exchange with the waiter as a kind of play. Prepare before leaving for the restaurant by looking up the correct pronunciation of a couple of dishes you enjoy.

Read Indian publications
Trying to read a newspaper in a foreign language can be very frustrating! Don't worry: Experts say that journalistic language is the most difficult to understand, even in your own country. Try reading the ads and the article titles: You will understand a few words and surely recognize some names of international celebrities. By the way, Indian call the newspaper, "akhabara".

Surf the Net
Nothing is easier than looking for information on the Internet. To find information about India, type India or the name of a famous city or monument in Italian, such as Mumbai or Taj Mahal, to mention just two. First try to browse in Hindi; you can surely pick up a couple of words that you understand. Otherwise, view the page in English: Learning about the culture of the country whose language you're studying is a good way to come closer to the language.

You can also make use of online books, such as Rocket Hindi. It can make you learn Hindi within eight weeks.

Telling time in general terms in Hindi

The time of day can be described in general terms or specific times. You can use the follow words to describe time in a general sense.

• "In the morning" pronounce as "pratha kal".
• "In the afternoon" pronounce as "madya kal".
• "In the evening" pronounce as "shanya kal"
• "In the middle of the night" [until about5 a.m. or so] pronounce as "ardhya ratri".
• "Day" pronounce as "din".
• "Yesterday" pronounce as "b-ta wa kal".
• "Tommorow" pronounce as "kal"
• "Day after tommorow" pronounce as "parso".
• "Today" pronounce as "aaj".

To know more, visit Rocket Hindi.

Telling Time in Specific Terms in Hindi

When you want to know a specific time of day, you can ask "Kya samay hua hai?" (What time is it?). When expressing time between the hours, say the hour+ minute for example, "ek bajke dus minata" (1:10)When you get past the half hour, start going the other say the number of minutes until the next hour for example say "do bajne main dus minata hain"(1:50).

Also remember to use "sardhe" for "half past", "paune" for "quarter until" and "sawaa" for "quarter past".

You can use the following phrases as a guide when talking about time in Hindi.

• "It's 1 a.m." pronounce as "ek baje hain".
• "It's 1:10 a.m." pronounce "ek bajkar dus minata hain".
• "It's 12:30 p.m." pronounce as "sardhe barah baje hain".
• "It's 2 a.m." pronounce as "do baje hain".
• "It's 2:15 a.m." pronounce as "sawaa do baje hain".
• "It's 2:40 a.m." pronounce as "teen bajne main bis minata hain ".
• "It's 3:45 p.m." pronounce as "paune chaar baje hain".
  

In Hindi, 1:30 is spoken as derdh baje and 2: 30 is spoken as dhai baje. To know more about time in Hindi with their correct pronounciation, Click Here!