Hindi phrasebook

2.1 Vowels

Hindi is an Indo-European language spoken in

India, 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 ocial 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.

The key distinction is the dierence between short and

long vowels. In this phrase book, long vowels are noted
with a digraph (two letters), whereas short vowels are
listed as one letter. You will often come across technical
romanizations using macrons, noted in parentheses below
when applicable.

Hindi is descended from Sanskrit, sometimes called the

mother of all languages, or Latin of the East. Standard Hindi is based on the Kha Bol dialect
(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 lms, that try to appeal to the widest audience
possible. Hindustani is dierent than what is taught at the
literary level and what is used by news programs and the
government in India.

2.2 Consonants
Hindi consonants have many qualities not familiar to native English speakers including aspiration and retroex
consonants.

Aspiration means with a pu of air, and is the difference between the sound of the letter k in English
kin (aspirated) and skip (unaspirated). In this phrasebook, aspirated sounds are spelled with an h (so English
A striking fact is that, depending on the source, Hindi kin would be khin) and unaspirated sounds without it
is listed anywhere around the 5th most widely spoken (so skip is still skip). Hindi aspiration is quite forceful
language in the world. In contrast to languages such as and its OK to emphasize the pu.
Mandarin or Spanish, there has not been much stress outHindi retroex consonants, on the other hand, are not reside of India in promoting Hindi education.
ally 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.

Writing
2.3 Stress

Hindi is written in the Devangar () script, like

Nepali, Marathi and a number of other Indian languages. For emphasizing words don't stress them by voice (which
Learning Devanagari is not quite as dicult as you might would be regarded as a sign of aggressiveness) but add a
think at rst glance, but mastering it takes a while and to after them.
is beyond the scope of most travellers. See Learning
yeh ky hai? (whats this?") yeh to ky hai?
Devanagari for a primer.
- (what is this?")
Voice should always be very low and with few changes in
pitch, loudness and stress, so please: relax!.

Pronunciation

One of the only stresses found in Hindi is the last long syllable prior to the last syllable (e.g. in dhnyavd stress
dh"). But it is a mild stress which occurs naturally, so
Most English speakers nd Hindi pronunciation rather
don't force it. Don't even think about it!
challenging, as there are 11 separate vowels and 35 separate consonants, employing a large number of distinctions ! / ubhkmnen ! / Good luck
not found in English. Don't let this intimidate you:
Many speakers do not speak standard Hindi at home, and
are quite used to regional accents and mangling in various 3 Hindi Phrases
degrees.
1

3.1

Cultural Notes

HINDI PHRASES

slightly elongated. Before travelling to India, rent some

Bollywood lms 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.

Greetings: There are no time elemental greetings in conversational 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.
Prexes & Suxes: When you answer with the words
Namaste is the most ubiquitous greeting. Though of yes and no, the word j () may be added afterHindu origin it is now mostly secular. You say namaste wards to give it a more polite tone. Sometimes, speakers
with your hands folded and by bowing slightly but don't will simply reply with j, as an armation of something
go overboard Japanese style! Namaste literally means I someone says. J is added to a persons name as a sign of
bow to you. The original religious signicance was of respect. For example; in India, Mahatma Gandhi is often
bowing to the soul (tm) within another. It is custom referred to as Gandhiji ().
to touch the feet of someone older than you when saying Namaste. Namaskr has the same meaning, but is
used less often in Hindi, though it is common in other Indian languages such as Gujarati and Bengali. Namaskr
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 akl is the most common, which
comes from the Punjabi meaning God
alone is Truth. Though Sikh people are mostly found in
the Punjab region of India, Punjabi greetings are used by
Sikhs all over the world. After meeting someone for the
rst time pse milkar bahut khu hu. may be said, meaning after meeting you much happiness has happened (to
me).

Another sux which is indispensable is vla (-), often rendered in English as "-wallah. Many books devote
whole chapters to vla. 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 ( dukn) + vla = shopkeeper
( duknvla)
verb to come ( na) + vla = (the) ... is coming (... ... nevla hay)
English Loan Words: The British Empires inuence
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! 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.

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 inuence, especially in urban areas
and among the upper class. In this case, use them as you
would in English.
Gender & The 2nd Person Pronoun: Certain words
When someone is in your way, instead of saying excuse have dierent endings depending on your gender. If you
me, or zara suniye, just let out an aspirated ts sound with are a man, say these with an -a sux, and if you're a
your tongue behind your teeth to attract their attention. woman, -. However; when addressing the person respecThis might seem rude, but is no more rude than chil- tively with p (), the masculine ending takes the pludren saying pssst to get a friends attention during class! ral form. This is not all that dierent from the behavior of
In conclusion, though Hindi has corresponding words to other Indo-European languages, c.f. German Sie, which
ours, this does not mean that the context in which they are like p is also both the respectful 2nd person pronoun and
used also correspond likewise. Don't let all of this lead plural form of address. The other two forms are the fayou to believe Indians are cold though nothing could miliar tum () and intimate t (). These change the
be further from the truth! These sentiments are merely forms of certain words. Tum is for friends and peers, t
communicated through body language rather than ver- for small children (within the family); between 'signifbally. To show your thanks, a simple smile will do the icant others in private; traditionally to lower castes; in
trick. Other common gestures include the famous head the past, slaves; and, paradoxically, when supplicating to
bobble"; and a hand gesture made by swiftly swinging the the gods/God (c.f. Greek mythology). As a general rule,
wrist so your palm is facing the sky and your forengers stick with p, until you become more familiar with the

3.7

Colors

language and culture. Forget about t altogether, at the

best using it would be a faux pas and at the worst, very
oensive. For those reasons as well as practical ones, this
section will only use the p form.

3.2

Basics

3.3

Forms of Address

3.4

Interrogatives

3
the rst year of this ( savat) 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.
3.6.5 Writing the time and date

The time is written exactly as in English, that is hours

followed by minutes. 12:45am will thus be 12
(dopehar ke 12 bajkar paintls
The numerals used to write in decimal are called Indo- mina), note that (bajkar) would indicate someArabic numerals. Developed in India, they were bor- thing like o'clock in English . (mina) is a direct
rowed by the Arabs, and gradually spread to Europe. The translation of the English word minute/s.
similarities are hard to miss. Here are their respective numerals.

3.5

Numbers

3.7 Colors

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 hun- 3.8 Transportation
dred thousand, ten million etc.
3.8.1 Travel Vocabulary

3.6

Time

3.8.2 Bus and Train

3.6.1

Clock time

3.6.2

Duration

How much is a ticket to _____ ? _____

? _____ jaane ki ticket kitne ki
hai?

3.6.3

Days

One ticket to _____ _____ . Ek

_____ ki ticket dijiye.

The Hindi days of the week are each named after a planet Where does this train go? ?
and correspond to the Western days of the week, i.e.
Yeh train kidhar jaati hai?
Sunday = Ravivr ( the Suns day [lit. time or period]).
Thursday (Thors day) = Guruvr (Jupiters day), Satur- Does this train/bus stop in _____? /
_____ ? Kya yeh train/bus _____ par
day/Saturns day = anis (Saturns day), etc. The endrukti hai?
ing "-" (-vr), meaning day, time, or period is often
dropped colloquially.
When does the train/bus for _____ leave? _____
/ ? _____ ki train/bus kab
niklegi?
3.6.4 Months
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
India has two main calendars in use, though other groups
/ _____ ?
Yeh train/bus
like the Parsis have their own calendar as well. The West_____ kab pahuchegi?
ern (Gregorian) calendar is used for day to day and business aairs, and the Hindu calendar is used by religious
3.8.3 Directions
communities.
How do I get to _____ ? ____ tak kaise jaoON?
Gregorian Calendar

____the train station? _____? railway station

Hindu Calendar The Hindu Calendar (

Vikram savat) is named after a legendary king of Uj- ____the bus station? ____? bas aa...?
jain, who is supposed to have founded the Vikramditya
() era c. 56 BCE. The year 57 BCE was ____the airport? ____? ...

HINDI PHRASES

3.9 Lodging

____Town square? ____? chowk

____Hotel? _____ ...? hotel

Do you have any rooms available? Kamra Kirayi pe

milega? (...)
Where can I nd (some)____ () ____ ?
(kuch) ... kidharai? (?)
How much is a room for one person/two people?
Ek/Do admi ka kitna lagega? (...)
____hotels? ____ hotelEIN
____restaurants? ____? restRON

Does the room come with... Room mein ---- hain

kya? (...)

____bars? ...? sharaab khaNE

...bedsheets? ...bedsheets? (chaddar hai loI)

____sites to see? ...dekhne layek jaghain*? (...)

Can you show me on the map? ...a bathroom? ...a bathroom? (snaanaghara)
mujhe nakSHE mEIN dikhaa deejiYE
...a telephone? ...a telephone? (teliphone)
Can you tell me the way to _____? _____
? muJHE _____ kaa rasta ...a TV? ...a TV? (teevee)
bataIYE
May I see the room rst? May I see the room rst?
street saDak
(phele,kumra dekh lun? )
path raastaa
Do you have anything quieter? Do you have anything
Turn left. byn muDiye
quieter? (apkai pas aur chupchap/shA.nta/sthira
he?)
Turn right. dhin muDiye
right dhina

...bigger? ...bigger? (Aur Barrha)

left by

...cleaner? ...cleaner? (Aur Saaf)

straight ahead sdhe

...cheaper? ...cheaper? (Aur Susta)

towards the _____ _____ _____ kee OR

OK, I'll take it. OK, I'll take it. (Theek hai, laileinge)

past the _____ _____ _____ ke agle

I will stay for _____ night(s). I will stay for _____

night(s). (____raath rahengei)
before the _____ _____ _____ ke
piCHHle
Can you suggest another hotel? Can you suggest anWatch for the _____. _____ _____ dekho
other hotel? (Aur koi hotel batadijeeai)
intersection chOWraahaa
north uttar

Do you have a safe? Do you have a safe? (surakShita

sthAna hoga?)

south dakshin

...lockers? ...lockers? (sharAna sthAna)

east prv

Is breakfast/supper included? Is breakfast/supper included? (jalapAna/raathka bhojana-byAlu dhArana he?)

west pacim
uphill chaDHai
3.8.4

What time is breakfast/supper? What time is breakfast/supper? (kaleva/byAlu kis samaya he?)

Taxi
Please clean my room. Please clean my room. (kamra
saaf kurlo.)

Taxi! taiksi
Take me to _____, please _____
____jaanaa hAI

Can you wake me at _____? | Can you wake me at

_____? (____time pe jugana)

How much does it cost to get to _____? ____

? ____ jaane ko kitnaa lagtaa I want to check out. I want to check out.
nikalna he)
hAI

(mainai

3.11

Eating

3.10 Money

Can you make it lite, please? (less oil/butter/lard)

Can you make it lite, please? (kum tail mey mil
Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
sakta hai)
Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
(American/australian/canadian doelur xed-price meal ek dm ka khna
(?)
mAnthai/svIkara karthai he?)
Do you accept British pounds? Do you accept British la carte - -l kr
pounds? (British pound svIkara karthaihe?)
breakfast jalapAna
Do you accept credit cards? Do you accept credit lunch dopehar ka khna; sa-pehar
cards? (CreditKaard svIkara karthaihe?)
ka khna
Can you change money for me? Can you change tea (meal) sa.ndhya ka khna
money for me? (rupaya parivartna karthaihe?)
dinner rt ka khna
Where can I get money changed? Where can I get
money changed? (paisa parivartna kidhar karloo?) I want _____. _____ mujhe _____ chiye
Can you change a travelers check for me? Can you I want a dish containing _____. _____
mujhe _____ ka khna chiye (?)
change a travelers check for me? (traveler check
parivartna kurlaiga?)
meat mns
Where can I get a travelers check changed? Where
chicken chi.nganA, murgi
can I get a travelers check changed? (traveler check
kiddhar parivartna karoo)
beef gy ka mns
What is the exchange rate? What is the exchange sh machl
rate? (parivartna ka bHaoon kitnae?)
lamb bhe ka mns/mutton
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? cheese panr, chIja
(AeTeeEmm kiddhare?)
eggs ana

3.11 Eating

lentils dl

(fresh) vegetables () tarakAri, bhAji

A table for one person/two people, (please). /
/- ek/do log/-on ke (fresh) fruits () pHal
liye jagah chiye
bread , , ... ro, parn ha...
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)

rice cval
sweetmeats la
samosa : samosa

Is there a house specialty? Is there a house specialty? spice(s) mirchi

(iis hotel ka special kya hai)
chutney can
Is there a local specialty? Is there a local specialty?
curry , slan, kah (< Tamil )
(iis jaga ka special kya hai)
I'm a vegetarian. main khr

ghee (claried butter) gh

I don't eat pork. /-

main suar ka mns nahn khta/-

May I have a glass/cup/bottle of _____?

// _____
mere liye ek gls/pyla/boal _____ lna

I don't eat beef. /- coee kf

main gy (g) mns nahn khta
tea cy (i.e. chai)
I only eat kosher/halal food. /
main sirf koar/hall khna khta (?) juice ras

water , pn, jal

whiskey whiskey (whiskey/daru)

carbonated water soa

vodka vodka (...)

milk ddh

rum rum (...)

lassi (yoghurt drink) lass

water (paani)

sweet, salty, mango (lassi) ,

mha, namak, m

cool drink (Indian Eng. 'soda, cola, etc.')

/ han/sauf rink

HINDI PHRASES

club soda club soda (soda)

tonic water tonic water (...)
orange juice orange juice (...)

soft drink (attn- in S. Asia this means a sherbet drink, Coke (soda) Coke (Coke)
not cola!)
Do you have any bar snacks? Do you have any bar
arbat
snacks? (kuch khane ke liye hai)
alcohol sharb
One more, please. One more, please. (ek aur)
beer biyar
Another round, please. Another round, please. (ek
red/white wine (/) ,
aur round milega)
madira, vin
When is closing time? When is closing time? (kab tak
Whisky , hvisk/wisk, skc
khula hai(what time is bar open till)/ bar band kab
hota haiWhen is closing time?)
May I have some _____? May I have some _____?
(muje kuch _____ milega)
salt namak

3.13 Shopping

black pepper kl mirc

Do you have this in my size? Do you have this in my

size? (...) mere saiz ka milegaa?

chile mirc
butter makkhan
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
!, ! baira!, vear!
I'm nished. main khatam hai (?)

How much is this? How much is this? (...) iska kitna

hoga?
Thats too expensive. Thats too expensive. (...) bahut
mehnga hai

It was delicious. bahiya

Would you take _____? Would you take _____? (...)

kya aap _____ lena chahege?

Please clear the plates. pleten ljiye

expensive mehnga

The check, please. / bil/cek liye

cheap sast

3.12 Bars

I can't aord it. I can't aord it. (...) main nahi le

sakta

Do you serve alcohol? Do you serve alcohol? (kya aap

sharaab 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.
(kripaya ek beer/do beer de)
A glass of red/white wine, please. A
glass
of
red/white wine, please. (ek glass lal/safed wine)

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.
shauk nahi hai

(..)

mujhe

OK, I'll take it. OK, I'll take it. (...) theek hai, main le
let hoon

A bottle, please. A bottle, please. (ek bottle dena)

Can I have a bag? Can I have a bag? (...) ky p mujhe thaili dege

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.

_____ and _____, please. (...)

Do you ship (overseas)? Do you ship (overseas)? (...)

parcel kar sakthe hoo

3.15

Problems

I need... ... mujhe ... chiye

3.15 Problems

...toothpaste. () ... (dan t) manjan

Leave me alone. (mujhe akela chhod do)

...a toothbrush. ... tth bra

Don't touch me! (mujhe chun mat /

mujhe mat chuo)

...tampons. ... aimpon

I'll call the police. I'll call the police.

(police ko bulaaoonga main)

...soap. ... sbun

...shampoo. ... aimp

Police! ! ! (police ! police !)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)

/""... dard k daw

Stop! Thief! ! ! (rukho! chor!)

...cold medicine. ... khn s k daw

I need your help. (mujhe

pki sahayta chahie)

...stomach medicine. ...

dastvar

Its an emergency. (samasya hai)

pet ki dawa /

...a razor. /... rezar, ustara

I'm lost. (main rasta bhul gaya)

...an umbrella. ... cht

I lost my bag. (mera bag alage

ho gaya)

...sunblock lotion. ...sunblock lotion. (...)

I lost my wallet. (mera purse

ghoom ho gaya)

...a postcard. ... pos kr

...postage stamp. /...
tikat/saimp

k I'm sick. (meri tabhiyet tikh

nai hei)

...batteries. ... bair

...writing paper. ... kgaz
...a pen. ... kalam
...a pencil ... pensil
...an English-language book. ...
angrez k kitb/pothI

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 ?)

... an English-language magazine.

3.16 Authority
... angrez ka/k patrika/rislah/maigazn
I haven't done anything wrong. I haven't done any...an English-language newspaper.

thing wrong. (.maine kuch galat nahi kiya..)

... angrez k akhbr; ...an EnglishHindi dictionary. : - ... It was a misunderstanding. It was a misunderstandangrez-hind ko
ing. (.Woh ek bhool thi..)

3.14 Driving

Where are you taking me? Where are you taking me?
(.Aap mujhe kahan le ja rahe hain?..)

I want to rent a car. mu- Am I under arrest? Am I under arrest? (.Kya mein giraftaar ho raha hoon?..)
jhe kr kirya par chiye
Can I get insurance? ?
mera insurance ho sakta (-) hai? (?)
gas (petrol) station perol pamp

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.
diesel zal
I
need
to
talk
to
the
American/Australian/British/Canadian
emNote: Indian Trac Signs are much like those in Europe.
bassy/consulate.
(.Mujhe America/ AusWords are written in English and sometimes the regional
tralia/Britain/Canada ke rajdoot se sampark
language.
karna hai..)
petrol perol

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 ne now? Can I just pay a ne now?
(.Kya mein jurmaana abhi de sakta hoon?..)

Learning more
Learn Hindi Online - Free Online Hindi Grammar
Lessons
Learning Hindi - Free Online Conversation Hindi
Phrases and Grammar Lessons
L-Ceps Personaltrainer Hindi - Hindi Language
Learning Software
L-Lingo Hindi - Free 40 Lesson Learn Hindi Online
Flash Application
Hindi Speaking Tree - Hindi Lessons From India
Speak HindiBasic sentences in Hindi
ISpeakHindi.com - Daily learn Hindi Podcast
Hindi Phrasebook - Ten online lessons for Hindi
phrases and words
Learn Hindi Online - Common Hindi phrases with
authentic audio clips for correct pronunciation
Hindi Verbs - Learn key Hindi verbs, conjugation,
grammar, and popular proverbs

4.1

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 ll 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
Gatzla-Hlsig, 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

LEARNING MORE

Devanagari and Urdu Naskh are en face. Also

includes glossary and cultural notes, etc. Highly
recommended for travellers, and a great auxiliary
source for students.
Teach Yourself Beginners Hindi Script by Rupert
Snell (McGraw-Hill). ISBN: 0071419845. - An entertaining and easy to use introduction to Devanagari.
Teach Yourself Beginners 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 CDs
(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.
Jains 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 CDs.
Intermediate Hindi Reader by Usha R Jain (IAS Publishers). ASIN: B000739HIG. 21 readings with serial glossaries to improve the students comprehension of Hindi and expand vocabulary. Available
with accompanying CDs and/or multimedia CDRom.
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 Delacys book
lacked anything, you may nd it here. Mostly due
to the fact that the book focuses on Hindi only. One
major aw is that the book uses an archaic Devanagari font, which may prove dicult to some readers.
Worth taking a look at, but as a supplement to other
books.

4.3

Software

Colloquial Hindi: A Complete Language Course by

Tej K. Bhatia (Routledge). ISBN: 0415110874.
Takes a dierent approach to teaching the language. Is more sympathetic to the average learner
and doesn't go warp speed like Snell and Weightmans Teach Yourself Hindi. However; the biggest
aw 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 CDs.
4.1.1

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. McGregors 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.

4.2

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 (AudioForum). ISBN: 0884326993. Includes book.

4.3

Software

Rosetta Stone Hindi Personal Edition Level 1 (CDRom). Both Mac and PC.

10

5 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

5.1

Text

Hindi phrasebook Source: http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hindi%20phrasebook?oldid=2702408 Contributors: Cjensen, Wrh2, Sertmann, Jpatokal, Petertzgerald, Dguillaume, Sumone10154, Inas, Pashley, Ravikiran r, Cacahuate, Saqib, David Edgar, RegentsPark,
ClausHansen, (WT-en) Huttite, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) PierreAbbat, (WT-en) Abi, (WT-en) Upamanyuwikitravel, (WT-en) Gedran,
(WT-en) Callidior, (WT-en) Kotobaya, (WT-en) Bera7m, (WT-en) Parande, (WT-en) Apoorv.khare, (WT-en) Tushark, Ikan Kekek,
Jayabharat, RaviC, CarsracBot, Texugo, ChubbyWimbus, WOSlinker, Lo Ximiendo, Traveler100bot, DaGizza, SteveRBot, Addbot, ,
Yummypumpkin and Anonymous: 97

5.2

Images

5.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0