Essential Hindi Words and Phrases for Travel to India

It is true that the whole country does not speak Hindi. Not even the whole North of India speaks Hindi. However, most of the people understand and can communicate in Hindi in India. You can travel to all the regions in the country with nothing but English and Hindi.

Hindi is spoken in Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and others. Citizens of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bengal, Orissa and Punjab might not know Hindi as it is not their mother tongue. However, they can obviously understand it. Bangalore, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana are also filled with people who can understand and talk in Hindi. It is quite difficult to expect the same kind of popularity in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and North-East India.

India is a land, which takes pride in its culture. Therefore, if you speak to them in their mother tongue, it is considered as you taking an effort to live their culture and locals will come forward to make your vacation, even better.

Do not worry about grammar or fluency. A few phrases here and there to your butler, waiter or porter can help you a lot. Based on our team of avid travelers’ experiences, here is a consolidated list of Hindi phrases and meaning to use.

  1. Namaste – It is a respectful greeting to start and end a conversation. It is similar to hello or hi.
  2. Chalo – Let’s go
  3. Bahut Hua – Enough
  4. Accha or Thik hai – Okay
  5. Kya – What?
  6. Nahi – No
  7. Haan – Yes
  8. Mujhe Maaf Kijiye – Excuse me
  9. Dhanyabad or Shukriya – Thank you ( Madad ke liye dhanyawaad – Thank you for your help)
  10. Police ko Bulaungee – I’ll call the police
  11. Mujhe jaana hai - I have to go
  12. App kaha ja rahe hai – Where are you going?
  13. Aap kaise hain? – How are you?
  14. Main thik hoon – I’m fine
  15. Aap ka naam kya hai? – What’s your name?
  16. Mera naam ….hai – My name is….
  17. Aap se mil ke khushi hui – It’s nice to see you
  18. Phir milenge– We will meet again.
  19. Kya samaya hai? – What’s the time?
  20. Mujhe malum nahi– I don’t know
  21. Mujhe India pasand hai– I like India
  22. Bathroom Kahan hai? – Where is bathroom?
  23. Mujhe Hindi nahi aati– I can’t speak Hindi
  24. Mujhe peene ka pani chahiye – I want drinking water
Foreigners Saying Namaste 

How To Address People?

Sir and madam are quite common understandable words in India. If you want to address them in their mother tongue,

  1. Bhaiyaji – Brother
  2. Behenji – Sister
  3. Aap ka – Yours
  4. Mai – Me

Words You Need In A Restaurant

  1. Paani – water
  2. Chai – tea
  3. Khana – food
  4. Chawal – rice
  5. Naasta – breakfast
  6. Cheeni – sugar
Indian Restaurant

Are you a foodie? Try our exclusive food tour packages like

  1. Mumbai street food tour (by night)
  2. Delhi cultural experience – cook and eat with a local family
Also Read :

Shopping Essentials

If you are going for shopping, you need to know the numbers in Hindi and a few phrases.

  1. Yeh bahaut mehenga hai– It’s too expensive
  2. Nahi Chahiye– I don’t want
  3. Yeh kitne ka hai? – What is the cost of this?
  4. Mujhe yeh chahiye – I want this one
  5. ……Kahan milegee – Where can I find ….?

0 – Shunya, 1 – Ek, 2 - Do, 3 - Teen, 4 - Char, 5 – Paanch, 6 – Chhai, 7 – Saat, 8 – Aath, 9 – Nau, 10 – Dus.

Foriegners Shopping in India

Are you ready for shopping? Read Best Shopping Destinations in India with Specialities and learn what to buy.

Also Read about Shopping in India

Now that you have started with Hindi, it is time to pick a package with numerous Hindi speaking destinations.


Essential India Travel Guide :