Whether you're joining a Hindi-speaking family, moving to India or reconnecting with your heritage, you can hold a simple conversation within a few weeks. Here's what matters most at the start.
1. Politeness is built into the language
Hindi has three words for “you”, and choosing the right one matters more than perfect grammar:
| Word | Use with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| आप (aap) | Elders, in-laws, strangers, anyone you respect | आप कैसे हैं? — Aap kaise hain? |
| तुम (tum) | Friends, people your age, younger family | तुम कैसे हो? — Tum kaise ho? |
| तू (tu) | Very close friends, small children — can sound rude otherwise | तू कैसा है? — Tu kaisa hai? |
Adding ji after a name or title (Sharma ji, Maa ji) is another simple way to show respect.
2. Sentence structure: verb at the end
English is subject–verb–object (“I eat food”). Hindi is subject–object–verb: मैं खाना खाता हूँ — Main khaana khaata hoon (literally “I food eat am”). Once you accept that the verb waits until the end, Hindi sentences become much easier to build.
3. Verbs change with gender
In Hindi, the verb often reflects the speaker's gender:
- A man says: मैं सीख रहा हूँ — Main seekh raha hoon (I am learning).
- A woman says: मैं सीख रही हूँ — Main seekh rahi hoon.
The pattern is usually -a for masculine and -i for feminine. Don't let this stop you speaking; people will understand either way and appreciate the effort.
4. Thirty phrases to start with
| English | Hindi | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | नमस्ते | Namaste |
| How are you? | आप कैसे हैं? | Aap kaise hain? |
| I'm fine | मैं ठीक हूँ | Main theek hoon |
| Thank you | धन्यवाद / शुक्रिया | Dhanyavaad / Shukriya |
| Yes / No | हाँ / नहीं | Haan / Nahin |
| Please | कृपया | Kripya |
| Sorry / Excuse me | माफ़ कीजिए | Maaf kijiye |
| What is your name? | आपका नाम क्या है? | Aapka naam kya hai? |
| My name is… | मेरा नाम … है | Mera naam … hai |
| Where are you from? | आप कहाँ से हैं? | Aap kahaan se hain? |
| I don't understand | मुझे समझ नहीं आया | Mujhe samajh nahin aaya |
| Please speak slowly | कृपया धीरे बोलिए | Kripya dheere boliye |
| How much is this? | यह कितने का है? | Yeh kitne ka hai? |
| Where is…? | … कहाँ है? | … kahaan hai? |
| I'm hungry | मुझे भूख लगी है | Mujhe bhookh lagi hai |
| Water, please | पानी दीजिए | Paani dijiye |
| The food is delicious | खाना स्वादिष्ट है | Khaana swaadisht hai |
| Have you eaten? | आपने खाना खाया? | Aapne khaana khaaya? |
| Come in, sit | आइए, बैठिए | Aaiye, baithiye |
| What happened? | क्या हुआ? | Kya hua? |
| No problem | कोई बात नहीं | Koi baat nahin |
| Very good | बहुत अच्छा | Bahut achchha |
| Let's go | चलो | Chalo |
| Wait a minute | एक मिनट रुकिए | Ek minute rukiye |
| I'm learning Hindi | मैं हिंदी सीख रहा/रही हूँ | Main Hindi seekh raha/rahi hoon |
| What does this mean? | इसका मतलब क्या है? | Iska matlab kya hai? |
| See you tomorrow | कल मिलते हैं | Kal milte hain |
| Take care | अपना ख़्याल रखना | Apna khayaal rakhna |
| Congratulations! | बधाई हो! | Badhaai ho! |
| Goodbye | फिर मिलेंगे | Phir milenge |
Hear every phrase spoken in the phrasebook, then drill them as flashcards.
5. A four-week starter routine
- Week 1: greetings and the aap/tum system. Use “Namaste” and “Aap kaise hain?” with every Hindi speaker you meet.
- Week 2: food and family phrases. Practise the “Visiting the in-laws” scene in the Conversation Lab.
- Week 3: shopping, numbers and directions — run the market and auto-rickshaw scenes.
- Week 4: try a five-minute conversation entirely in Hindi with a friend or tutor.
Learning for family or a partner? A Hindi tutor who explains in English can speed things up dramatically — book a free demo.