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24 Essential Hindi Words & Phrases for Travelers to India

Hindi is a fascinating language with a rich history and deep cultural significance. Here are a few things you might find interesting or helpful to know about the language:


  • Official Language of India: Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, is one of the official languages of India, along with English and several others depending on the region. It's the most widely spoken language in India and the fourth most spoken language in the world.

  • Sanskrit Roots: Hindi is a direct descendant of Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language from which many of today's South Asian languages originate. You'll often find Sanskrit words and phrases used in Hindi, especially in formal or academic contexts.

  • Phonetic Language: Hindi is a phonetic language, which means that words are pronounced as they are written. This can make learning to read Hindi easier compared to English where spelling and pronunciation often don't match.

  • Gendered Grammar: Like many other languages, Hindi has grammatical gender. Every noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the form of adjectives and verbs used with the noun.

  • Formal and Informal Speech: Hindi has different levels of formality based on the relationship between speakers. The pronouns you use can change depending on who you're speaking to. For instance, using "aap" is formal and respectful, while "tum" is more casual, and "tu" is very intimate or can be disrespectful in some contexts.

  • Regional Variations: Hindi has numerous dialects and variations depending on the region of India. The standard and most widely understood form is Modern Standard Hindi.




The official language of India is Hindi, but there are over 100 other languages spoken in the country. The most widely spoken languages in India are:


  • Hindi: 43% of the population speaks Hindi as their first language.

  • Bengali: 8% of the population speaks Bengali as their first language.

  • Marathi: 7% of the population speaks Marathi as their first language.

  • Telugu: 6% of the population speaks Telugu as their first language.

  • Tamil: 5% of the population speaks Tamil as their first language.


In addition to these major languages, there are also a number of regional languages spoken in India. These languages are often spoken in addition to Hindi, and they are used in government, education, and the media.

The most widely spoken regional languages in India are:


  • Gujarati: 4% of the population speaks Gujarati as their first language.

  • Malayalam: 3% of the population speaks Malayalam as their first language.

  • Kannada: 3% of the population speaks Kannada as their first language.

  • Punjabi: 2% of the population speaks Punjabi as their first language.

  • Assamese: 1% of the population speaks Assamese as their first language.


English is also widely spoken in India, and it is the language of government and education. English is often used in business and tourism, and it is becoming increasingly popular as a second language.


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