40 basic Hindi phrases for beginners, in English letters
You want to speak Hindi, not learn Devanagari first? These forty words and phrases take you through greetings, introductions, family, numbers, food and time, in English letters and with audio to copy.
Spoken Hindi is closer than the Devanagari script suggests. Sentences are short, the verb goes at the end, and you already know many words from films and food. This guide gives you forty words and phrases in English letters, spelled and spoken exactly as in Bol. They are enough for a first real conversation: greeting people, introducing yourself, naming your family, ordering, asking the time.
How to read the romanization
Double vowels are long: aap is a stretched "ahp." Th and dh are aspirated, a t or d with a small puff of air, not the English th. Ch as in "church," sh as in "shoe." The n in hain or nahin is nasal and barely audible. Listen to each phrase once before you say it and the rhythm takes care of itself.
Greetings and courtesy
Namaste fits any time of day and any person. Aap is the polite you, and the little ji before haan and nahin makes yes and no respectful. Dhanyavaad is the Hindi word for thank you; shukriya is heard everywhere too.
Introducing yourself
Hindi verbs agree with the speaker: a man says bolta hoon, a woman bolti hoon. Everything else stays the same. Aap se mil kar acha laga is the warm line that closes a first meeting.
Introducing your family
Yeh mera bhai hai, yeh meri behen hai: mera becomes meri when the person is female. For parents Hindi uses the plural out of respect, so it is yeh mere pita hain.
Numbers from one to ten
You need numbers for prices, times and phone numbers. Listen for the aspirated sounds in teen, chaar and aath.
Tea, food and the bill
Chahiye means 'I need' or 'I would like' and is the simplest way to order. Bahut mazedaar hai is the compliment for good food, bill le aaiye the polite request for the bill.
Time and making plans
Kitne baje hain? asks for the time. Kal means both tomorrow and yesterday; the sentence makes clear which one.
Turn forty phrases into one conversation
- Listen once without reading. Notice the long vowels and the verb at the end.
- Read and shadow. Speak just behind the voice.
- Retrieve the Hindi. Look only at the English and say the line first.
- Join three turns. Namaste. Aap kaise hain? Main theek hoon, dhanyavaad.
- Come back tomorrow. Delayed retrieval is what makes a phrase available in conversation.
If part of your family speaks Urdu: almost all of these phrases work there too, because spoken Hindi and Urdu share their everyday language. Only some words differ, such as dhanyavaad and shukriya or parivar and khandan. See how similar Hindi and Urdu really are.
Frequently asked questions
Hindi or Urdu, which should I learn?
In everyday speech they are largely the same. Decide by the people you want to talk to: family from India, then Hindi; from Pakistan, then Urdu. How similar are Hindi and Urdu? shows the differences.
Do I need Devanagari?
Not to speak. English letters and good audio are enough for the first months. Devanagari pays off once you want to read signs and messages; Romanized Hindi explains the path.
Why do I see different spellings such as kaise and kaisay?
There is no official romanization. Bol uses one fixed spelling per language so you never learn anything twice; other sources spell differently, the pronunciation is the same.
Practice the answer before you hear it
Bol teaches Hindi in one consistent Latin spelling, with neural audio, forms for men and women, short conversations and speaking prompts that ask for a real attempt. The opening sections are free.
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