Yes, no and the essentials in Bengali
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Bengali words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Bengali phrases in this lesson
- হ্যাঁHAEN
- Yes
- নাNAA
- No
- ঠিক আছেTHIK aa-CHEH
- Okay
- আমি বুঝতে পারছি নাAA-mi BUJ-teh PAR-chi naa
- I don't understand
- আপনি কি ইংরেজি বলেন?AAP-ni ki ING-rey-ji BO-len
- Do you speak English?
- আবার বলবেন?AA-bar BOL-ben
- Can you repeat that?
- একটু আস্তে বলুনEK-tu AS-te BO-lun
- Slowly, please
- এটা কী?E-ta KI
- What is this?
- আমার ... দরকারAA-mar ... DOR-kar
- I need...
- আমাকে একটু সাহায্য করবেন?AA-ma-ke EK-tu sha-HAJ-jo KOR-ben
- Can you help me?
The nasal vowel at the end is important. You will also hear "জি" (JI) which is a respectful affirmative borrowed from Hindi/Urdu, common in Bangladesh. A simple head nod also works.
Short and clear. For declining politely, "না, ধন্যবাদ" (no, thank you) is natural. A sideways head shake reinforces it visually.
Literally "is correct" or "is right". The all-purpose agreement: okay, fine, understood. You will use it constantly. Often shortened to just "ঠিক" (THIK) in quick speech.
Your honest escape hatch. Follow it with the next phrase and most encounters resolve. Saying it in Bengali first, even imperfectly, is always appreciated by locals.
English is widely used in Bangladesh in business, education, and government. In Dhaka and Chittagong the answer is often yes among educated adults. Asking in Bengali first makes a very good impression.
Literally "will you say it again?", polite form.
Literally "speak a little slowly".
Point and ask. At a sweet shop the answer is likely a kind of মিষ্টি (MISH-ti).
আমার ডাক্তার দরকার (AA-mar DAK-tar DOR-kar), I need a doctor.
Polite form. The একটু (a little) softens the request.