Greetings and politeness in Hindi
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Hindi words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Hindi phrases in this lesson
- नमस्तेna-mas-TAY
- Hello
- सुप्रभातsu-pra-BHAAT
- Good morning
- शुभ संध्याshubh SAN-dhya
- Good evening
- अलविदाal-vi-DAA
- Goodbye
- फिर मिलेंगेphir mi-LEN-ge
- See you
- कृपयाKRIP-ya
- Please
- धन्यवादdhan-ya-VAAD
- Thank you
- कोई बात नहींKO-ee baat na-HEEN
- You're welcome
- माफ़ी चाहता हूँMAA-fee CHAAH-ta hoon
- Sorry
- माफ़ कीजिएmaaf KEE-ji-yeh
- Excuse me
- आपसे मिलकर खुशी हुईAAP-say MIL-kar khu-SHEE hu-EE
- Nice to meet you
The universal greeting, good for any person, any hour, hello and goodbye alike. Palms together at the chest (the namaste gesture) is traditional but optional in cities; the word alone works fine.
Elegant and Sanskrit-derived, mostly heard on TV and in formal messages. In real life, morning greetings are namaste or an English "good morning". Learn it to recognize it.
Formal, mostly on television. In daily life नमस्ते (na-mas-TAY) covers the evening.
A definitive, slightly filmi farewell. Everyday partings are namaste again, "chalta hoon" (I will get going), or the universal "bye". फिर मिलेंगे (phir mi-LEN-gay), we will meet again, is the warm one.
Literally "we'll meet again", what friends say. अलविदा (al-vi-DAA) sounds like a farewell forever.
Formal, heard in announcements ("kripya dhyan dein", your attention please). Spoken Hindi builds politeness into the verb instead: the -iye ending (dijiye, boliye) IS the please. Or just say "please", everyone does.
The Hindi word, though "thank you" in English is at least as common on Indian streets. The Urdu-flavored शुक्रिया (shu-kri-YAA) is a warm alternative you will hear in Delhi and Lucknow.
Literally "it is no matter", the everyday reply to thanks and to apologies.
Literally "I seek forgiveness". A woman says चाहती (CHAAH-tee). English "sorry" is also used everywhere.
Literally "forgive me", for apologies and getting attention. To call a waiter or squeeze through a crowd, a simple "excuse me" or "bhaiya" (BHAI-ya), brother, is what locals actually use.
Literally "meeting you made me happy".