Tips and Tricks for Learning the Hindi Language

Tips and Tricks for Learning the Hindi Language How To Learn Hindi In a Fun and Interesting Way ChaptersThe Best Way to Learn Hindi Without a Hindi TeacherLearning Hindi with Books and NewspapersFun Games to Learn HindiMust-Know Words in the Hindi LanguageThe Hindi language is spoken by over 590 million people in the world - why not make it one more?This Indo-Aryan language is not only an official language of India (next to others such as Tamil, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali and many more!), but also (in a variation called Urdu) of Pakistan as well.Hindi is spoken in much of northern India, in the following Indian states (loosely, from north to south and west to east):Himachal PradeshUttarakhandHaryanaDelhiRajasthanUttar PradeshBiharMadhya PradeshChhattisgarhJharkhandIt’s also used as a kind of lingua franca in several other states, making Hindi a useful language to learn when visiting India!Here are some Superprof tips and tricks for learning the most commonly spoken language of India.Hindi audiobooks of your favourite booksthe dialogue in Hindi movies - careful, not al l Bollywood movies are in Hindi! Some are in Sindhi, Telugu, Marathi, or any one of the other different languages of India.Learning Hindi as a second language through immersionBut the surest way to learn a language is to hear it used and speak it constantly. If you can’t make it to India to speak Hindustani every day with native Indians, you can try and find a language partner. A language partner allows you to:Speak Hindi to him or her and teach them English in returnMeet someone from the Indian subcontinent and learn more about Hindi poetry or history from the Mughal Empire to colonialism, from Hindu temples to other aspects of Indian culture.There are apps such as Bilingua that pair you with conversation partners about if you don’t have time to meet in person.The best way to learn Hindi is to immerse yourself in the culture and visit India! Photo credit: Chris JL on Visual HuntIf you don’t want to reciprocate and don’t mind paying, make sure your home tutor speaks to you o nly in Hindi.Learning Hindi with Books and NewspapersThe methods given above are mostly for understanding Hindi speech. But what about reading and writing? What are good methods to learn Hindi words and phrases?Before you start, it is important to decide:Hindi or Urdu?The differences between Urdu and Hindi, though certainly present, are not as important in the spoken form. The Urdu language uses more words coming from Persian than Hindi, which mostly borrows from Sanskrit. But more importantly, Urdu (the official language of Pakistan) is written in Nastaliq, a Persian script derived from the Arabic alphabet, whereas Hindi is written using the Devanagari script.How to Learn using Hindi newspapersKnowing which writing you are learning is important if you want to read Hindi or Urdu. A good way to practice, though, is reading the news in Hindi. You can do it online or buy a physical paper (the Urdu Times is available in London newspaper stands).Learn Hindi by reading Hindi newspapers. P hoto on Visualhunt.comThe advantages of reading the news in Hindi are:A good way to practise the Hindi alphabet with actual words in context.A very wide range of Hindi words as they report news both local and international.Daily news articles with new vocabulary daily to keep your dictionaries busy.Short segments which, with the help of a dictionary, are easy and fast to read if you have a tight schedule.Easy sentences at an intermediate level - not too simplistic, but clear and not too convoluted.Learn Hindi using booksIf you prefer a narrative to a small article, why not read books to learn new Hindi words and practise reading Hindi letters? The wonderful thing about books is that there is always something up to your level - whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced.Toddler books with their simple phrases are perfect for beginners who have just started to learn Hindi.Children’s books and Young Adult books are wonderful for intermediate level learnersLiterary books and poetry are for advanced students of Hindi.Trying to read a narrative forces you to attempt to understand words in context instead of running to your Hindi dictionary every few minutes.Readers who are strapped for time can read short stories, instead.Fun Games to Learn HindiWhen you learn Spanish or French, you will find a huge selection of online games to make learning fun. However, when learning Hindi, you are a little bit more restricted in your choice of learning games. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any out there!Games are a good way to learn a language - either by playing with a Hindi-speaking partner or by playing language games to improve your grammar and vocabulary. Photo credit: Eric.Parker on VisualhuntApps for learning HindiA lot of language apps have quizzes to help you achieve proficiency in Hindi phrases and pronunciation.RBhasha Hindi teaches the Hindi alphabet to kids in a fun wayKids Hindi Nursery Rhymes is exactly what the title says - a way to learn easy words and phrases with the simple sentences of nursery rhymes.Learn Hindi Lite is a combination of textbook exercises and simple visual games. Good for your very first foray into the Hindi languageGus on the Go is a cute app that teaches kids languages with bright, clear pictures and interactive games in key vocabulary categories.Play and Learn Hindi has a lot of games for learning the Hindi language.Live-action games to learn HindiThere are no board games for learning Hindi (as of 2018, the two existing games were out of stock). However, you can make your own with printables and a little bit of imagination. Find out more about fun Hindi games!Must-Know Words in the Hindi LanguageThere is a little core of Hindi phrases that you absolutely have to know to get anywhere in India:Namaste, a greeting.When someone says aaiye or padhariye, they are welcoming you!My name is… is important for making new friends: Meraa naam (insert name here) hain.Kripaya, pleaseHelp! Is madad or sahayta. A n important word if something is wrong with you.Do you speak English? In Hindi, you can say: Kya ap angrezi (bolte or bolti= M/F) hai? And people will assume you speak Hindi perfectly.On the other end of the stick, you have to listen to everybody’s opinion spoken at 300 miles an hour. For those circumstances, try: Mai samjha/samhi nahi (I don’t understand).The Hindi words for greeting is NEMASTE, spoken with both hands clasped together and a little bow. Photo credit: derluckylucas on VisualHunt.comWhether in Mumbai or Jhodpur, your best chance at being understood in northern India is to learn to speak Hindi! Don’t forget, though: these tips and tricks don’t replace the feedback of a Hindi tutor near you!