advice on learning hindi

steven_ber · Apr 21st, 2003, 12:55

i have spoken to the following people:

an Urdu speaking waiter.

a Tamil speaking doctor.

a Sylhetti speaking shop owner.

a Gujarati speaking shop owner.

a Telugu speaking pool player.

they all say i am best to stick to 'common' Hindi and not to try and learn 'gramatically correct' Hindi (i'm still struggling with 'gramatically correct' English).

is it true that all over India, Bangladesh and Pakistan it is the 'common' Hindi that people understand?
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absolut · Apr 22nd, 2003, 18:03

especially in Mumbai they manage to speak the 'common' hindi

in bombay-hindi you even have to bother about the ending of the verbs: male, female, plural, single, it all doesn't matter, they use one single ending, the one for single male.
Therefor it is sometimes, as a foreigner, also rather difficult to understand the bollywood movies, because the language used is more related to the bombay hindi. on the contrary in delhi- and Varanasi- area people speak grammatical correct hindi. this is also a reason that, studying hindi, it is mostly more easy to understand the older hindimovies.

Bonita · May 4th, 2003, 10:24

learning Hindi....Hugo's hindi in three months is a great fun book, my fave, especially the chapter about the tea shop, haggling and the section on wallahs....but to be honest, I have been carying it around for more than three years, and I def don't speak full Hindi....However, when all is said and done, it is still my fave of all the lean Hindi books i have picked up over the years..maybe they mean three months in three lifetimes or something.....
a few things ...Hindi and urdu..well, they might sound they same, and can definately be understand by the other, but have completey dfferent scipts and a few VERY different words..Such as thank you in Hindi is Dhanyabad, but in Urdu it is Shukria...Price is dam in Hindi but Qimat in Urdu, and major major difference, hello is namaste in Hindi, but Salam Alekum in Urud..Also, goodbye has a different word, naamste in Hindi, but khada hafiz in Urdu..That said, you can get by with a mix of colloquial Hindi/urdu/english mix, so called Hindustani...As a matter of fact, i have forgivven leanring proper Hindi, and now I just say what I know, mix it with urdu/english, and they think I am fluent..can't read or write, but i can chat...As you probably know, hindi uses the Devangari script, and urdu., persian/arabic...Big differnce, most speakers of Hindi are HINDU, and most speakers of URDU are MUSLIM..There are exceptions, this is INDIA!!..Urdu is the OFFICIAL language of PAKISTAN..Hindi is one of the 100 plus languages of India, but is the offical language and is spoken OR understtod by almost 1/3 of the population....nhappy studies...namaste, shub yatra..happy travels, bonita..

archicarla · Apr 8th, 2005, 02:15

Steven_ber (and everyone else)
I am using a computer program called Rosetta Stone (they make this for dozens of languages). It has good references - NASA and the US State Department use this program to train employees in foreign languages. It teaches you by showing you pictures with text, and having a native speaker say the word or phrase.
The problem is, after a couple of hours a week for a couple of months, I am good at telling you "the car is red" or "the boy is not standing on the table" but I can't yet say "how much does this cost?" or "where are the toilets?"!! I also used wikipedia.com (search "devanagari") to teach myself the script because the program intends you to learn as a child would, by seeing, but that is not the best for me. I found that site very helpful. I can in fact read some Hindi!

Can anyone suggest a supplement to my current kindergarten Hindi to get me going with the more travel-appropriate phrases?!

Idli · Apr 8th, 2005, 03:14

Lot of universities these days teach Hindi courses. Another option is to contact local Indian association/temple. They usually conduct Hindi classes for 2nd generation Indians. Good luck.

crvlvr · Apr 8th, 2005, 05:36

Response to some random questions:

Quote:

i am looking for advice on learning hindi,

I would suggest that you learn the basis from a book/website and then begin practicing as much as you can. Learn Hindi in 30 days is a standard book used in India. (Yes, a lot of Indians don't speak hindi). What is level of proficiency are you attempting to attain? Basic communication (with limited vocabulary) to communicate with shopkeepers, auto drivers etc. would be attainable in a reasonable amount of time. But the vocabulary you will have to master to become proficient is quite vast.

Quote:

Nothing can beat a good tutor, a person to just sit down with and go back and forth with on different phrases and words.

I agree. Practice makes perfect.

Quote:

is Urdu very similar to hindi, if you can speak some Urdu, does it make speaking hindi easier.

Essentially, its the same language. Hindi was influenced by Arabic and Farsi due to the mughal invasions. (Today it shares a lot of common words with Farsi) the resulting language (which now have multiple words for the same word -- originating from Sanskrit, Arabic, Farsi, or other indigenous languages) is spoken in India. But this complicates the learning process. for example you may know a word for "life" as "zindagi" (from perisan), but the person you are speaking to may use the word "jeevan" (from Sanskrit) which you may not know the meaning to. Today, the Pakistanis call their version of Hindi Urdu and it is written (from right to left) in Arabic. So even if you learn the hindi script(devanagiri) you will not be able to read, essentially the same language, urdu.

Quote:

is it true that all over India, Bangladesh and Pakistan it is the 'common' Hindi that people understand?

Colloquial hindi is what is spoken. And this comes in many flavors -- Bombay hindi, Delhi hindi, etc. The local language spoken would influence the hindi spoken in that area. But these variations are minor. Hindi is not spoken "all over India" in the south the only people who will understand it are the people who have been exposed to tourists or transplants from the north -- typically auto drivers and shop owners in the cities. For example, in Ban galore say 10 years ago barely anyone spoke Hindi,. Now a lot more people do due to the invasion of transplants from Bombay that happened in the mid 90s. But then again, most people who have learned to speak Hindi in the South should know English.

India Edge · Apr 8th, 2005, 07:30

I've tried a few of the self teaching books and I like the "Learn Hindi" book and cd-rom by Kirit Shah. It is particularly useful for learning to read/write the script (necessary!).
Here's their site: http://www.sakshar.com/index.html

The "Teach Yourself Hindi" book by Rupert Snell (companion CDs optional) has workbook type exercises you can do as you progress. I find these very helpful. This book is available through Amazon.com so you can probably also order it through any big bookstore.

The suggestion to check with a local Hindu temple is a good one. If they offer Hindi classes you can probably get some basic knowledge for a minimal cost. Like myself, you might be the only adult or non-Indian, but they don't seem to mind at all

natasha chanda acharya · Apr 11th, 2005, 13:27

I can teach you. I am a linguist. I could be your virtual Hindi "guru".
If not,

, you can always ask me your doubts when going thru your CD's!

What we speak in India today is Hindustani. Which is Hindi with Urdu sprinkled in. So learning Hindi will help you understand Urdu, rather than the other way around.

Kanbe · Apr 11th, 2005, 13:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idli

Lot of universities these days teach Hindi courses. Another option is to contact local Indian association/temple. They usually conduct Hindi classes for 2nd generation Indians. Good luck.

Yea, thats what I'm doing...a university subject in Beginners Hindi. Its obviously a more expensive option, but all those assessments/exams etc, MAKE you study...no chance of slacking...plus the fact that you are are paying for the course should motivate you more.

paranirvana · Apr 14th, 2009, 10:08

Does anyone know of a good school in India? I would rather attend classes than one-on-one teaching as I know from when I was teaching English & learning German that it's easier to learn in small (5 - 15) classes than alone. I would be happy to travel to learn. I've had replies from a couple of people in Varanassi, but they are tutors charging quite well for one on one only (or 2 on 1) as one guy said.
thanks for any help.

shreder · May 3rd, 2009, 02:38

Hello,

I'm learning Hindi right now, and i'm doing pretty good.
I'd like to start improving my vocabulary.

Right now i'm looking for literature which use mainly colloquial vocabulary (since i'm going to India in the summer).

Does anyone have any recommendations on books or other resources?

It'd be cool if it would be available online, since where i am it's almost impossible to find books in Hindi.

Thanks everybody

tony · May 4th, 2009, 17:59

Could someone look at the attached photographs and tell me what language the signs are in.

(I recognise the Hindi script, its the other script I don't recognise.)

Also ignore the english word in the first photograph - god knows what that refers to !

http://www.jorgetutor.com/india/indi...1/alleys11.htm

http://www.jorgetutor.com/india/indi...s1/alleys1.htm

Is that script, "Kashika Bhojpuri"?

Thanks

Tony

PS the photos are of scenes in Benares if that helps place the language.

Saulteaux_woman · May 6th, 2009, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by shreder

Hello,

I'm learning Hindi right now, and i'm doing pretty good.
I'd like to start improving my vocabulary.

Right now i'm looking for literature which use mainly colloquial vocabulary (since i'm going to India in the summer).

Does anyone have any recommendations on books or other resources?

It'd be cool if it would be available online, since where i am it's almost impossible to find books in Hindi.

Thanks everybody

Hi,

I have been using this website and its free, it has flash cards and you can also speak to native speakers online.

http://www.livemocha.com

Good Luck! I know how hard it is to learn Hindi and I live in India!!!!

jaz · May 6th, 2009, 18:36

Hindi/Urdu are essentially the same language, 70-75% of the language is derived from Sanskrit. Arabic and farsi words have come into Hindi and Urdu. Basically Hindustani is the language that most people speak and understand whether they are hindi or urdu speakers. Proper Hindi that you find in written form often uses direct sanskrit loanwords instead of the derived sanskrit that is more commonly spoken in hindi/urdu. Words like qimat (price) and Shukriya (thanks) are more commonly used and understood than their sanskrit equivalents of daam and dhanyavaad. The teach yourself hindi-english dictionary often has equivalents for the same one word, which will have different origins.

shreder · May 6th, 2009, 20:39

Thanks for the advices!

This site look great.

Apr 21st, 2003, 12:55	#16
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: South of England. Posts: 11,566	update i have spoken to the following people: an Urdu speaking waiter. a Tamil speaking doctor. a Sylhetti speaking shop owner. a Gujarati speaking shop owner. a Telugu speaking pool player. they all say i am best to stick to 'common' Hindi and not to try and learn 'gramatically correct' Hindi (i'm still struggling with 'gramatically correct' English). is it true that all over India, Bangladesh and Pakistan it is the 'common' Hindi that people understand? ------------------------------------------------------------------ other Hindi related threads: websites for learning hindi easiest to use, language tapes Hindi lessons

May 4th, 2003, 10:24	#18
Bonita Dreaming Of India Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NEW DELHI..NEW YORK..Wherever i am.. Posts: 110	learning Hindi....Hugo's hindi in three months is a great fun book, my fave, especially the chapter about the tea shop, haggling and the section on wallahs....but to be honest, I have been carying it around for more than three years, and I def don't speak full Hindi....However, when all is said and done, it is still my fave of all the lean Hindi books i have picked up over the years..maybe they mean three months in three lifetimes or something..... a few things ...Hindi and urdu..well, they might sound they same, and can definately be understand by the other, but have completey dfferent scipts and a few VERY different words..Such as thank you in Hindi is Dhanyabad, but in Urdu it is Shukria...Price is dam in Hindi but Qimat in Urdu, and major major difference, hello is namaste in Hindi, but Salam Alekum in Urud..Also, goodbye has a different word, naamste in Hindi, but khada hafiz in Urdu..That said, you can get by with a mix of colloquial Hindi/urdu/english mix, so called Hindustani...As a matter of fact, i have forgivven leanring proper Hindi, and now I just say what I know, mix it with urdu/english, and they think I am fluent..can't read or write, but i can chat...As you probably know, hindi uses the Devangari script, and urdu., persian/arabic...Big differnce, most speakers of Hindi are HINDU, and most speakers of URDU are MUSLIM..There are exceptions, this is INDIA!!..Urdu is the OFFICIAL language of PAKISTAN..Hindi is one of the 100 plus languages of India, but is the offical language and is spoken OR understtod by almost 1/3 of the population....nhappy studies...namaste, shub yatra..happy travels, bonita.. __________________ Dreamingofindia@aol.com

Apr 8th, 2005, 03:14	#20
Idli Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: USA Posts: 41	Lot of universities these days teach Hindi courses. Another option is to contact local Indian association/temple. They usually conduct Hindi classes for 2nd generation Indians. Good luck. __________________ "This pin...gold...thats 2 more people...at least one more person...I could have saved one more person...but i didnt" - Oscar Schindler, Schindlers list

Apr 8th, 2005, 07:30	#22
India Edge Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 218	I've tried a few of the self teaching books and I like the "Learn Hindi" book and cd-rom by Kirit Shah. It is particularly useful for learning to read/write the script (necessary!). Here's their site: http://www.sakshar.com/index.html The "Teach Yourself Hindi" book by Rupert Snell (companion CDs optional) has workbook type exercises you can do as you progress. I find these very helpful. This book is available through Amazon.com so you can probably also order it through any big bookstore. The suggestion to check with a local Hindu temple is a good one. If they offer Hindi classes you can probably get some basic knowledge for a minimal cost. Like myself, you might be the only adult or non-Indian, but they don't seem to mind at all __________________ India pics India vids

Apr 14th, 2009, 10:08	#25
paranirvana Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Himachel Prdesh, India Posts: 7	what about here? Does anyone know of a good school in India? I would rather attend classes than one-on-one teaching as I know from when I was teaching English & learning German that it's easier to learn in small (5 - 15) classes than alone. I would be happy to travel to learn. I've had replies from a couple of people in Varanassi, but they are tutors charging quite well for one on one only (or 2 on 1) as one guy said. thanks for any help.

Apr 22nd, 2003, 18:03	#17
absolut Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 54	especially in Mumbai they manage to speak the 'common' hindi in bombay-hindi you even have to bother about the ending of the verbs: male, female, plural, single, it all doesn't matter, they use one single ending, the one for single male. Therefor it is sometimes, as a foreigner, also rather difficult to understand the bollywood movies, because the language used is more related to the bombay hindi. on the contrary in delhi- and Varanasi- area people speak grammatical correct hindi. this is also a reason that, studying hindi, it is mostly more easy to understand the older hindimovies.

Apr 8th, 2005, 02:15	#19
archicarla Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Boston via Vancouver Posts: 14	Steven_ber (and everyone else) I am using a computer program called Rosetta Stone (they make this for dozens of languages). It has good references - NASA and the US State Department use this program to train employees in foreign languages. It teaches you by showing you pictures with text, and having a native speaker say the word or phrase. The problem is, after a couple of hours a week for a couple of months, I am good at telling you "the car is red" or "the boy is not standing on the table" but I can't yet say "how much does this cost?" or "where are the toilets?"!! I also used wikipedia.com (search "devanagari") to teach myself the script because the program intends you to learn as a child would, by seeing, but that is not the best for me. I found that site very helpful. I can in fact read some Hindi! Can anyone suggest a supplement to my current kindergarten Hindi to get me going with the more travel-appropriate phrases?!

Apr 11th, 2005, 13:27	#23
natasha chanda acharya barefeet indian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: India Posts: 565	I can teach you. I am a linguist. I could be your virtual Hindi "guru". If not, , you can always ask me your doubts when going thru your CD's! What we speak in India today is Hindustani. Which is Hindi with Urdu sprinkled in. So learning Hindi will help you understand Urdu, rather than the other way around.

May 3rd, 2009, 02:38	#26
shreder Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Israel Posts: 25	Improving Vocabulary Hello, I'm learning Hindi right now, and i'm doing pretty good. I'd like to start improving my vocabulary. Right now i'm looking for literature which use mainly colloquial vocabulary (since i'm going to India in the summer). Does anyone have any recommendations on books or other resources? It'd be cool if it would be available online, since where i am it's almost impossible to find books in Hindi. Thanks everybody

May 4th, 2009, 17:59	#27
tony Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: sydney Posts: 45	Could someone look at the attached photographs and tell me what language the signs are in. (I recognise the Hindi script, its the other script I don't recognise.) Also ignore the english word in the first photograph - god knows what that refers to ! http://www.jorgetutor.com/india/indi...1/alleys11.htm http://www.jorgetutor.com/india/indi...s1/alleys1.htm Is that script, "Kashika Bhojpuri"? Thanks Tony PS the photos are of scenes in Benares if that helps place the language.

May 6th, 2009, 18:36	#29
jaz Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: UK Posts: 201	Hindi/Urdu are essentially the same language, 70-75% of the language is derived from Sanskrit. Arabic and farsi words have come into Hindi and Urdu. Basically Hindustani is the language that most people speak and understand whether they are hindi or urdu speakers. Proper Hindi that you find in written form often uses direct sanskrit loanwords instead of the derived sanskrit that is more commonly spoken in hindi/urdu. Words like qimat (price) and Shukriya (thanks) are more commonly used and understood than their sanskrit equivalents of daam and dhanyavaad. The teach yourself hindi-english dictionary often has equivalents for the same one word, which will have different origins.

May 6th, 2009, 20:39	#30
shreder Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Israel Posts: 25	Thanks for the advices! This site look great.

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