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What Hindi phrases do I need for travelling in India?

About fifteen phrases cover most of a trip: a greeting, thank you, how much, where is, too expensive, I don't understand, and a handful of numbers. English works in airports, hotels and big-city restaurants; Hindi starts mattering at the station, in the market, in a shared taxi, and in every small town — which is where the trip actually happens.

The fifteen

Basics - नमस्ते (namaste) — hello and goodbye - शुक्रिया / धन्यवाद — thank you - हाँ / नहीं (haan / nahin) — yes / no - ठीक है (theek hai) — okay, fine, agreed

Getting around - …कहाँ है? — where is …? - कितनी दूर? (kitni door) — how far? - रुकिए (rukiye) — stop, please - चलिए (chaliye) — let's go

Money - कितने का है? — how much? - बहुत महँगा है (bahut mehnga hai) — that's very expensive - कम कीजिए (kam keejiye) — make it less

When stuck - मुझे समझ नहीं आया (mujhe samajh nahin aaya) — I didn't understand - धीरे बोलिए (dheere boliye) — please speak slowly - अंग्रेज़ी आती है? (angrezi aati hai) — do you speak English? - मदद कीजिए (madad keejiye) — please help

Why it is worth learning fifteen words

Prices change. Not always dramatically, but visibly. More than that, the temperature of the interaction changes — someone who greets you in Hindi is a guest rather than a tourist, and India responds to that distinction.

The single best one

धीरे बोलिए. You will understand far more Hindi than you can produce, and the only thing standing between you and comprehension is speed. This sentence buys you the gap.

What English covers

Airports, chain hotels, trains booked online, big-city restaurants, most under-30s in metros. What it does not cover: local buses, small-town markets, autorickshaws, rural anything — the parts people remember.

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