EkGuru › Answers › How do you ask for directions in Hindi?
How do you ask for directions in Hindi?
The one sentence to memorise is …कहाँ है? (…kahaan hai?) — where is…? Point at a map or say the place name in front of it: स्टेशन कहाँ है? The answers you will hear back are सीधे (seedhe, straight), दाएँ (daayen, right), बाएँ (baayen, left) and पास (paas, near). Learn those four and you can follow most replies even when the rest goes past you.
Ask
…कहाँ है? (kahaan hai) — where is…?
यहाँ से कितनी दूर है? (yahaan se kitni door hai) — how far from here?
कैसे जाऊँ? (kaise jaaoon) — how do I get there?
क्या यह रास्ता सही है? (kya yeh raasta sahi hai) — is this the right way?
Understand the answer
सीधे (seedhe) — straight on
दाएँ (daayen) — right
बाएँ (baayen) — left
मुड़िए (mudiye) — turn
पास (paas) — near · दूर (door) — far
यहाँ (yahaan) — here · वहाँ (vahaan) — there
सामने (saamne) — opposite, in front
पीछे (peechhe) — behind
"सीधे जाइए, फिर दाएँ मुड़िए" — go straight, then turn right. That is a complete, natural direction and you now understand it.
A word of realism
Ask two people. In much of India it is considered unhelpful to say "I don't know", so you may get a confident answer from someone who is guessing. This is not dishonesty — it is a different idea of what politeness requires. Two matching answers is your confirmation.
Useful places
स्टेशन (station), बस अड्डा (bus stand), बाज़ार (market), अस्पताल (hospital), होटल (hotel), बैंक (bank), शौचालय / टॉयलेट (toilet).
The polite opener
Start with सुनिए (suniye) — "listen", but the courteous kind, like "excuse me". Then your question. It changes the whole tone of the exchange.
Want someone to correct you as you learn?
Our tutors are native Hindi speakers and lessons start at
$6.