| Hindi | Sounds like | Means |
|---|---|---|
| हाँ | haan | yes |
| नहीं | nahin | no / not |
| क्या | kya | what |
| कहाँ | kahaan | where |
| कब | kab | when |
| कितना | kitna | how much |
| क्यों | kyon | why |
| कौन | kaun | who |
| मैं | main | I |
| आप | aap | you (polite) |
| यह / वह | yeh / voh | this / that |
| पानी | paani | water |
| खाना | khaana | food |
| अच्छा | acha | good / okay |
| और | aur | and / more |
| चाहिए | chahiye | (I) want / need |
| है | hai | is |
| नाम | naam | name |
| ठीक | theek | fine / okay |
| धन्यवाद | dhanyavaad | thank you |
Question words plus chahiye get you through almost any transaction. "पानी चाहिए" — water, needed — is a complete, correct request. You do not need a single verb conjugation to ask for something, which is why this short list punches so far above its size.
Numbers, so you can hear a price. Then the present tense. Numbers · Verbs
Reading an answer is one thing; being corrected while you say it is another. EkGuru tutors teach one to one from $6 a lesson, and most offer a trial.