| Hindi | When |
|---|---|
| हाँ haan | yes, normal |
| जी हाँ ji haan | yes, polite |
| नहीं nahin | no, normal |
| जी नहीं ji nahin | no, polite |
जी (ji) by itself means roughly "yes?" or "sir/madam" — what someone says answering the phone, or when they did not catch what you said. Adding it to a name, Sushila ji, is the standard way to show respect, and it works for any gender and any age.
The Indian head wobble does mean yes, most of the time. It can also mean "maybe", "I hear you" or "fine". Context decides, and reading it is far easier than doing it.
Asked "you didn't eat?", English says "no" to confirm you did not. Hindi agrees with the question: haan — "yes, that's right, I didn't". This causes real confusion in both directions and is worth knowing before it happens to you.
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.