EkGuru › Learn Hindi

50 Hindi Phrases for Travelling in India — What You Will Actually Use

A free guide from EkGuru · updated 2026-09-10

Most travel phrasebooks teach you to say "where is the library?". Here is what people actually need in India, in the order they need it.

The five that matter most

Hindi	Say it	Meaning
कितने का है?	kitne ka hai?	How much is it?
बहुत महँगा है	bahut mehenga hai	That's very expensive
ठीक है	theek hai	OK / fine / agreed
नहीं चाहिए	nahin chaahiye	I don't want it
मुझे नहीं पता	mujhe nahin pata	I don't know

ठीक है is the single most useful phrase in the language. It means yes, fine, agreed, understood, that'll do, and shall we go — depending entirely on tone. Learn it first.

Bargaining, which you will do daily

Bargaining in India is normal and expected in markets, with autos, and with most street vendors. It is not rude. It is not expected in restaurants, shops with printed prices, or supermarkets.

• कम कीजिए (kam keejiye) — please reduce it
• आख़िरी दाम क्या है? (aakhiri daam kya hai?) — what's your final price?
• सौ रुपये में दोगे? (sau rupaye mein doge?) — will you give it for 100 rupees?
• छोड़िए (chhodiye) — forget it / leave it

The most effective bargaining tool is not a phrase. It is starting to walk away. Say chhodiye, turn, and take three steps. The price frequently follows you.

Autos and taxis

• मीटर से चलिए (meter se chaliye) — go by the meter. Say this before you get in.
• यहाँ रोकिए (yahaan rokiye) — stop here
• सीधे जाइए (seedhe jaaiye) — go straight
• बाएँ / दाएँ (baayen / daayen) — left / right
• कितनी देर लगेगी? (kitni der lagegi?) — how long will it take?

Food, and how not to suffer

• तीखा नहीं (teekha nahin) — not spicy. Say it twice. Then say it again.
• कम तीखा (kam teekha) — less spicy
• मैं शाकाहारी हूँ (main shaakaahaari hoon) — I am vegetarian
• इसमें क्या है? (isme kya hai?) — what's in this?
• पानी की बोतल (paani ki botal) — a bottle of water
• बिल दीजिए (bil deejiye) — the bill, please
• बहुत स्वादिष्ट! (bahut swaadisht!) — delicious!

That last one will earn you more goodwill than any other sentence in this article. Say it and mean it.

Trains, where the real India happens

• यह ट्रेन कहाँ जाती है? (yeh train kahaan jaati hai?) — where does this train go?
• कौन सा प्लेटफॉर्म? (kaun sa platform?) — which platform?
• यह सीट खाली है? (yeh seat khaali hai?) — is this seat free?
• कितनी देर से है? (kitni der se hai?) — how late is it? — you will use this one

When something is wrong

• मदद कीजिए (madad keejiye) — please help
• मेरी तबीयत ठीक नहीं है (meri tabiyat theek nahin hai) — I'm not well
• डॉक्टर कहाँ है? (doctor kahaan hai?) — where is a doctor?
• पुलिस को बुलाइए (police ko bulaaiye) — call the police
• मैं रास्ता भूल गया (main raasta bhool gaya) — I'm lost (a woman says bhool gayi)

Two words that change everything

जी (jee) — add it to anything to make it respectful. Haan jee (yes), nahin jee (no), or after someone's name. It costs one syllable and completely changes how you are received.

भैया / दीदी (bhaiya / didi) — brother / sister. This is how you address a shopkeeper, a driver, a waiter. Not "excuse me" — that is distant and slightly cold. Bhaiya is warm, normal and instantly familiar.

One honest warning

Hindi is not spoken everywhere in India. In Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and much of the north-east, it may not help and can occasionally be resented for political reasons that long predate your visit. English is often the safer common language in the south. Hindi is genuinely useful across the north: Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand.