Hi Jillian here with a few useful pointers if you want to know how to speak Hindi.

When learning Hindi to speak you will find that certain words are used in many different ways, sometimes in ways that do not seem to portray their exact meaning. This can make literal translation of Hindi words fairly difficult to begin with.

I have listed some examples of these types of Hindi words that you will hear quite a lot throughout general conversation.

1. Thik Hai.
   Thik hai pronounced teek hey is a common reply that you would give to someone asking how ‘you’ are feeling. It can also be said casually in a rising tone of voice to ask someone how ‘they’ are feeling. Thik hai? If you are feeling okay but not great, you would reply thik-thik, otherwise reply thik hai in a neutral tone.
2. Wala – Wallah.
   A taxi wala is someone who drives a taxi. A vegetable wala is someone who sells vegetables. But, if you combine wala with a city or town name for example, Mumbai wala or Delhi wala, you are saying that a person comes from that place. Lal wala means red one and chota wala means little one. Also Jane wala means about to leave so you can see how confusing it is becoming to learn to speak in Hindi already. Persevere it does get easier.
3. Hogaya.
   Its literal meaning is ‘became’. You will often hear this word said when something has been finished or a task is complete. If someone has gone to do a particular job, when they return they might say Thik hai, hogaya. Fine, it is finished. Said with a rising tone it is questioning if something has been done. Hogaya? Have you finished?
4. Accha.
   Accha pronounced ‘ah cha’ is a very versatile word indeed, you will hear this one used in a multitude of different ways, it is a multi purpose word that literally means good. But, it takes on many other meanings depending on which position it holds in a sentence. This is the word you should learn first in Hindi and if it is the only one you manage to pick up, it will still work well for you.

Learn Hindi To Speak – Some meanings of Accha in Hindi language learning;

• Acknowledgment – When acknowledging what someone is saying and to show that you are listening, you will use accha at fairly regular intervals throughout the conversation.
• Surprise – Rising sharply at the end of a sentence. If someone says “I fell” the reply accha would mean “oh no”.
• Agreement – If you agree with what someone is saying you will use accha in rapid succession, it sounds more like acchachacha.
• Exclamation – It can be used at the beginning of a sentence with a falling tone as a reproof or exclamation, accha you have not finished the job yet or why are you still in bed.

Note – When speaking Hindi there is a habit of repeating certain words to put more emphasis on them. When accha is said in agreement, it will quite often be said a few times not just once!

Learn Hindi To Speak – If you are planning a trip to India;

Where do you start?

Try Here This Was My Biggest Step Forward

I felt totally overwhelmed to begin with, I was clutching at straws, grabbing any little snippets of information that I could find about Hindi learning, Hindi grammar, Hindi lessons, the culture and India as a country. I just could not soak up enough knowledge to satisfy myself. Gradually I picked up some reliable sites and books that helped me time and time again; I would love to pass on some of these tips to you.

Take a look at some of these;

Lonely Planet, a phrase book for Hindi or for if you want to learn Urdu or Bengali. This is an absolute must. It saved me in many different difficult situations.
Teach Yourself Hindi by Rupert Snell.
Colloquial Hindi by Tej K. Bhatia.

Here is a fantastic website but do not forget to bookmark this page so that you can find your way back.

• http://goindia.about.com/od/planningyourtrip/bb/before-india.htm
• http://goindia.about.com/od/planningyourtrip/a/india-guidebook.htm
• http://goindia.about.com/od/planningyourtrip/u/plan-your-trip-to-india.htm
• http://goindia.about.com/od/learningthelanguag1/gr/colloquialhindi.htm
• http://goindia.about.com/od/planningyourtrip/ss/india-planning.htm
• http://goindia.about.com/od/learningthelanguag1/tp/common-misunderstood-hindi.htm
• http://goindia.about.com/od/learningthelanguag1/gr/hindibookreview.htm
• http://goindia.about.com/od/learningthelanguag1/gr/hindiphrasebook.htm

It is true that India is a challenge but also a huge joy to visit, with the correct planning and a little insight into the country, the people and the language, you will find your trip to India becomes so much more enjoyable.
Keep an eye open for all of my future posts, see you back here real soon.