Learning the Language in India
India's national language is Hindi. However, each state has its own language. There are 22 official recognised languages and almost 30 widely spoken languages in India. It's important to know which languages are spoken where, and it's even better if you can learn a few words.
Whether you simply want to learn some useful Hindi phrases, or you're more serious about studying Hindi, there are plenty of books to help you. These are the 5 best Hindi language books for learning Hindi at all levels.
In the Hindi language, some words are commonly used in a number of different ways, or used in ways that don’t reflect their literal meaning. Here are five popular Hindi words that you’ll often hear, but may be confused as to what they actually mean or the context they’re used in.
"Accha" (pronounced ah-cha) is a versatile word that you’ll hear used often and in a variety of different ways. It takes on a number of meanings, depending on the intonation it’s given and where it’s positioned in a sentence. If you only learn one word of Hindi, make sure it’s this one!
This is a very useful list of common words, phrases and sentences in major Indian languages - Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.
This phrase book is probably the best one of its kind available. It's invaluable for travel to India.
This is the perfect book for beginners interested in learning to speak or write Hindi.
This is an excellent and comprehensive resource for anyone wanting to learn how to both speak and read Hindi. However, those only interested in speaking Hindi would be better off choosing a different book.
This is a great free on-line Hindi tutorial, with nine lessons that provide a basic introduction to Hindi.
This entertaining article takes a look at the use of English in India and provides some examples of the strange kind of English you can expect to come across. It's all very accurate!
