The Bottom Line
Pros
- Compact and pocket sized.
- Divided into useful sections.
- Includes a comprehensive two-way dictionary.
- Has phonetic guides to help with pronunciation.
Cons
- The phrases used are very formal. There can be quicker and easier ways of saying things.
- It isn't very useful for actually learning the languages.
- It doesn't cover any of the languages used in south India.
Description
- Has phrases for three languages -- Hindi, Urdu and Bengali.
- Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali scripts are included.
- Contains background information about the languages, as well as about India.
- Is divided into sections on practical matters (such as transport and accommodation), socializing, food, and safe travel.
- Contains overviews of grammatical structures to assist with phrase building.
- 304 pages.
Guide Review - Review of Lonely Planet Hindi, Urdu & Bengali Phrase Book
Have you ever been in a situation where you've needed to say something crucial but haven't known how, or you haven't been understood? This book takes the worry out of traveling. Although it's small, in no way does its size reflect the amount of information it contains.
An incredible amount of information is packed into this little book. A great thing about it is that it contains the phonetic pronunciation of words to help with being understood. If this fails, the phrases are also written in Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali script, so you can simply point to them.
The book actually goes beyond merely providing the necessary phrases for all kinds of situations. In addition, it includes some responses that you might expect to hear to questions asked, interesting bits of cultural information, and a separate section on food, along with a helpful culinary reader.
All in all, this book is a very practical resource that goes extra distance in giving the reader lots of useful information.
