Hindi greetings use आप (formal) by default; informal तू/तुम follows only after the relationship is explicitly informal. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.) Hindi etiquette is mostly about who gives to whom, who sits first, and a few small {जी, जनाब} registers of respect. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.) Hindi idioms paint with food, weather, and household objects — small concrete pictures you can drop into a sentence. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.) Hindi urban slang borrows from English and Bollywood — a few words have crossed into everyday Mumbai and Delhi speech. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
Greetings
Hindi greetings use आप (formal) by default; informal तू/तुम follows only after the relationship is explicitly informal. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
नमस्ते। आप कैसे हैं?
Hello. How are you? (formal)
Use आप form with elders, strangers, and at work. The "हैं" agrees with आप — informal तुम would carry "है" without the nasal mark.
Audio: नमस्ते। आप कैसे हैं? मैं ठीक हूँ, धन्यवाद। आपसे मिलकर खुशी हुई।
आपसे मिलकर खुशी हुई।
Nice to meet you.
Said right after an introduction — the आप form holds even when the speaker is excited; an informal equivalent drops आप but is rarely used with strangers.
Audio: नमस्ते। आप कैसे हैं? मैं ठीक हूँ, धन्यवाद। आपसे मिलकर खुशी हुई।
Etiquette
Hindi etiquette is mostly about who gives to whom, who sits first, and a few small {जी, जनाब} registers of respect. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
क्षमा कीजिए।
Excuse me.
Said when stepping past someone, asking for attention, or apologizing — safer than "माफ़ कीजिए" which lands as more personal.
Audio: क्षमा कीजिए। कृपया। धन्यवाद। कोई बात नहीं।
कृपया।
Please.
Polite request opener — pair it with the आप form request verb to soften ("कृपया बताइए" vs. plain "बताओ") in shops, at counters, and with elders.
Audio: क्षमा कीजिए। कृपया। धन्यवाद। कोई बात नहीं।
Common idioms
Hindi idioms paint with food, weather, and household objects — small concrete pictures you can drop into a sentence. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
नमक-मिर्च लगाना।
To add salt and pepper — to spice up a story.
Used when telling a story with extra drama. Slightly informal; replace with "रोचक बनाना" for formal writing.
Audio: नमक-मिर्च लगाना। दूध का दूध, पानी का पानी। नौ-दो ग्यारह होना।
दूध का दूध, पानी का पानी।
Milk to milk, water to water — to call things by their right names.
A line often quoted around elections or audits — clarity of accounting, no fudging. Heavy register, used selectively.
Audio: नमक-मिर्च लगाना। दूध का दूध, पानी का पानी। नौ-दो ग्यारह होना।
Regional slang
Hindi urban slang borrows from English and Bollywood — a few words have crossed into everyday Mumbai and Delhi speech. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
जबरदस्त!
Awesome! (lit. "compulsive strength")
Common Mumbai-Marathi-Hindi exclamation of excitement or surprise — borrowed into Bollywood film dialogue.
Audio: जबरदस्त! क्या बात है। पागल हो तुम।
क्या बात है!
Wow, what's up!
Casual exclamatory greeting — universal across Hindi-speaking cities. Mind the room: it is warm but informal.
Audio: जबरदस्त! क्या बात है। पागल हो तुम।
Living language
Hindi — Greetings · Etiquette · Common idioms · Regional slang
Cultural module — listen to native clips, read the transcripts, and pick up the phrases only locals use.
The four big doors into a language — greetings, etiquette, idioms, and the words only locals know. Listen, read the transcript, then try it out loud.
Hindi greetings use आप (formal) by default; informal तू/तुम follows only after the relationship is explicitly informal. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
Listen to a native clip
TRANSCRIPTनमस्ते। आप कैसे हैं? मैं ठीक हूँ, धन्यवाद। आपसे मिलकर खुशी हुई।
नमस्ते। आप कैसे हैं?
Hello. How are you? (formal)
— Use आप form with elders, strangers, and at work. The "हैं" agrees with आप — informal तुम would carry "है" without the nasal mark.
आपसे मिलकर खुशी हुई।
Nice to meet you.
— Said right after an introduction — the आप form holds even when the speaker is excited; an informal equivalent drops आप but is rarely used with strangers.
Etiquette
Hindi etiquette is mostly about who gives to whom, who sits first, and a few small {जी, जनाब} registers of respect. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
Listen to a native clip
TRANSCRIPTक्षमा कीजिए। कृपया। धन्यवाद। कोई बात नहीं।
क्षमा कीजिए।
Excuse me.
— Said when stepping past someone, asking for attention, or apologizing — safer than "माफ़ कीजिए" which lands as more personal.
कृपया।
Please.
— Polite request opener — pair it with the आप form request verb to soften ("कृपया बताइए" vs. plain "बताओ") in shops, at counters, and with elders.
Common idioms
Hindi idioms paint with food, weather, and household objects — small concrete pictures you can drop into a sentence. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
Listen to a native clip
TRANSCRIPTनमक-मिर्च लगाना। दूध का दूध, पानी का पानी। नौ-दो ग्यारह होना।
नमक-मिर्च लगाना।
To add salt and pepper — to spice up a story.
— Used when telling a story with extra drama. Slightly informal; replace with "रोचक बनाना" for formal writing.
दूध का दूध, पानी का पानी।
Milk to milk, water to water — to call things by their right names.
— A line often quoted around elections or audits — clarity of accounting, no fudging. Heavy register, used selectively.
Regional slang
Hindi urban slang borrows from English and Bollywood — a few words have crossed into everyday Mumbai and Delhi speech. (Audio for this section is in production — the phrases are below.)
Listen to a native clip
TRANSCRIPTजबरदस्त! क्या बात है। पागल हो तुम।
जबरदस्त!
Awesome! (lit. "compulsive strength")
— Common Mumbai-Marathi-Hindi exclamation of excitement or surprise — borrowed into Bollywood film dialogue.
क्या बात है!
Wow, what's up!
— Casual exclamatory greeting — universal across Hindi-speaking cities. Mind the room: it is warm but informal.
Audio clips are starter recordings from the GlobalLingo demonstration catalog — 1 MP3 per section per language. Swap in studio-recorded clips by replacing files under /public/culture/<language>/; the page rebuilds without code changes.