100 Basic Hindi Words and Phrases for Beginners

Learning Hindi becomes easier when you begin with words and phrases that people use in everyday conversations. This guide teaches 100 basic Hindi words and phrases with Hindi script, Roman Hindi pronunciation and English meaning.

You can use these expressions while greeting people, introducing yourself, asking questions, shopping, travelling, ordering food and having simple conversations.

Quick format

Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
*नमस्ते*	*Namaste*	*Hello*
*धन्यवाद*	*Dhanyavaad*	*Thank you*
*पानी*	*Paani*	*Water*

Roman Hindi is helpful for beginners, but learning Devanagari is also important because two words that look the same in Roman Hindi may have different Hindi spellings and meanings.

1. Basic Hindi greetings

These are some of the most useful Hindi words for starting a conversation.

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
1	*नमस्ते*	*Namaste*	*Hello / Greetings*
2	*नमस्कार*	*Namaskaar*	*Hello / Greetings*
3	*सुप्रभात*	*Suprabhaat*	*Good morning*
4	*शुभ संध्या*	*Shubh sandhya*	*Good evening*
5	*शुभ रात्रि*	*Shubh raatri*	*Good night*
6	*धन्यवाद*	*Dhanyavaad*	*Thank you*
7	*शुक्रिया*	*Shukriya*	*Thanks*
8	*कृपया*	*Kripya*	*Please*
9	*माफ़ कीजिए*	*Maaf kijiye*	*Excuse me / Sorry*
10	*फिर मिलेंगे*	*Phir milenge*	*See you again*

Example

नमस्ते! आप कैसे हैं?
Namaste! Aap kaise hain?
Hello! How are you?

100 basic Hindi words and phrases

2. Yes, no and useful replies

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
11	*हाँ*	*Haan*	*Yes*
12	*नहीं*	*Nahin*	No
13	*ठीक है*	*Theek hai*	*Okay*
14	*अच्छा*	*Achchha*	*Good / Okay*
15	*बहुत अच्छा*	*Bahut achchha*	*Very good*
16	*कोई बात नहीं*	*Koi baat nahin*	*No problem*
17	*ज़रूर*	*Zaroor*	*Certainly*
18	*शायद*	*Shaayad*	*Maybe*
19	*सही है*	*Sahi hai*	*That is correct*
20	*मुझे नहीं पता*	*Mujhe nahin pata*	*I do not know*

Useful example

ठीक है, कोई बात नहीं।
Theek hai, koi baat nahin.
Okay, no problem.

3. Introducing yourself

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
21	*मेरा नाम ... है।*	*Mera naam ... hai.*	*My name is ...*
22	*आपका नाम क्या है?*	*Aapka naam kya hai?*	*What is your name?*
23	*मैं ... से हूँ।*	*Main ... se hoon.*	*I am from ...*
24	*आप कहाँ से हैं?*	*Aap kahaan se hain?*	*Where are you from?*
25	*मैं हिंदी सीख रहा हूँ।*	*Main Hindi seekh raha hoon.*	*I am learning Hindi.*
26	*मैं हिंदी सीख रही हूँ।*	*Main Hindi seekh rahi hoon.*	*I am learning Hindi.*
27	*मैं थोड़ा हिंदी बोलता हूँ।*	*Main thoda Hindi bolta hoon.*	*I speak a little Hindi.*
28	*मैं थोड़ा हिंदी बोलती हूँ।*	*Main thoda Hindi bolti hoon.*	*I speak a little Hindi.*
29	*आपसे मिलकर खुशी हुई।*	*Aapse milkar khushi hui.*	*Nice to meet you.*
30	*आपका स्वागत है।*	*Aapka swaagat hai.*	*Welcome.*

Important grammar note

A male speaker commonly says:

मैं हिंदी सीख रहा हूँ।
Main Hindi seekh raha hoon.

A female speaker commonly says:

मैं हिंदी सीख रही हूँ।
Main Hindi seekh rahi hoon.

The ending can change according to the speaker’s gender.

Hindi words for travelers

4. Essential Hindi question words

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
31	*क्या*	*Kya*	*What*
32	*कौन*	*Kaun*	*Who*
33	*कहाँ*	*Kahaan*	*Where*
34	कब	*Kab*	*When*
35	*क्यों*	*Kyun*	*Why*
36	*कैसे*	*Kaise*	*How*
37	*कितना*	*Kitna*	*How much*
38	*कितने*	*Kitne*	*How many / How much*
39	*कौन-सा*	*Kaun-sa*	*Which*
40	*क्या हुआ?*	*Kya hua?*	*What happened?*

Example questions

यह क्या है?
Yeh kya hai?
What is this?

आप कहाँ जा रहे हैं?
Aap kahaan ja rahe hain?
Where are you going?

5. Common Hindi verbs

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
41	*करना*	*Karna*	*To do*
42	*जाना*	*Jaana*	*To go*
43	*आना*	*Aana*	*To come*
44	*खाना*	*Khaana*	*To eat / Food*
45	*पीना*	*Peena*	*To drink*
46	*बोलना*	*Bolna*	*To speak*
47	*सुनना*	*Sunna*	*To listen*
48	*देखना*	*Dekhna*	*To see / Watch*
49	*पढ़ना*	*Padhna*	*To read / Study*
50	*लिखना*	*Likhna*	*To write*

Example sentences

मैं हिंदी बोलना चाहता हूँ।
Main Hindi bolna chahta hoon.
I want to speak Hindi.

कृपया धीरे बोलिए।
Kripya dheere boliye.
Please speak slowly.

6. Everyday Hindi words

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
51	घर	*Ghar*	*Home / House*
52	*कमरा*	*Kamra*	*Room*
53	*काम*	*Kaam*	*Work*
54	*समय*	*Samay*	*Time*
55	*दिन*	*Din*	*Day*
56	*रात*	*Raat*	*Night*
57	आज	*Aaj*	*Today*
58	कल	*Kal*	*Yesterday / Tomorrow*
59	*अभी*	*Abhi*	*Now*
60	*बाद में*	*Baad mein*	*Later*

The meaning of कल (kal) depends on the context. It can mean yesterday or tomorrow.

learn Hindi vocabulary

7. Food and drink words

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
61	*पानी*	*Paani*	*Water*
62	*खाना*	*Khaana*	*Food / Meal*
63	*चाय*	*Chaay*	*Tea*
64	*कॉफ़ी*	*Coffee*	*Coffee*
65	*दूध*	*Doodh*	*Milk*
66	*रोटी*	*Roti*	*Flatbread*
67	*चावल*	*Chaawal*	*Rice*
68	*सब्ज़ी*	*Sabzi*	*Vegetable dish*
69	फल	*Phal*	*Fruit*
70	*स्वादिष्ट*	*Swaadisht*	*Delicious*

Useful food phrase

मुझे पानी चाहिए।
Mujhe paani chahiye.
I need water.

8. Shopping and travel words

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
71	*दुकान*	*Dukaan*	*Shop*
72	*बाज़ार*	*Baazaar*	*Market*
73	*कीमत*	*Keemat*	*Price*
74	*दाम*	*Daam*	*Price*
75	*सस्ता*	*Sasta*	*Inexpensive*
76	*महँगा*	*Mehnga*	*Expensive*
77	*छूट*	*Chhoot*	*Discount*
78	*टिकट*	*Ticket*	*Ticket*
79	*रास्ता*	*Raasta*	*Way / Route*
80	*मदद*	*Madad*	*Help*

Useful shopping phrases

इसकी कीमत कितनी है?
Iski keemat kitni hai?
How much does this cost?

क्या कुछ छूट मिल सकती है?
Kya kuchh chhoot mil sakti hai?
Can I get some discount?

9. Hindi adjectives and descriptions

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
81	*अच्छा*	*Achchha*	*Good*
82	*बुरा*	*Bura*	*Bad*
83	*बड़ा*	*Bada*	*Big*
84	*छोटा*	*Chhota*	*Small*
85	*नया*	*Naya*	*New*
86	*पुराना*	*Puraana*	*Old*
87	*गर्म*	*Garam*	*Hot / Warm*
88	*ठंडा*	*Thanda*	*Cold*
89	*आसान*	*Aasaan*	*Easy*
90	*मुश्किल*	*Mushkil*	*Difficult*

Example

यह बहुत आसान है।
Yeh bahut aasaan hai.
This is very easy.

10. Essential daily conversation phrases

No.	Hindi	Roman Hindi	English
91	*आप कैसे हैं?*	*Aap kaise hain?*	*How are you?*
92	*मैं ठीक हूँ।*	*Main theek hoon.*	*I am fine.*
93	*आप क्या कर रहे हैं?*	*Aap kya kar rahe hain?*	*What are you doing?*
94	*मुझे समझ नहीं आया।*	*Mujhe samajh nahin aaya.*	*I did not understand.*
95	*कृपया फिर से कहिए।*	*Kripya phir se kahiye.*	*Please say it again.*
96	*थोड़ा धीरे बोलिए।*	*Thoda dheere boliye.*	*Please speak a little slowly.*
97	*मुझे मदद चाहिए।*	*Mujhe madad chahiye.*	*I need help.*
98	*यह कहाँ है?*	*Yeh kahaan hai?*	*Where is this?*
99	*मुझे यह पसंद है।*	*Mujhe yeh pasand hai.*	*I like this.*
*100*	*आपका दिन शुभ हो।*	*Aapka din shubh ho.*	*Have a good day.*

Mini Hindi conversation

Conversation

A: नमस्ते! आपका नाम क्या है?
A: Namaste! Aapka naam kya hai?
A: Hello! What is your name?

B: नमस्ते! मेरा नाम एमा है।
B: Namaste! Mera naam Emma hai.
B: Hello! My name is Emma.

A: आप कहाँ से हैं?
A: Aap kahaan se hain?
A: Where are you from?

B: मैं अमेरिका से हूँ।
B: Main America se hoon.
B: I am from America.

A: क्या आप हिंदी बोलती हैं?
A: Kya aap Hindi bolti hain?
A: Do you speak Hindi?

B: मैं थोड़ी हिंदी बोलती हूँ।
B: Main thodi Hindi bolti hoon.
B: I speak a little Hindi.

A: बहुत अच्छा!
A: Bahut achchha!
A: Very good!

Three useful sentence patterns

Pattern 1: मुझे ... चाहिए

मुझे पानी चाहिए।
Mujhe paani chahiye.
I need water.

You can replace पानी (paani) with:

खाना — khaana — food
मदद — madad — help
टिकट — ticket — ticket
कमरा — kamra — room

Pattern 2: यह क्या है?

यह क्या है?
Yeh kya hai?
What is this?

You can use this pattern when learning the name of a new object.

Pattern 3: कहाँ है?

बाथरूम कहाँ है?
Bathroom kahaan hai?
Where is the bathroom?

Other examples:

होटल कहाँ है?
Hotel kahaan hai?
Where is the hotel?

स्टेशन कहाँ है?
Station kahaan hai?
Where is the station?

basic Hindi words for beginners

Polite Hindi tip

Hindi has different levels of politeness. With strangers, older people, teachers and professional contacts, use आप (aap).

आप कैसे हैं? — Aap kaise hain? — How are you?
आप कहाँ जा रहे हैं? — Aap kahaan ja rahe hain? — Where are you going?

With close friends or children, तुम (tum) may be used.

तुम कैसे हो? — Tum kaise ho? — How are you?

Beginners should usually start with आप (aap) because it is respectful and safe in most situations.

Roman Hindi pronunciation tips

aa represents a long “a” sound: पानी — paani.
ee or i can represent the long “ee” sound: सीखना — seekhna.
kh, gh, chh and th may represent Hindi sounds that need practice.
Roman spelling is not completely standardized, so you may see small differences such as dhanyavaad and dhanyavad.
Learn the Devanagari spelling whenever possible because Roman Hindi can hide important sound differences.

For example:

डाल — Daal — branch
दाल — Daal — lentils

The Roman spelling looks similar, but the Hindi letters and meanings are different.

How to learn these 100 words

Do not try to memorise all 100 words in one day.

Learn 10 words each day.
Read the Hindi script aloud.
Read the Roman Hindi pronunciation.
Cover the English meaning and test yourself.
Write one sentence for each new word.
Practise the mini-conversation with a partner.
Review the words after one day, one week and one month.

A useful daily routine is:

Read → Listen → Repeat → Write → Use

Beginner practice quiz

Question 1

What does नमस्ते (Namaste) mean?

A. Thank you
B. Hello
C. Water
D. Help

Answer: B. Hello

Question 2

How do you say “Thank you” in Hindi?

A. कृपया
B. धन्यवाद
C. पानी
D. रास्ता

Answer: B. धन्यवाद — Dhanyavaad

Question 3

What does पानी (Paani) mean?

A. Food
B. Tea
C. Water
D. Milk

Answer: C. Water

Question 4

How do you ask “What is your name?”

A. आप कहाँ से हैं?
B. आपका नाम क्या है?
C. आप कैसे हैं?
D. यह कहाँ है?

Answer: B. आपका नाम क्या है?

Question 5

What does मुझे समझ नहीं आया mean?

A. I like it.
B. I need help.
C. I did not understand.
D. Please come in.

Answer: C. I did not understand.

Frequently asked questions

1. What are the easiest Hindi words for beginners?

Start with नमस्ते (Namaste), हाँ (Haan), नहीं (Nahin), धन्यवाद (Dhanyavaad), कृपया (Kripya), पानी (Paani), अच्छा (Achchha) and ठीक है (Theek hai).

2. Is Roman Hindi enough to learn Hindi?

Roman Hindi is useful at the beginning, but learning Devanagari will improve reading, spelling and pronunciation. Some different Hindi words can look identical when written only in Roman letters.

3. How can I speak basic Hindi quickly?

Learn complete phrases instead of isolated words. Practise greetings, introductions, questions, polite requests, food phrases and travel expressions every day.

4.Should I learn Hindi grammar first?

Learn simple sentence patterns alongside vocabulary. For example, practise मुझे ... चाहिए (Mujhe ... chahiye) while learning words for food, water, help and tickets.

5. What is the difference between आप and तुम?

आप (aap) is respectful and formal. तुम (tum) is informal and is generally used with close friends, family members or children.

Hindi phrases for daily conversation

रविवार, 27 सितंबर 2026

100 Basic Hindi Words and Phrases for Beginners

Quick format

1. Basic Hindi greetings

Example

2. Yes, no and useful replies

Useful example

3. Introducing yourself

Important grammar note

4. Essential Hindi question words

Example questions

5. Common Hindi verbs

Example sentences

6. Everyday Hindi words

7. Food and drink words

Useful food phrase

8. Shopping and travel words

Useful shopping phrases

9. Hindi adjectives and descriptions

Example

10. Essential daily conversation phrases

Mini Hindi conversation

Conversation

Three useful sentence patterns

Pattern 1: मुझे ... चाहिए

Pattern 2: यह क्या है?

Pattern 3: कहाँ है?

Polite Hindi tip

Roman Hindi pronunciation tips

How to learn these 100 words

Beginner practice quiz

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Frequently asked questions

1. What are the easiest Hindi words for beginners?

2. Is Roman Hindi enough to learn Hindi?

3. How can I speak basic Hindi quickly?

4.Should I learn Hindi grammar first?

5. What is the difference between आप and तुम?

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