We want you to feel comfortable around native speakers right from the start, and a few courteous expressions can go a long way when you’re a beginner. We’ll show you the difference between formal and informal expressions, so you can be sure you’re using the right tone for the situation.
Resources for further reading:
Listen carefully to the audio and practice saying the Hindi phrases aloud – you’ll have these mastered in no time! Just as in your native language, speaking to Hindi-speaking people in a polite manner will win you friends and gain you respect, so it’s worth making the effort!
Rocket Record lets you perfect your Hindi pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!
माफ़ कीजिए।
māpha़ kījie।
Excuse me
क्षमा कीजिए
kṣamā kījie
Excuse me please (formal)
क्षमा करें
kṣamā kareṃ
Excuse me please (casual)
कृपया क्षमा कीजिए
kṛpayā kṣamā kījie
Excuse me please (very polite)
माफ कीजिए
māpha kījie
Sorry
मुझे अफसोस है
mujhe aphasosa hai
I'm sorry about that
धन्यवाद
dhanyavāda
Thank you
आपकी मदद केलिए धन्यवाद
āpakī madada kelie dhanyavāda
Thanks for your help (formal)
मदद केलिए शुक्रिया
madada kelie śukriyā
Thanks for your help (casual)
बहुत शुक्रिया
bahuta śukriyā
Thanks a lot.
बहुत शुक्रिया
bahuta śukriyā
Many thanks.
आप का स्वागत है
āpa kā svāgata hai
You're welcome
आप बहुत दयालु हैं
āpa bahuta dayālu haiṃ
You are very kind (formal)
आप दयालु हैं
āpa dayālu haiṃ
You are kind (casual)
Use all of the above phrases liberally, and you’ll find that people will treat you better.
That’s it for this lesson.
If you want more lessons on Hindi salutations then I recommend that you check out the following:
फिर मिलेंगे (phir milenge),
Nikita Sharma: Rocket Hindi
Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!