Vocabulary

Common Hindi words with English meanings

The first thousand Hindi words cover roughly 85% of everyday speech. Learn these before you learn anything themed like "airport words" or "colours". Every word here is high-frequency, with the script (source of truth), a phonetic spelling that matches real speech, and the English meaning.

When you are ready to say them aloud and get scored word by word, open the app and start a sprint. It uses this exact vocabulary.

Pronouns you use every sentence

मैं

main

तू

you (very casual, kids/friends)

तुम

tum

you (friends, peers)

आप

aap

you (respectful, elders, in-laws)

वो

voh

he / she / that

यह

yeh

this / he / she (near)

हम

hum

मेरा / मेरी

mera / meri

my (m / f)

तुम्हारा

tumhaara

your (informal)

आपका

aapka

your (respectful)

The top verbs

होना

hona

to be

करना

karna

to do

जाना

jaana

to go

आना

aana

to come

देना

dena

to give

लेना

lena

to take

खाना

khaana

to eat

पीना

peena

to drink

बोलना

bolna

to speak

कहना

kehna

to say

सुनना

sunna

to listen

देखना

dekhna

to see / watch

जानना

jaanna

to know (a fact)

समझना

samajhna

to understand

चाहना

chaahna

to want

Question words

क्या

kya

what

कौन

kaun

who

कहाँ

kahaan

where

कब

kab

when

क्यों

kyon

why

कैसे

kaise

how

कितना

kitna

how much / how many

Everyday adjectives

अच्छा

achchha

good

बुरा

bura

bad

बड़ा

bada

big

छोटा

chhota

small

नया

naya

new

पुराना

purana

old (things)

गरम

garam

hot

ठंडा

thanda

cold

ज़्यादा

zyaada

more / too much

थोड़ा

thoda

a little

जल्दी

jaldi

quick / early

धीरे

dheere

slowly

Numbers you actually use

एक

one

दो

two

तीन

teen

three

चार

chaar

four

पाँच

paanch

five

छह

chhah

six

सात

saat

seven

आठ

aath

eight

नौ

nau

nine

दस

das

ten

सौ

hundred

हज़ार

hazaar

thousand

Time words

आज

aaj

today

कल

kal

yesterday OR tomorrow (context decides)

अभी

abhi

right now

बाद में

baad mein

later

पहले

pehle

before / first

हमेशा

hamesha

always

कभी नहीं

kabhi nahin

never

Family words

माँ

maa

mother

पापा

papa

father

भाई

bhai

brother

बहन

behen

sister

बेटा

beta

son (also used affectionately for any young person)

बेटी

beti

daughter

दादी

dadi

paternal grandmother

नानी

nani

maternal grandmother

Everyday nouns

पानी

paani

water (m)

खाना

khaana

food (m)

चाय

chai

tea (f)

घर

ghar

home / house (m)

काम

kaam

work (m)

बात

baat

thing said / matter (f)

दिन

din

day (m)

रात

raat

night (f)

साल

saal

year (m)

जगह

jagah

place (f)

Function words that glue sentences together

और

aur

and / more

लेकिन

lekin

but

या

क्योंकि

kyunki

because

अगर

agar

भी

bhi

also / too

सिर्फ़

sirf

only

साथ

saath

with (together)

बिना

bina

without

के लिए

ke liye

for

Note on gender

Every Hindi noun has a gender (masculine or feminine). It is not always predictable, so learn the gender with the word. पानी (water) is masculine, चाय (tea) is feminine, and there is no shortcut. If you are unsure, default to matching the ending of the adjective to the noun gender, then check.

What to do next

Pick 10 words from this page, say each one aloud three times, then open the app and start a 2-minute sprint. The sprint drills these same words in real sentences, scored word by word.

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