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Hindi basics

How to say yes and no in Hindi

Two words get you the answer. A handful more get you the tone, which in a family setting matters rather more than the answer itself.

Practice in Bolo →Opens the app. If you already have a session going, you pick up there.

The two words

हाँ
haa~
Yes
नहीं
nahee~
No

Both are nasal. The tilde in the pronunciation means the vowel goes through your nose, and skipping that is what makes haan sound like the English word "ha".

The respectful versions

जी हाँ
jee haa~
Yes (respectful)
जी नहीं
jee nahee~
No (respectful)
जी
jee
Yes, or a polite acknowledgement on its own

जी by itself does a lot of quiet work. Answering the phone, agreeing with an elder, showing you are listening. It is the safest single syllable in the language.

Stronger yes

बिलकुल
bilkul
Absolutely
ज़रूर
zaroor
Certainly, of course
ठीक है
theek hai
Okay, fine
सही
sahee
Right, correct

Softer no

A flat नहीं is fine between friends. With elders, soften it. These are the versions that do not read as rejection.

बस
bas
That's enough (the one for food)
नहीं, शुक्रिया
nahee~, shukriyaa
No, thank you
अभी नहीं
abhee nahee~
Not right now
बिलकुल नहीं
bilkul nahee~
Absolutely not (strong, save it)

Not sure yet

शायद
shaayad
Maybe
पता नहीं
pataa nahee~
I don't know
देखते हैं
dekhte hai~
We'll see

Where नहीं sits in a sentence

नहीं goes directly before the verb, not at the front as in English. And for a command you need a different word entirely: मत.

मुझे भूख नहीं है
mujhe bhookh nahee~ hai
I am not hungry
मैं हिंदी नहीं बोलती
mai~ hindee nahee~ boltee
I don't speak Hindi (woman speaking)
चिंता मत करो
chintaa mat karo
Don't worry (commands use mat, not nahin)

The head wobble

The side-to-side tilt is not a no. Depending on speed it means yes, okay, I am listening, or carry on. A slow one is agreement. Watch for it during your first meal and you will stop misreading the room.

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