Hindi · Devanagari letters

Hindi Alphabet

Hindi is written in Devanagari, read left to right below a top line. Every consonant carries a built-in short a; vowel signs (matras) attached to it change that vowel, and two consonants with no vowel between them join into one shape (a conjunct). In speech the final a of a word is usually dropped: कमल is said kamal. Sounds use the same romanization as the lessons: a line on top (ā ī ū) = long vowel, a dot under (ṭ ḍ ṇ ṛ) = tongue curled back, h after a letter = a puff of air. Hindi has its own digits (१ २ ३ …), though everyday signs and prices mostly use 1 2 3.

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Vowels

अavowel · a as in 'about'अब (ab) now

आāvowel · long a as in 'father'आम (ām) mango

इivowel · short i as in 'bit'इमली (imlī) tamarind

ईīvowel · long ee as in 'see'ईद (īd) Eid

उuvowel · short u as in 'put'उल्लू (ullū) owl

ऊūvowel · long oo as in 'food'ऊन (ūn) wool

ऋrivowel · said 'ri'; in words from Sanskritऋषि (riṣhi) sage

एevowel · like 'ay' in 'say', without the yएक (ek) one

ऐaivowel · like 'a' in 'cat', held longऐनक (ainak) glasses

ओovowel · like 'o' in 'go'ओस (os) dew

औauvowel · like 'aw' in 'saw'औरत (aurat) woman

अंaṅvowel + anusvāra dot · a nasal n or m after the vowelअंडा (aṇḍā) egg

अःaḥvowel + visarga · a light h after the vowel; Sanskrit wordsदुःख (duḥkh) sorrow

Vowel signs (matras) on क

काkāsign ा after the letter · long āकाम (kām) work

किkisign ि written BEFORE the letter but said after it · short iकिताब (kitāb) book

कीkīsign ी after the letter · long īकील (kīl) nail

कुkusign ु under the letter · short uकुत्ता (kuttā) dog

कूkūsign ू under the letter · long ūकूलर (kūlar) air cooler

कृkrisign ृ under the letter · 'ri'कृपया (kripayā) please

केkesign े above the letter · eकेला (kelā) banana

कैkaisign ै above the letter · aiकैसे (kaise) how

कोkosign ो after the letter · oकोई (koī) someone

कौkausign ौ after the letter · auकौन (kaun) who

कंkaṅdot ं above (anusvāra) · nasal n/m before the next consonantकंघी (kaṅghī) comb

काँkā̃moon-and-dot ँ (chandrabindu) · the vowel is said through the noseहाँ (hā̃) yes

क्kstroke ् under the letter (virāma) · removes the built-in a; usually the letter joins the next one insteadपक्का (pakkā) sure, firm

Consonants 1 (k to ṇ)

कkaconsonant · k as in 'skin', no puff of airकल (kal) tomorrow; yesterday

खkhaconsonant · k with a puff of airखाना (khānā) food; to eat

गgaconsonant · g as in 'go'गाड़ी (gāṛī) car

घghaconsonant · g with a breathy hघर (ghar) house

ङṅaconsonant · ng as in 'sing'; almost never on its ownusually written with the dot: अंग (aṅg) limb

चchaconsonant · ch as in 'church', no puff of airचाय (chāy) tea

छchhaconsonant · ch with a puff of airछोटा (chhoṭā) small

जjaconsonant · j as in 'jam'जल (jal) water

झjhaconsonant · j with a breathy hझील (jhīl) lake

ञñaconsonant · ny as in 'canyon'; almost never on its ownusually written with the dot: चंचल (chañchal) restless

टṭaconsonant · hard t, tongue curled backटमाटर (ṭamāṭar) tomato

ठṭhaconsonant · hard t with a puff of airठंडा (ṭhaṇḍā) cold

डḍaconsonant · hard d, tongue curled backडर (ḍar) fear

ढḍhaconsonant · hard d with a breathy hढोल (ḍhol) drum

णṇaconsonant · n with the tongue curled backगणेश (Gaṇesh) Ganesh

Consonants 2 (t to h)

तtaconsonant · soft t, tongue against the teethतीन (tīn) three

थthaconsonant · soft t with a puff of air (not English 'th')थाली (thālī) platter, thali

दdaconsonant · soft d, tongue against the teethदस (das) ten

धdhaconsonant · soft d with a breathy hधन्यवाद (dhanyavād) thank you

नnaconsonant · nनमस्ते (namaste) hello

पpaconsonant · p as in 'spin', no puff of airपानी (pānī) water

फphaconsonant · p with a puff of air; often said fफल (phal) fruit

बbaconsonant · bबस (bas) bus; enough

भbhaconsonant · b with a breathy hभारत (Bhārat) India

मmaconsonant · mमाँ (mā̃) mother

यyaconsonant · y as in 'yes'यात्रा (yātrā) journey

रraconsonant · lightly tapped rरात (rāt) night

लlaconsonant · lलाल (lāl) red

वvaconsonant · between v and wवन (van) forest

शshaconsonant · sh as in 'shop'शहर (shahar) city

षṣhaconsonant · also sh in Hindi; in words from Sanskritभाषा (bhāṣhā) language

सsaconsonant · sसात (sāt) seven

हhaconsonant · hहाथ (hāth) hand

Dotted letters (nukta)

क़qaक + dot · q, from deep in the throat; Urdu, Persian and Arabic wordsक़लम (qalam) pen

ख़k͟haख + dot · throaty kh as in Scottish 'loch'ख़ुश (k͟hush) happy

ग़g͟haग + dot · a soft gargled gग़लत (g͟halat) wrong

ज़zaज + dot · zज़रूर (zarūr) of course

फ़faफ + dot · fफ़ोन (fon) phone

ड़ṛaड + dot · a flapped r with the tongue curled backबड़ा (baṛā) big

ढ़ṛhaढ + dot · the same flap with a breathy hपढ़ना (paṛhnā) to read

Common joined letters (conjuncts)

क्षkṣhaक् + ष · said 'ksh'; looks nothing like its partsक्षमा (kṣhamā) forgiveness

त्रtraत् + र · trयात्रा (yātrā) journey

ज्ञgyaज् + ञ · said 'gy' in Hindi; looks nothing like its partsज्ञान (gyān) knowledge

श्रshraश् + र · shrश्रीमान (shrīmān) Mr, sir

प्रpraप् + र · r after a consonant becomes a small slanted strokeप्रेम (prem) love

क्रkraक् + र · krक्रिकेट (krikeṭ) cricket

ट्रṭraट् + र · under round letters r is a small caret ^ at the bottomट्रेन (ṭren) train

र्मrmaर् + म · r before a consonant becomes a hook on top (repha)धर्म (dharm) religion, duty

द्धddhaद् + ध · ddhबुद्ध (Buddh) the Buddha

द्यdyaद् + य · dyविद्यालय (vidyālay) school

द्वdvaद् + व · dvद्वार (dvār) gate

स्तstaस् + त · st (half स)नमस्ते (namaste) hello

स्थsthaस् + थ · sthस्थान (sthān) place

न्दndaन् + द · nd (half न)हिन्दी (Hindī) Hindi, also written हिंदी

क्कkkaक् + क · double kपक्का (pakkā) sure, firm

च्चchchaच् + च · double chबच्चा (bachchā) child

त्तttaत् + त · double tकुत्ता (kuttā) dog

ल्लllaल् + ल · double lउल्लू (ullū) owl

Numbers

०0 · shūnyadigit zeroशून्य (shūnya) zero

१1 · ekdigit oneएक (ek) one

२2 · dodigit twoदो (do) two

३3 · tīndigit threeतीन (tīn) three

४4 · chārdigit fourचार (chār) four

५5 · pā̃chdigit fiveपाँच (pā̃ch) five

६6 · chhahdigit sixछह (chhah) six

७7 · sātdigit sevenसात (sāt) seven

८8 · āṭhdigit eightआठ (āṭh) eight

९9 · naudigit nineनौ (nau) nine

१०10 · dastwo digits, like 10दस (das) ten

Signs & punctuation

कःkaḥvisarga ः · a light h after the vowel; Sanskrit wordsदुःख (duḥkh) sorrow

डॉḍŏॉ (chandra o) · the open 'o' of English words like 'doctor'डॉक्टर (ḍŏkṭar) doctor

।(full stop)pūrṇ virām · the upright line that ends a sentenceमैं ठीक हूँ। (main ṭhīk hū̃) I'm fine.

॥(end of verse)double line · ends a verse in poems and prayersseen in hymns and Sanskrit texts

ऽ(avagraha)avagraha · marks a dropped or long-held vowel; Sanskritसोऽहम् (so'ham) "I am that"

ॐomthe sacred syllable Omॐ नमः शिवाय (om namaḥ shivāya) a common prayer

॰(short form)abbreviation sign · a small circle after a shortened wordडॉ॰ (ḍŏ.) Dr.

More joined letters

क्यkyaक् + यक्या (kyā) what

न्हnhaन् + ह · n with a breathy hउन्हें (unhẽ) them

म्हmhaम् + ह · m with a breathy hतुम्हारा (tumhārā) your

ष्ट्रṣhṭraष् + ट् + र · three letters in oneराष्ट्र (rāṣhṭra) nation

ष्णṣhṇaष् + णकृष्ण (Kriṣhṇa) Krishna

ज्यjyaज् + यराज्य (rājya) state

त्यtyaत् + यसत्य (satya) truth

न्यnyaन् + यधन्यवाद (dhanyavād) thank you

श्चshchaश् + चपश्चिम (pashchim) west

स्पspaस् + पअस्पताल (aspatāl) hospital

स्कskaस् + कस्कूल (skūl) school

ग्रgraग् + रग्राहक (grāhak) customer

ब्रbraब् + रब्रेड (breḍ) bread

र्यryaर् + य · the r becomes a hook on topकार्य (kārya) work, task

म्मmmaम् + म · double mसम्मान (sammān) respect

व्यvyaव् + यव्यक्ति (vyakti) person

ख्यkhyaख् + यमुख्य (mukhya) main

ध्यdhyaध् + यध्यान (dhyān) attention

श्वshvaश् + वविश्वास (vishvās) trust

ड्डḍḍaड् + ड · written one above the otherअड्डा (aḍḍā) stand, depot (as in bus stand)

ट्ठṭṭhaट् + ठ · written one above the otherचिट्ठी (chiṭṭhī) letter (mail)

क्तktaक् + तभक्त (bhakt) devotee

प्तptaप् + तसप्ताह (saptāh) week

Basic Hindi phrases