(10 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)

 Loading ...

 

 Standard Podcast [12:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This course is wonderful, I have been unable to use it until now, but I need to start with the letters – I am very much a beginner where can I find the Hindi script to learn in an easy manner?
Thank you
Kathryn

अ आ

इ ई

उ ऊ

ए ऐ

ओ औ

Here are some resources that can help you with learning the Hindi letters and sounds:

http://www.ispeakhindi.com/wiki/index.php?title=Hindi_Script_and_Sounds

Hindi letters pronunciation:

http://www.ispeakhindi.com/wiki/index.php?title=Pronunciation_of_the_letters

Hindi Sounds

Hindi Sounds – Part 1 (June 30, 2008) – क ख ग घ

Hindi Sounds – Part 2 (July 1, 2008) – क का कि की …

Hindi Sounds – Part 3 (July 2, 2008)

Hindi Sounds – Part 4 (July 3, 2008)

Hindi Sounds – Part 5 (July 4, 2008)

I also can recommend Dr. Rupert Snell’s book:

Dear Nathan,

I just recently joined the courses offered by your website and I am very happy to be able to learn Hindi. However I am having a problem, in this lesson the hindi phrases are written in the hindi script. is it possible to write it in english also. I want to learn to speak Hi=ndi before writing and reading, I would like to be able to read the phrase in hindi written in english script.

Please help me if possible , I cannot read the hindi script.

regards.
–
Namath,

Hi Nathan,

I believe the link you mentioned in your podcast is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7ltWjmozFs

Keep podcasting!
Anshu  (http://www.ilearnhindi.com)

Yesterday, I mentioned about a entertaining video promoting the book “Dreaming in Hindi”.  Thanks Anshu for the link to the video on YouTube.

sharavanan writes:

this site is very useful for many of us…….thanks for who done this……

——

Nathan,

Just a couple questions on this.  I listen to Pimslers Hindi and for “main street” it uses raj pat, saying street is pat.  Second question is that when learning directions – and I’m still learning that’s why I’m asking – I’ve learned dahina or daei for right, like when you’re saying right turn.  You are using a different word below.  Just wondering why so I make sure I’m saying it right.

Thanks

Laurie

“Main Street” – मुख्य सड़क (muky sa-rdak)

रज पथ (raj path) – Royal Road

Right दाहिना (da-hi-naa)  or    दाएँ (daa-en)

Left बांया (baan-yaa)

If you have a question or a subject you want us to talk about, email nathan@ISpeakHindi.com, and we will cover it during this month.

I would encourage all of you to become a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber.  More details can be found out at: http://www.ispeakhindi.com/become-a-member/

(5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5)

 Loading ...

 

 Standard Podcast [15:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Nathan I would like to learn but first i would like to start for pronouns I, you, we they  etc and also “I have, you have and also i have had or i have told you.. Something like that if you can send me i will appreciate it so much.

thanks

joe

Basic pronouns in Hindi

I – मैं

You (formal) -  आप

You (informal) – तुम

You (familiar) -तू

We – हम

He/She/It/This – यह

These – ये

He/She/It/That -  वह

Those – वे

Dear nathan,

We have subscribed to the i speak hindi and the information is very valuable to us. Can u please publish where to use mein and where to use mujhe. We are non hindi speaking family and having difficulty in explaining this to my 8 year old daughter.

Thanks and Regards,

Syamala.

The difference between मैं (mein) and मुझे (mujhe) is similar to the difference in English between “I” and “me”.  These two English words both refer to one’s own self.  However, “I” is used as the subject of a sentence.  And “me” is a direct object or object of a prepositional phrase.  Let us look at some examples in English and their equivalents in Hindi.

I am Nathan.

मैं नेथिन हूँ।

Give the apple to me.

मुझे सेब दो। (informal)

However, in Hindi grammar there are places where the English sentence uses “I” but in Hindi we say मुझे.  For example, in English I would say, “I don’t know.”  But in Hindi, you would say मुझे मालूम नहीं।  Literally saying, “not known to me.”  There are other places in Hindi grammar where this is the case.

And I should point out that  मुझे is an alternate form of मुझको (to me).

Hi Nathan,

I love your site I speak Hindi.com and look forward to the lessons everyday.  I have a question about the different languages in India.  Some day I would love to go there and be able to converse.  There seems to be many different languages in India.  If I go to Punjab will I be able to converse in Hindi? Or would I have to speak Punjabi to the majority of the people? – How similar is Hindi to Punjabi?

Dhanyvadaad,

Shari

There are many different languages in India.  See the wikipedia article that describes the languages with official status in India: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_with_official_status_in_India

>>If I go to Punjab will I be able to converse in Hindi?

Yes.  You should have no trouble conversing in Hindi in Punjab.

>>How similar is Hindi to Punjabi?

They are very different.

Here is the book I mentioned on the recording.  The promotional video on Amazon’s site is very entertaining, and I recommend watching

If you have a question or a subject you want us to talk about, email nathan@ISpeakHindi.com, and we will cover it during this month.

I would encourage all of you to become a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber.  More details can be found out at: http://www.ispeakhindi.com/become-a-member/

(7 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5)

 Loading ...

 

 Standard Podcast [9:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you have a question or a subject you want us to talk about, email nathan@ISpeakHindi.com, and we will cover it during this month.

Is there a lesson that explains the present perfect tense, having difficulty grasping it

Here are some examples of the present perfect tense.

जाना – to go

मैं जाता हूँ।  I go.  (masculine)

मैं जाती हूँ।  I go. (feminine)

आप जाते हैं।  You (formal) go.  (masculine)

आप जाती हैं।  You (formal) go. (feminine)

तुम जाते हो।  You (informal) go.  (masculine)

तुम जाती हो।  You (informal) go.  (feminine)

तू जाता है।  You (familiar) go.  (masculine)

तू जाती है।  You (familiar) go. (feminine)

वह जाता है। He goes.

वह जाती है।  She goes.

वे जाते हैं।  They go.  (masculine and mixed groups).

वे जाती हैं।  They go.  (feminine)

Here are some more verbs to practice with:

खाना – to eat

पीना – to drink

लिखना – to write

देखना – to see

आना – to come

I would like to sign up for I speak hindi but i dont have the paypal or credit cards. Is there any other way i could sign up for these classes as i am interested..

Hi Nathan,
My question is not about the lessons but about the method of payment. I’d like to become a subscriber but I’d prefer to pay by my Electron Card which I use to make all my purchases and subscriptions on the Internet. Could I not do this?
Margaret

We do the subscriptions through PayPal which you can use a credit card or transfer money from your checking account from most countries in the world.

I would encourage all of you to become a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber.  More details can be found out at: http://www.ispeakhindi.com/become-a-member/

(3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)

 Loading ...

 

 Standard Podcast [5:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The original lessons I had planned to publish in February are taking a little more time to put together.  Therefore, I am aiming to publish them in March, and in February, I am going to try something new.  Instead of creating a whole month’s worth of Hindi lessons, and scheduling to go live a month ahead of time, we are going to record the episodes the day before.  Therefore, if you have a question or a subject you want us to talk about, email nathan@ISpeakHindi.com, and we will cover it during this month.  Please let us know what you think about this format.

Mat left a comment on our site:

Could you explain the difference between सभी and सब as I hadn’t come across the word सभी before now.

Many thanks,

Mat

सब – all

सभी =   सब  + ही (emphatic form of “all”)

कोपेनहेगन सम्मेलन में ये तय हुआ था कि सभी देश 31 जनवरी तक कटौती से संबंधित लक्ष्य के बारे में सूचित करेंगे. (from http://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/india/2010/01/100131_india_emission_alk.shtml)

In Copenhagen Conference it was decided that all the nations by January 31st would report the emission related goals to the conference.

सभी देश – every single national

I would encourage all of you to become a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber.  More details can be found out at: http://www.ispeakhindi.com/become-a-member/

(2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

 

 Standard Podcast [7:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In Hindi, as in any language, it might be good to have some common questions and phrases to help get a conversation started.  Today, we look at many such phrases.

[In the Paid Subscribers area you download all of January’s lessons in one zip.  Plus, you can get an “ad free” recording of the lesson and PDFs of the written content are included.

If you are not a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber, then consider becoming a paid subscriber. For a small fee you can download all the episodes from September 2009, October 2009, November 2009, and December 2009. Each month's episodes are in convenient zip files making it easy for you to download.]

You can start compelling conversations by asking simple, yet deep, questions like:

The words that we learnt are:

तनाव(tanaav); छुटकारा(chutkaara); संगीत(sangeet); प्रेरणा(prerana); ख़ूबसूरत(khoobsoorat); मुद्दा (mudd); चुनाव(chunaav); महत्वपूर्ण(mahatvapoorn); स्वस्थ(svasth); आगंतुक(aagatuk); सिफ़ारिश(sifaarish);घटना(ghatna)

Quiz:

1) What does this statement mean: आप कहाँ से आ रहे हैं?( Aap kahan se aa rahe haim)?

2) How will you ask this in Hindi: “Where are you going?”

3) Can you recommend a good Hindi movie to see? Frame this question in Hindi.

4) What is “stress” known as?

[1]कुधर would be the correct form, corresponding to “whence?” in English. Corresponding Hindi: उधर (hence)/ जिधर (whence, wherefrom, from where)

[2] किधर would be the correct form, corresponding to “whither?” in English. Corresponding Hindi: इधर (hither)/ जिधर (whither, whereunto, whereto).

[3] इधर would be the correct form, corresponding to “hither” in English.

[4] Class here is a metonym for the subject or curriculum taught therein; itself, a metonym for classroom–for students were classified by rank, i.e., “class”.

[5] Other verbs associated with किराये पर are चढ़ाना/देना : to rent; and चलाना : to hire out.

[6] Synonyms: संस्तुति/ अनुशंसा/अनुग्रह/प्रशंसा –all with करना (अनुग्रह more in the sense of favor; and प्रशंसा more in the sense of praise).

[7] While now meaning “beautiful”, its original meaning is “very much/in abundance” (خوب–now meaning “Super!” or “Great!” in Farsi) + “form” [hence “face”](صورت). Synonyms are अभिराम, सुंदर, मञ्जुल/मंजुल/मञ्जु/मंजु, मनोज्ञ, and, last but not least, मनोरम. Moreover, what makes for a or lovely site/sight depends in large part on the sensitivity and expectations of the beholder and thus open to examination: unexpected, uncommon/rare, pleasing/peaceful to the eye, exciting wonder/admiration/awe, stimulating the senses/emotions/imagination/intellect, etc., leaving you, if not breathless (सांस रोक कर) and speechless (गूंगा/वांगमय), at the very least agape (मुंह बाए), agasp (तेज़ी से सांस लेए) and inarticulate (गदगद)–all are fodder for reflection… except perhaps for the parliamentarian amongst us (सांसद)

[8] “relieve” might be a better word here.