Introduction:

Hindi is one of the world’s “Big Five” languages alongside English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. More than half a billion people speak it, and about half of those are native speakers, mostly in northern India. Hindi became the lingua franca of India when the British were expelled in 1947. English remained a national language, but the expectation was that it would be dropped from the constitution after 15 years of independence. Today, both are among the 23 official languages of India. This is only the tip of the iceberg. More than 1,600 spoken languages are used in this culturally diverse country.

Hindi descends from Sanskrit, an ancient language as important as Greek and Latin in terms of historical and cultural impact. Many of the modern languages of India come from Sanskrit and it is still used as one of the official languages of India. Sanskrit is also the holy language of the Vedas, the oldest known literary works and the core of Hinduism. You’ll learn a lot of Sanskrit words when learning Hindi. So without any further delay, let’s have a look at some of the easiest ways to learn Hindi on your own:

• Start practicing some basic sentences in Hindi right away 

Learning a new set of alphabets/scripts is going to take time. Most of the foreigners or Hindi learners that I know had started with memorizing and understanding basic sentences in Hindi – such as Mera Naam Rahul hai. Mai Mumbai me rehta hoon. (My name is Rahul. I stay in Mumbai). Since you don’t know the Hindi script yet, write down the pronunciation of sentences in your mother tongue or the Roman script.

• Study the Hindi vowels and consonants 

There are 11 vowels and 33 consonants in Hindi.  Some vowels are indicated by the use of diacritic marks, or symbols added to the letters of an alphabet in order to show different pronunciations. Constants are organized in the alphabet by how you use your mouth and throat to pronounce them. Because Hindi uses more consonants than English does, some of them have no direct equivalent in English.

• Learn Basic Grammar 

Till this point, you should be comfortable having a conversation in basic Hindi. It’s a good time to move towards grammar and correct your conceptions about sentence construction. Once you become more comfortable with Hindi nouns, pronouns, and verbs, you can move on to studying other elements of Hindi.

• Immerse into the Hindi Media

Find a YouTube channel with podcasts in Hindi. Look for those that teach the Hindi language and culture, or else look for vloggers reporting on your interests. Some Hindi TV channels are available via satellite, such as DD International, the worldwide version of DD India. Watching movies is a wonderful way to learn a new language. You can first watch it in English, then in the original language, or put on English or Hindi subtitles depending on your fluency.

• Practise & Make mistakes 

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Children learn a language quickly as they are not concerned if they make a mistake. Anyway, people will love it if you make an effort to learn their language and embrace their culture. Mistakes will help you reach the next level!

We hope these pointers help people learn Hindi. There are no shortcuts, just dedicated efforts can lead you to speak Hindi fluently.