noun
Common
Hindi
hihn-THEE
Hindi (noun) means a major language of India, one of its official languages, written in the Devanagari script. Example: “She learned to read and write Hindi as a child in Delhi.”
noun
1
A major language of India, one of its official languages, written in the Devanagari script.
"She learned to read and write Hindi as a child in Delhi."
adj
1
Relating to the Hindi language.
"The film had Hindi subtitles."
How to use Hindi
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe name of one of India's main languages, and the adjective describing anything connected to it.
Common mistake
Hindi (the language) is not the same as Hindu (the religion/follower of Hinduism) — they're easy to mix up but unrelated in meaning.
Easily confused with
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like Hindi.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She learned to read and write _____ as a child in Delhi.
Etymology
Borrowed via Persian from a word meaning "of India."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for Hindi
See all rhymes for Hindi →Frequently asked questions
What does “Hindi” mean?
The word “Hindi” means a major language of India, one of its official languages, written in the Devanagari script. In plain terms, the name of one of India's main languages, and the adjective describing anything connected to it.
How do you pronounce “Hindi”?
“Hindi” is pronounced hihn-THEE (/ˈhɪndiː/ in IPA).
How do you use “Hindi” in a sentence?
Here is “Hindi” used in a sentence: “She learned to read and write Hindi as a child in Delhi.”
What part of speech is “Hindi”?
Depending on how it is used, “Hindi” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “Hindi” come from?
The word “Hindi” comes from Persian. Borrowed via Persian from a word meaning "of India.".
Is “Hindi” a common word?
“Hindi” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “Hindi” have?
“Hindi” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a major language of India, one of its official languages, written in the Devanagari script.
What is the difference between Hindi and Urdu?
Hindi and Urdu are closely related languages with a shared spoken base, but Hindi is written in the Devanagari script and is an official language of India, while Urdu is written in a Perso-Arabic script and is the national language of Pakistan. Their vocabularies also diverge, with Hindi drawing more from Sanskrit and Urdu drawing more from Persian and Arabic.
Is Hindi the national language of India?
Hindi is one of India's official languages rather than a single official national language, since India has multiple official languages recognized at the national and state levels. It is, however, the most widely spoken language in the country.
What script is Hindi written in?
Hindi is written in the Devanagari script, an alphabet used for a number of South Asian languages. This script is read from left to right and features distinctive characters connected by a horizontal line at the top of most words.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include Hindi:
