Hindi is among the world’s five most popular languages and India’s dominant language. While it’s not as widespread as other languages, there’s still a great deal of value in learning it. From more business opportunities to a deeper understanding of a unique culture, there are many benefits to learning Hindi.
Welcome to the world of learning Hindi!
Hindi is the national language of India, spoken by more than 100 million people worldwide. It is also one of the official languages of Nepal, Fiji, and Mauritius. Hindi is written in Devanagari script, which can be read from right to left or left to right. Although Hindi originated in northern India and retains many elements of Sanskrit grammar and vocabulary, it has adopted words from several other languages including Arabic, Persian, English, Portuguese and French.
Quyasoft is replete with ample information on Resources for Learning Hindi, Should You Learn Hindi, Which app is best to learn hindi and so much more. Be sure to visit our catalog for more information on related topics. You don’t want to miss this!
Should You Learn Hindi?
One of the frequently asked questions I get about travel to India is about language and communication. What is the best Indian language to learn, is English widely spoken in India, and for travellers, what language can be used throughout India?
If you’ve reached this post, you probably know that there is no such thing as “learning to speak Indian”. India is home to 22 official languages, and there are over a hundred unofficial languages, dialects and tongues spoken on the Indian subcontinent. Most Indians speak their state language or local dialect, plus Hindi, and depending on where you are, some English as well. It’s not uncommon for Indians to speak 3 or 4+ languages!
The most widely spoken languages of India are Hindi, and Indian English. That said, it can differ according to where you are in India – Hindi is spoken more in the north of India than in the south. You’ll also find that English is much less spoken once you’re outside of tourist hotspots and the big cities, and that’s where knowing an Indian language really comes in handy.
While it’s impossible to learn a language that everyone you meet along your journey in India will speak, learning some basic Hindi phrases through a good course such as Rocket Hindi is going to help a lot when it comes to communication in India.
In short, here are the top 5 reasons why I suggest anyone planning a trip to India learns (at least) some basic spoken Hindi:
- You can connect far more easily with the people you meet – especially once you head away from the main cities & tourist sites
- People will giggle, smile and generally love that you’re making an effort!
- It shows you mean business and aren’t a newbie India traveler (fewer scams)
- It implies you probably know a few locals (who have your back)
- Bargaining. If you can haggle in Hindi, better prices await you my friend!
Did I mention that Hindi is spoken by a staggering 455 million people, and is the 5th most spoken language in the world?
Even learning a few Hindi travel phrases can make a big (positive) difference to your trip. Want to barter like a pro for those souvenirs, avoid getting ripped off, or just be able to communicate more with people you meet? These best Hindi learning websites will help you on your way.
From my own travels around India, I have found myself in rural homestays, where the only people that spoke English were the men. I wished at the time that I had more than a basic command of Hindi so that I could have spoken to the ladies there.
When you speak Hindi, people will open up to you, invite you for chai and it will become much more possible to make geniune connections on your travels. Not least, the best window into a culture, is learning some of its language.
In my bid to learn better Hindi to speak with Ravi (my better half)’s family, I’ve been trying out different language sites and options for the best app to learn spoken Hindi. I wanted to share my experiences and in this guide I give my reviews for the (many) different ways to learn Hindi – and what is best for the different situations!
Which app is best to learn hindi
1. Drops
Drops is a fairly decent app for learning languages. A lot of what is offered is popular, with the Hindi app being as effective as the others. Drops places the focus on conversational Hindi. The app teaches core phrases and words so the individual can expand as they progress. This app lets you practice rather than study grammar. The app additionally includes quick lessons, games and more.
There is a five-minute daily limit with the free version. This limit is removed by purchasing the premium version. This is a good app with a free version or the premium version for a monthly fee of $7.49 or a yearly fee of $48.99.
2. HelloTalk
HelloTalk is another great app to learn Hindi because it’s progressive and interesting. In short, the app connects you to other people. Each person has the ability to teach their language to the other. The app includes text messages, audio messages, video chats, picture messages and a lot more. HelloTalk offers learners in excess of 100 languages. This means the language the individual is interested in learning or speaking is most likely included.
There is a free version and a monthly version for a $1.99 to $4.99 fee and a yearly version for a $21.99 to $29.99 yearly fee.
3. Learn Hindi Free
One of the simplest apps to learn Hindi is Learn Hindi Free. The app provides more than 9,000 phrases, words and examples of auto pronunciation. This app is effective when used as a type of phrasebook. The learner can view the letters of the Hindi alphabet, quickly learn phrases and the organization system is decent.
There are additionally decent searches, support offline and quizzes. This app does not teach the language by itself but works as a study aid. The ad-free version is expensive at $2.99.
4. Memrise
Memrise is a popular and powerful app to learn Hindi that uses nearly every current teaching method. There are conversational and vocabulary lessons and a social app enabling learners to speak with individuals who speak Hindi. Memrise also includes tests and quizzes to measure proficiency, recordings of speakers for a pronunciation guide and offline support.
Memrise caters towards serious learners, and that’s why it does come at a cost: $9 each month for the regular version and $59,99 each month for the premium version.
5. Mondly
Another popular and powerful language app for Hindi is Mondly. It supports numerous languages, including Hindi. And the focus is on core phrases and words. You build your vocabulary using conversational Hindi. There are similarities to Drops, but Mondly includes grammar lessons. Native speakers provide pronunciation. And there are daily challenges.
The amount of free content is limited with a subscription required for the extra stuff. There is a limited free version, another for $9.99 each month and a yearly cost of $47.99.
6. Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone teaches learners dozens of languages including Hindi with a proprietary teaching method. Many think that Rosetta stone is the best app to learn Hindi to English due to its popularity. The process begins with conversational Hindi with grammar and vocabulary and going from there. Rosetta Stone also enables learners to practice the language and works very well.
It is also expensive with the best option being the single price. This eliminates the yearly fee of $94.99 with a one time fee of $199.99.
7. Simply Learn Hindi
Simply Learn Hindi offers a simple way to learn Hindi. The app is more effective as a phrasebook than a learning platform. It offers 30 categories of more than 1,000 phrases and common words. There’s an audio pronunciation included for every phrase. And you can slow the playback if you need more time. The app additionally includes progress tracking, quizzes and much more.
The app is fairly inexpensive with both a free version and paid version at $4.99.
8. Tandem
Tandem is a lot like HelloTalk because the learner can talk to language learners all over the world. This provides the ability to teach each other new languages. This is an effective community style. There are also video and audio calls, picture messages, text messages, and audio messages. You can select daily topics and even a professional tutor.
There is a free version, a monthly version for $6.99 each month, and the yearly version is $34.99.
9. OptiLingo
At the top of our list for the best apps to learn Hindi is OptiLingo. OptiLingo focuses on high-frequency words and phrases, so you can learn more by doing less. You’ll take the 80/20 approach to language learning, as you focus on SPEAKING, not TYPING in a foreign language. With just 5 lessons a week for 20 minutes a day, you can take huge strides towards fluency.
OptiLingo is also the only language-learning platform created out of the desire to save a dying language. After 10 years of researching and trying out various language-learning methodologies, Jonty Yamisha created the platform to teach others his ethnic language, Circassian. As a result, the app works because it MUST. Otherwise, his native language will go extinct.
The app offers a free trial in every language, access to one language for $4.99 per month, and a premium version with access to all languages for $9.99 per month.
Resources for Learning Hindi
Speaking of practice, it’s important to have strong references and training material. Here are some of the best resources from across the web. Not every resource is one you can use to learn Hindi online. But give your eyes a break and look into some physical books, too.Advertisements
Speaking
There are a few methods I would suggest for this:
- Get a teacher on italki. It’s worth it, I promise you. It’s fairly easy to find a Hindi tutor at a reasonable price to help you grapple with conversastional Hindi.
- Talk to yourself and record it. Listen and find out where you struggle and try to remedy it.
- Get a language partner on Italki or Tandem and send audio messages to your penpals.
- Rosetta Stone used to be pricey, but it’s now fairly affordable and you can get some Hindi practice. I love their chapter milestones, which force you to speak spontaneously. And they now have short poems or paragraphs to read and listen to.
Listening
- Write down speech as you hear it in movies or TV shows. Use Netflix when you can, because you’ll have access to Hindi subtitles to check your work. Pro-tip: Pakistani serials are just as good for colloquial Hindi. Yes, there are differences, but you’ll recognize much of the vocabulary. Some shows to watch include Typewriter, Delhi Crime, Humsafar, and Zindagi Gulzar Hai.
- Watch movies without subtitles.
- Get Conversations in Hindi. The dialogue tracks are pretty close to everyday speech, and you have vocabulary lists to go with it.
- Use Beelinguapp, which has various texts in Hindi at different levels. Listen to it first, then check your comprehension through reading the article or story.
Writing
- Write short stories or poems.
- Translate your LinkedIn profile (but get it reviewed first before you publish it)
Reading
- Kindle offers support for Hindi e-books. The in-app dictionary is superb. Buy simple books with lots of dialogue. I would also highly recommend scripts
- Read online news in Hindi.
- Use the Beelinguapp, Readlang, or Flowlingo.
- Use StoryWeaver to get more stories in Hindi.
- Routledge’s Intermediate Hindi Reader – It’s a bit pricey, but it comes packed with audio and conversational Hindi vocab.
Grammar and Form:
- Langistan is a great investment, especially if you excel with video learning.
- HindiExpress has almost everything you need to improve your vocabulary.
- Hindi-Urdu Flagship has an extensive collection of resources to get you started.
- STARTALK Hindi from Columbia University has a selection of videos and transcripts that you’ll want to see. Subtitled versions are available from Langistan, mentioned above.
- Hinkhoj – The most accurate dictionary out there.
- Teach Yourself Complete Hindi – This is really THE book for beginners. There’s a lot of material, and it covers a wide range of vocabulary and basic grammar. I still reference it from time to time for Hindi grammar.
- Business Hindi – Going to India for work? The University of Pennsylvania can help you with business Hindi vocabulary with their free online course.