Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Hindi

In my four months here, I've learned frightfully little hindi, but enough to get around, and enough to make myself feel like I know enough hindi. This satisfaction mostly comes at moments like I had today, in which I realized I was able to give the address (283) in hindi (do, aat, teen). It was, I suppose, a coincidence that I knew these numbers, as I only remember off the top of my head 1, 2, 3, 4, then skip to 8, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 (though I get confused between the two: chaa-les and pa-chaas) and finally 60.

My hindi is limited to only a few sorts of interactions. Well, really only three.

1. Getting an auto or rickshaw.
Bhaiyaa, __(insert place here)__ chello gay?
Kit na lo gay? (how much will you take?)

Hang-je, Na-heen (yes, no)

(I get much more realistic prices when I speak hindi, though that doesn't always help in me understanding what they mean by their head nods that look like 'no' but mean 'yes')

2. Asking if a store has something and how much it is.
Bhaiyaa, __(insert thing here)__ hay?
Kit na ha hay?

3. Ordering food.
This one I actually only know one helpful phrase, if I remember correctly
Dedo = give me
Remember the grammar!
__(food)__ Dedo.

That seems kinda rude to me, but I haven't learned how to say please because no one seems to say please. I do know how to say thank you though! Shookria!


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