India Language: What Do They Speak in India?
The official languages of India are Hindi / English + 21 official. In Hindi, the country is called भारत. India is officially multilingual, with 2 recognised languages reflecting its diverse cultural and ethnic heritage.
🗣️ Language at a Glance
About the Hindi Language
Hindi evolved from Sanskrit through the medieval Prakrit languages and rose around the speech of the Delhi region. It is the official language of India's union government alongside English and one of the country's 22 scheduled languages, while Bollywood cinema has carried spoken Hindustani far beyond South Asia. English itself borrowed jungle, shampoo, bungalow and pyjamas from Hindi and its relatives. Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language descended from Sanskrit, related to Bengali, Punjabi and Marathi, and, far back along the Indo-European tree, a distant cousin of English. Its twin is Urdu: spoken casually, Hindi and Urdu are essentially one language, Hindustani, split by script (Devanagari versus Perso-Arabic) and by their formal vocabularies (Sanskrit-leaning versus Persian-leaning).
The Devanagari script: How Hindi is Written
Hindi is written in Devanagari, an abugida instantly recognisable from the horizontal line running along the top of the letters. Each consonant carries an inherent a vowel, modified by signs attached around it, and the script is highly phonetic: words are spelled the way they sound. Devanagari also writes Sanskrit, Marathi and Nepali.
Is Hindi a Tonal Language?
No, Hindi is not a tonal language. Its characteristic sounds are instead the contrast between aspirated and unaspirated consonants (a puff of air distinguishes words) and the retroflex consonants made with the tongue curled back.
🗨️ Useful Hindi Phrases
A few everyday phrases in Hindi, written in a simple romanized pronunciation so you can read them aloud. Tones and exact sounds vary by region, so treat these as a starting point.
How Hard is Hindi to Learn?
The US Foreign Service Institute allots Hindi around 1,100 class hours for English speakers. Devanagari is logical and takes a few weeks; the effort goes into retroflex and aspirated consonants, grammatical gender, verb-final word order and postpositions, which work like prepositions but come after the noun.
Multilingual Heritage of India
India officially recognises 2 languages: Hindi, English + 21 official. This multilingual status is a reflection of the country's history, ethnic diversity and cultural complexity. Different regions or communities may predominantly use one language over another, and all official languages are typically represented in government, education and public services. Multilingual countries often have rich cultural traditions that draw from each language community.
Language Tips for Visitors to India
English is an official language of India, making it easy for international visitors to communicate. You will find English widely spoken in cities, tourist areas, hotels and most businesses. Airport signage, menus and official documents are commonly available in English. The country is officially known as भारत in Hindi, and the international dialling code is +91.
🌍 Other Countries Where Hindi is Spoken
Hindi is not exclusive to India; it is also spoken in these countries:
Frequently Asked Questions about Language in India
What language do they speak in India?
The official languages of India are Hindi / English + 21 official.
Is English spoken in India?
Yes, English is one of the official languages of India.
What is India called in its own language?
India is called "भारत" in Hindi.
What writing system does Hindi use?
Hindi is written in the Devanagari script. Hindi is written in Devanagari, an abugida instantly recognisable from the horizontal line running along the top of the letters. Each consonant carries an inherent a vowel, modified by signs attached around it, and the script is highly phonetic: words are spelled the way they sound. Devanagari also writes Sanskrit, Marathi and Nepali.
Is Hindi a tonal language?
No, Hindi is not a tonal language. Its characteristic sounds are instead the contrast between aspirated and unaspirated consonants (a puff of air distinguishes words) and the retroflex consonants made with the tongue curled back.
How do you say hello in Hindi?
"Hello" in Hindi is "namaste".
Is Hindi hard to learn?
The US Foreign Service Institute allots Hindi around 1,100 class hours for English speakers. Devanagari is logical and takes a few weeks; the effort goes into retroflex and aspirated consonants, grammatical gender, verb-final word order and postpositions, which work like prepositions but come after the noun.
How many official languages does India have?
India has 2 official languages: Hindi, English + 21 official.
Do I need to speak Hindi to visit India?
No: English is official in India so communication is easy for English speakers.
What is the calling code for India?
The international dialling code for India is +91.
What is the population of India?
India has a population of approximately 1.43B, all of whom use Hindi / English + 21 official as the official languages.