Hindi

American  

[hin-dee] / ˈhɪn di /

noun

1. the most widely spoken of the modern Indic vernaculars, especially its best-known variety, Western Hindi.

2. a literary language derived from Hindustani, used by Hindus.

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Hindi British  

/ ˈhɪndɪ /

noun

1. a language or group of dialects of N central India. It belongs to the Indic branch of the Indo-European family and is closely related to Urdu See also Hindustani

2. a formal literary dialect of this language, the official language of India, usually written in Nagari script

3. a person whose native language is Hindi

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Etymology

Origin of Hindi

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Hindi, Urdu, equivalent to Persian Hind, Hindu (compare Sanskrit Sindhu “river,” specifically the Indus river, with the extended sense “region of the Indus; Sind”) + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; replacing Hinduee, from Persian Hinduī; Sind

Compare meaning

How does hindi compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Urdu vs. Hindi
• Hindi vs. Hindu
• Sanskrit vs. Hindi

Example Sentences

His jokes - switching easily between Hindi and English and brimming with sarcasm and rooted in everyday observation - helped him build a large online following within a short span of time.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

There’s a Hindi word called “dhamaka,” which translates to explosion — or intense and bold flavors when used in a culinary context.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

Some are used by only a few remaining speakers, while others such as Chinese, English, Spanish and Hindi are spoken by billions.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

She speaks Hindi and Spanish fluently, with working knowledge of French and Arabic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

Ashima and Ashoke speak in broken Hindi, and when young boys approach to sell postcards or marble trinkets Gogol and Sonia are forced to say, “English, please.”

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri