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; see also Sind

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Hindi

Patekar was also an influential figure in both Marathi and Hindi theatre.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Recordings, paintings, manuscripts and more reveal how songs in Persian, Urdu, Classical Hindi and Punjabi spread throughout the Mughal Empire and across the network of the East India Company from the 16th century onward.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

"I have sent my resignation letter to the prime minister," Pradhan said in his letter in Hindi.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

Meanwhile, the long-time residents of Ayodhya told BBC Hindi that they were shocked by the allegations of corruption at the temple.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

I’m learning Hindi now, which helps keep my mind off the things I don’t want to think about.

From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani

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