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

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

Jhaj, who speaks some Hindi, which he learnt in a government school around their settlement, has become a keen volleyball player.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Within a single page Mr. Hahn can hop from Esperanto to Turkish to Hindi.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

It has already drawn an audience of millions, making it one of the network's most popular Hindi shows in months.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 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

As soon as Mr. Rao introduced himself as calling from an Indian software firm, the U.S. executive said to him, “Namaste,” a common Hindi greeting.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman