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.

---

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

---

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

Appearances included a Dubai conference where the digital double introduced itself in French, Chinese and Hindi from a big screen in a meeting room.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

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

The statements were made in a variety of languages, including Scots, Gaelic, Hindi, Polish, Mandarin and French.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

For example, people who speak Hinglish – a fluid mix of Hindi and English – can do so more naturally.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 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