Say What!
June 6th, 2010
As I prepare for our trip, I reflect on the language barriers that await us. We’re lucky that English happens to be one of India’s many official languages, but I still expect to face challenges in communicating. I recently flipped through an Indian phrase book (Click Here) that included “Hinglish” slang, Hindi words and phrases and many other examples (i.e. Urdu, Tamil, Tulu, etc). It is amazing how many of the words that we use in our everyday language have Indian roots. Some of the best examples of our shared expressions are catamaran, thug, bungalow, dinghy, veranda, bandana. Ok, so maybe you don’t use all of those words everyday, but I bet you wish you lived in a beautiful bungalow with a shady veranda and a stunning catamaran out at your dock!
I want to share some of the more relevant words and phrases I came across in an effort to expand our vocabulary. I hope you enjoy!
From the first adaab (hello), to the last chalta hoon (goodbye; literally “I’ll walk”), this is going to be a memorable trip. I anticipate these few weeks of traveling will end with some great stories and solid friendships between us Cal Poly yaars (buddies). One of the best aspects of yatra (travel) is getting to fill your pet (stomach) with amazing food. I can already envision the group of us walking down the marg (road) eyeing the vendors with their curries and chutneys and mangos and teas and coffees. When drinking tea or coffee, it is important to remember to leave a baaki (remnant/last of drink) in your cup. After our long days, I am sure we will be more than ready to kick off our chappals (sandals) and climb into bistar (bed)… except maybe on June 26. That Saturday night is purnima (full moon). We all know what craziness can ensue when the chand (moon) is full. The 26th will be our last day of company visits, so I am guessing there will be some celebrating as our trip begins to wind down. Luckily the next day, June 27, is a day of sight-seeing. Hopefully this trip is a memorable learning experience that boosts our international business knowledge, confidence, and overall odds of finding a job… cause none of us want to come home and be vela (unemployed)!
-Catherine Kristensen
Entry Filed under: 2010 Student Blogs, India, Misc.
2 Comments Add your own
1. Jay Ponto | June 8th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Very nice post, Cat. Another valuable phrase we should all remember is “issey Hindi mein kyaa kahtey hain?” That means “What’s that called in Hindi?” I think these will also be very useful for me:
Kyaa aap issey dohraa saktey hain?
Can you say it again?
Kyaa aap dheerae baat karengae?
Can you speak slowly?
Yeh kyaa hai?
What is this?
Meri Hindi kucch khaas nahi hai.
My Hindi is bad.
Mujey Hindi ka or abhyaas karnaa hogaa
I need to practice my Hindi.
Hopefully none of us will have to say Meri Tabiyut kharaab hai (I feel sick) and all of us will say Bharat ek adbhut desh hai (India is a wonderful country). For anyone who does not have the book that you mentioned, check out this website for phrases that I posted, as well as many more that could likely be useful on our adventure! http://www.linguanaut.com/english_hindi.htm.
Here is another website with frequently used Hindi words for travelers: http://www.indif.com/india/hindiwordsphrases.asp.
Also, this website has a video that can help with the pronunciation of Indian words. Initially it seems a little boring (the music doesn’t help one stay awake). However, if you can get passed that, it might be of help to start off learning how Indian words should sound! http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-basic-words-phrases-hindi-179922/. There are more links to other videos on the right side if you want to explore.
2. Michael Harroch | June 11th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Traveling tip from personal experience:
As a Franco-American, and having lived in the heart of Paris for 18 years, I can say with confidence that France and the US make some of the world’s worst tourists (http://www.examiner.com/x-6500-French-Culture-and-Travel-Examiner~y2009m7d12-The-French-top-the-worst-tourist-listagain).
According to the article, the French are “grumpy, stingy, and as the stereotype goes, just plain rude”, and make no effort to speak the local language.
On the other hand, American tourists are loud, obnoxious, inconsiderate, and like the French, make no effort to speak the local language.
While living in Paris, I have noticed the following trend: If an American tourist asks for help, directions etc. in English, expecting the person they are addressing to understand them, they will be much more likely to get a negative response. However, if they try to say just one word in French, they will usually be greeted positively.
Thus, I encourage us all to try and learn a few of the phrases that Cat and Jay have translated for us. Who knows, it might make a huge difference in our experience…
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