Meet Beenish Aslam, an accomplished MPhil scholar, and writer at Wonderful World English. Beenish has a wealth of experience in education, and we sought out her expertise to provide fresh insights into this dynamic world.
Did you know that almost 1.5 million Americans visit India every year?
That’s a lot of people!
Most of these visitors were either tourists looking to travel to this beautiful and culturally rich land or to conduct business in its rapidly expanding economy.
And in today’s globalized world, people everywhere devote more time and effort to learning a foreign language.
Learning another language provides opportunities to grow personally and professionally while building bonds with people from different cultures.
Hindi is one of the official languages of India, with over half a billion native speakers!
If you are an English speaker interested in learning Hindi, you’re in the right place!
Hindi is not an easy language to learn. It has a language difficulty rating of IV, meaning it is considered a language with significant linguistic and cultural differences from English. An English speaker typically takes around 44 weeks (1100 hours) of consistent study to learn Hindi fluently.
I am an experienced educational researcher who is also multi-lingual!
Even though it’s not the easiest language to learn, it is certainly rewarding!
In this article, we will go into more detail about the difficulties of learning this language and some tips on how to do so effectively.
Let’s jump in!
Is Hindi Hard to Learn for English Speakers?
This section will highlight some of the most challenging aspects of learning Hindi as an English speaker.
Any language learner can attest that he or she is bound to bump into some challenging obstacles while learning.
So, we must understand why Hindi is hard to learn and how to overcome these challenges.
Let’s look at these aspects in more detail:
1. Unfamiliar Words
Firstly, there are many sounds in the Hindi language that non-native speakers are unfamiliar with.
For example, the ‘त (T) sound.’
A large number of English speakers are not aware of this sound.
Let’s look at an example of this in a word:
त (T) sound: तरबूज़ (Tarabuuz) = “Watermelon”.
Any Hindi learner must master these unfamiliar sounds as they play a significant role in reaching fluency in this language.
2. Diacritics (maaTraa)
MaaTraa is another interesting word. (And quite different from anything we say in English!)
Once you master the unfamiliar sounds in Hindi, the next important thing is to master Hindi grammar and diacritics (maaTraa).
These two aspects are crucial in understanding the Hindi language, and without them, everything else will seem entirely confusing.
Diacritics are marks placed above or below (or sometimes next to) a letter in a word to indicate a particular pronunciation—in regard to accent, tone, or stress—as well as meaning, especially when a homograph exists without the marked letter or letters.
Mirriam-webster.com
Below are a few examples for you to understand how a slight diacritic can turn the meaning of a word upside-down:
- घंटी (ghantii) = “Bell” – घंटा (ghantaa) = “Hour”
- पान (paaN) = “Betel leaf” – पानी (paaNii) = “Water”
- रोज़ (roz) = “Daily” – रोज़ा (rozaa) = “Fasting done by Muslims”
3. Gender-Specific Conjugation
Now, let’s return to the question, ‘Is Hindi hard to learn?’
And we can’t sugar-coat it; it is a difficult language for English speakers to learn.
Another critical aspect of learning Hindi is understanding the language’s gender-specific conjugation.
In English, there is no grammatical gender, but that is not the case in Hindi.
In Hindi, everything has a gender, and you must change the conjugation pattern accordingly.
For example:
- राम घर जा रहा है (Raam ghar ja raha hai) = “Ram is going home.”
- सीता घर जा रही है (Seeta ghar ja rahee hai) = “Sita is going home.”
- दो आदमी सो रहे हैं (do aadamee so rahe hain) = “Two men are sleeping.”
- दो औरतें सो रही हैं (do auraten so rahee hain) = “Two women are sleeping.”
4. Homonyms
Another critical aspect of learning Hindi for English speakers to master is the homonyms.
Homonyms are words that are pronounced identically but have different meanings.
And Hindi is full of homonyms!
It can be daunting for beginners as it becomes hard for them to understand the context of these words.
For example:
- खाना (khaaNaa) = “To eat” (verb)
- खाना (khaaNaa) = “Food” (noun)
5. Formal Tone
In Indian culture, the speaker’s tone is another important factor to understand.
In Hindi, you cannot address a younger and an elder similarly.
To be safe, learners of the language can go for a formal tone to avoid embarrassing situations or risk offending people.
For example, you cannot ask “What will you eat?” in the same manner to an elder as you would a friend.
Instead, you would say:
- आप क्या खाएंगे? (Ap kya khayein gay?) – To an elder person
- तुम क्या खाओगे? (Tum kya khao gay?) – To a friend
6. Sentence Structure
The final crucial aspect for learners of Hindi to understand is the language’s sentence structure.
In English, generally, the sentence structure is subject+verb+object.
In Hindi, the verbs appear at the end of the sentence.
Hindi, as an Indo-Aryan language, the differences may be difficult to comprehend for people who are used to Indo-European languages.
Aside from pronunciation issues, most English speakers struggle with sentence formation and comprehending the concept of conjunct consonants.
The standard Hindi alphabet has 11 vowels and 35 consonants, as agreed by the Government of India. However, traditionally the Hindi alphabet has 13 vowels and 33 consonants. There are also 4 combined consonants and 2 binary consonants.
Shoonyadigital.com
Despite Hindi being difficult, we do consider it as one of the easier languages for English speakers to learn.
Asian languages can be tough because they are very different from English.
Check out the easiest Asian languages to learn in the guide below!
Related Article: What is the Easiest Asian Language to Learn? (Top 12)
Useful Tips for Learning Hindi
Now, we’ve looked at some of the most difficult aspects of Hindi for English speakers to understand, and it may seem daunting.
But as with any language journey, it won’t happen overnight, and every language can be learned with dedication and commitment.
Let’s look at some useful tips to help anyone who wants to learn Hindi:
1. Watch Movies and TV Shows
If you are a Hindi learner, watching hit Bollywood movies can be an effective learning strategy for driving away all the boredom.
Bollywood is huge, and you won’t find any shortage of new material to learn from!
With almost 2,000 movies a year, Indian Cinema is the largest film industry in the world.
Asiahighlights.com
You can include English subtitles in the earlier stages of learning Hindi to help build comprehension.
And if TV shows and movies aren’t your things, there are also lots of great Hindi music you can listen to.
There are many options for Hindi learners to absorb the language through entertainment, so start exploring your favorite genres and get started!
2. Practice with Native Speakers
One of the most effective strategies in learning any language is to immerse yourself around native speakers and practice as much as you can!
Try talking with a native speaker daily if you can.
In today’s digital age, there are many ways to do this through apps, social media, etc.
You can use different websites to find a native Hindi partner to polish your Hindi-speaking skills.
It is also an excellent opportunity to get cultural insights, tips, and interesting facts about India!
Did you know that India also has a large number of English speakers?
Find out more about what Asian countries speak English in the guide below!
Related Article: What Asian Countries Speak English? – Full Guide
3. Ask Questions
Another important tip to remember is to ask lots of questions!
Do not hesitate to reach out and ask other learners or educators involved with the Hindi language.
Questioning sooner can save any potentially embarrassing encounters moving forward.
Making mistakes and being confused are both integral parts of the language-learning journey.
Indians tend to be generous people when it comes to assisting others, so reach out to Indian communities and ask as many questions as you can until you are clear on what you are learning.
People will respect you more and give you the time of day once they know you’re showing interest in their native language and culture.
4. Use a Hindi Dictionary
A helpful tip in learning Hindi is to keep a dictionary and take it wherever you go.
Whether you’re commuting to work or school or relaxing at home, please make use of this great resource and let it aid you in building your Hindi vocabulary and understanding.
Although a physical dictionary would be great, you could always look for a digital one instead if you prefer.
A dictionary can be useful when expanding your knowledge of a new language.
5. Make Notes
Making notes in your own words that you can easily refer back to is another very powerful technique.
Get a notebook and take notes of everything you want to remember regarding Hindi.
Just like the dictionary, you can read through it when you have time in your daily life, which will help you build comprehension faster.
You can make a list of Hindi idioms and proverbs and make notes of Hindi grammar and important cultural facts to remember, for example.
Make notes when watching a Hindi movie or listening to a song; there are many great opportunities to do this!
Making notes will help you retain information for a longer period.
It’s always great to have a written catalog of your progress; you will look back on earlier notes and see how far you’ve come, which can also be a great motivator!
Check out the video below to learn some basics of the Hindi language!
6. Review Often
And finally, don’t forget to revise what you have learned!
It can be easy to view revision as a chore, but it will significantly help anyone on their language learning journey.
It reinforces comprehension and accelerates the rate at which a language is attained.
Keep track of your journey, stay on course, and don’t beat yourself up if you lose momentum.
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back to it.
Set goals and record milestones; you’ll thank yourself for it in the end!
How Long Does it Take to Learn Hindi
Hindi has a language difficulty ranking of IV.
This means it is considered a language with significant linguistic and cultural differences from English and will take 44 weeks (1100 hours) to learn.
If you engage in active immersion for 8 hours a day, you will have an intermediate level of Hindi within approximately three months.
Linguistic researchers estimate this as an approximate time required to reach the intermediate Hindi level.
Hindi may be one of the more difficult languages for an English speaker to learn, but it is one of the most rewarding!
Remember, the quality of your study is more important than how much of it you do.
Focus on the techniques that suit you and keep improving your Hindi speaking skills.
You will succeed with patience and perseverance!
Another interesting fact is that India is one of the cheapest countries in the world where English is also spoken.
Discover the cheapest English-speaking countries to live in in the article below!
Related Article: Cheapest English-Speaking Countries to Live in (Top 6)
Conclusion
We’ve covered several important aspects of what it takes for an English speaker to learn Hindi.
We have determined that Hindi is a hard language for English speakers to learn, but it is rewarding!
With over half a billion native Hindi speakers, learning this language could open doors and opportunities you would never have thought possible.
Learning Hindi, as with any language, requires time, dedication, patience, and motivation.
Always seek opportunities to practice, ask questions, and review what you learn!
Keep working hard, and remember any language is within your reach if you have the right attitude.
We hope this has helped you better understand the Hindi language.
All the best on your language-learning journey!
Image Attribution: All images licensed via canva.com
