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30+ Intermediate Hindi Phrases to Help You Sound Like a Pro!

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As a Hindi learner, you cannot depend solely on simple vocabulary and sentence patterns forever. After a certain point, situations will demand that you learn and begin using intermediate-level Hindi phrases in order to communicate fluently with native speakers.

In a previous article, we covered the essential Hindi beginner phrases; today, we’ll take a step forward and move to the next level. That’s right. It’s time to explore the most useful intermediate Hindi phrases.

Handwriting in a Notebook, with Blue Block Letters ABC Resting on Top
Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Hindi Table of Contents
  1. Why is it important to study intermediate phrases?
  2. Talking About Past Events
  3. Making and Changing Plans
  4. Explaining and Listing Reasons
  5. Making Recommendations and Complaints
  6. Reaction Phrases for Everyday Conversations
  7. Etiquette Phrases for Social and Business Settings
  8. Reach New Heights with HindiPod101.com

1. Why is it important to study intermediate phrases?

After learning the intermediate-level Hindi phrases from this article, you’ll not only sound cooler when having conversations with locals but also leave a lasting impression on them. Knowing more advanced phrases will prove useful in all kinds of scenarios, both personal and professional. 

It’s okay if you feel a bit nervous, as these Hindi sentence structures may look complicated. But rest assured that you’ll eventually get the hang of them and gain confidence in your speaking skills, especially after you’ve had the chance to practice. To make sure you get a great head start, we have compiled here a variety of intermediate phrases for Hindi conversations that you can start using right away. 

2. Talking About Past Events

The first intermediate Hindi phrases we’ll look at are those for talking about past events. Talking about things that have already happened plays an essential role in catching up with someone, bonding with friends, or enjoying a lighthearted talk with colleagues.

Memorizing these phrases will help you understand how to use the past tense in Hindi (but for more information, you can visit our article on Hindi tenses). The examples below should help you get the drift and figure out how to substitute words to cover a wider variety of situations. 

1 – “We had fun at the party last night.”

  • कल रात पार्टी में बहुत मज़ा आया। (kaL raaT paartii men bahuT mazaa aayaa.)
  • कल की पार्टी कितनी मज़ेदार थी! (kaL kii paartii kiTaNii mazeDaar THii!)
  • कल रात पार्टी में हमने ख़ूब मज़े किये। (kaL raaT paartii men hamaNe khuub maze kiye.)

2 – “I started this job three years ago.”

  • मैंने 3 साल पहले यह नौकरी शुरू की थी। (mainNe 3 SaaL pahaLe yah Naukarii suruu kii THii.)
  • मुझे यह नौकरी करते हुए 3 साल हो चुके हैं। (mujhe yah Naukarii karaTe huye 3 SaaL ho cuke hain.)

    Literal Translation: “It’s been three years since I started doing this job.”

A Group of People Sitting Around a Fire while Camping

“We had so much fun last night!”

3 – “That was the worst day of my life.”

  • वो मेरी ज़िंदगी का सबसे बुरा दिन था। (vo merii ziNDagii kaa SabaSe buraa DiN THaa.)
  • वो मेरी ज़िंदगी का सबसे ख़राब दिन था। (vo merii ziNDagii kaa SabaSe kharaab DiN THaa.)

4 – “I used to have a pet named ___.”

  • मेरे पास ‘किटी’ नाम की एक बिल्ली थी। (mere paaS ‘kitii’ Naam kii ek biLLii THii.)

    Literal Translation: “I used to have a cat named ‘Kitty.’ ”
  • मेरे पास ‘बिस्किट’ नाम का एक कुत्ता था। (mere paaS ‘biSkit’ Naam kaa ek kuTTaa THaa.)

    Literal Translation: “I used to have a dog named ‘Biscuit.’ ”

3. Making and Changing Plans

We all make plans. That’s a fact. But it’s also true that plans can change—sometimes at the last moment! It can be rather uncomfortable to convey this to the other party, especially when you have to do so in a foreign language. It can be tricky to pick just the right words to express the inconvenience in the gentlest possible manner. That said, the useful intermediate Hindi phrases below should be enough to get you started off on the right foot.

Setting Up a Business Meeting

1 – “Do you have time this weekend?”

  • क्या हम इस वीकेंड मिल सकते हैं? (kyaa ham iS viikend miL SakaTe hain?)
  • क्या आपके पास कल मिलने का समय है? (kyaa aapake paaS kaL miLaNe kaa Samay hai?)

    Literal Translation: “Do you have time to meet tomorrow?”

2 – “How about Indian food?”

  • भारतीय खाना कैसा रहेगा? (bhaaraTiiy khaaNaa kaiSaa rahegaa?)
  • आज शाकाहारी खाना खाया जाये? (aaj saakaahaarii khaaNaa khaayaa jaaye?)

    Literal Translation: “Shall we try vegetarian food today?”

3 – “Can I bring my partner?”

  • क्या मैं अपने बॉयफ़्रेंड/अपनी गर्लफ्रेंड को साथ ला सकता/सकती हूँ? (kyaa main apaNe boyafrend / apaNii garLafrend ko SaaTH Laa SakaTaa/SakaTii huun?)

    Literal Translation: “Can I bring my boyfriend/girlfriend along with me?”
  • क्या मेरी पत्नी भी मेरे साथ आ सकती है? (kyaa merii paTNii bhii mere SaaTH aa SakaTii hai?)

    Literal Translation: “Could my wife also come along with me?”
  • क्या मेरे पति भी मेरे साथ आ सकते हैं? (kyaa mere paTi bhii mere SaaTH aa SakaTe hain?)

    Literal Translation: “Could my husband also come along with me?”

4 – “I was wondering if we could reschedule.”

  • मैं जानना चाहता था/चाहती थी कि क्या हम किसी और दिन मिल सकते हैं? (main jaaNaNaa caahaTaa THaa/caahaTii THii ki kyaa ham kiSii aur DiN miL SakaTe hain?)
  • क्या हम किसी और दिन मिल सकते हैं? (kyaa ham kiSii aur DiN miL SakaTe hain?)

    Literal Translation: “Could we meet some other day?”
  • क्या हम मिलने का समय बदल सकते हैं? (kyaa ham miLaNe kaa Samay baDaL SakaTe hain?)

    Literal Translation: “Could we change the time of our meeting?”
  • क्या हम बुधवार की बजाय शुक्रवार को मिल सकते हैं? (kyaa ham buDHavaar kii bajaay sukravaar ko miL SakaTe hain?)

    Literal Translation: “Could we meet on Friday instead of Wednesday?”

5 – “Let’s have a Zoom meeting next Tuesday to discuss the details.”

  • और विस्तार से बात करने के लिए अगले मंगलवार ज़ूम मीटिंग पर मिलते हैं। (aur viSTaar Se baaT karaNe ke Liye agaLe mangaLavaar zuum miiting par miLaTe hain.)
  • बाक़ी की बातें अगले मंगलवार की ज़ूम मीटिंग में करेंगे। (baaqii kii baaTen agaLe mangaLavaar kii zuum miiting men karenge.)

4. Explaining and Listing Reasons

There’s nothing more dreadful than needing to explain yourself, let alone in a foreign language. But you gotta do what you gotta do. Sometimes, situations are complicated and require you to explain your actions or intentions; you might even need to present the logic and reasoning behind a decision you’ve made. Below, you’ll find some useful Hindi phrases for intermediate learners that’ll get the job done with subtlety and simplicity!

A Woman Talking on a Blue Telephone

Let’s learn how to give your reasons.

1 – “I did this because…”

  • मैंने ऐसा इसलिए किया क्योंकि… (mainNe aiSaa iSaLiye kiyaa kyonki…)
  • मैंने ऐसा इसलिए किया क्योंकि मैं तुमसे बहुत प्यार करता/करती हूँ।” (mainNe aiSaa iSaLiye kiyaa kyonki main TumaSe bahuT pyaar karaTaa/karaTii huun.)
    “I did this because I really love you.”

2 – “I believed it was the right thing to do. That’s why…”

  • मुझे यही ठीक लगा। इसीलिए… (mujhe yahii thiik Lagaa. iSiiLiye…)
  • मुझे यही ठीक लगा इसीलिए मैंने किरण को सब कुछ सच-सच बता दिया। (mujhe yahii thiik Lagaa iSiiLiye mainNe kiran ko Sab kuch Sac-Sac baTaa Diyaa.)
    “I believed it was the right thing to do. That’s why I told Kiran everything.”

3 – “I chose it for three reasons. First of all… Secondly… Last but not least…”

  • मैंने इसे तीन वजहों से चुना। सबसे पहली वजह…दूसरी वजह…और तीसरी वजह… (mainNe iSe TiiN vajahon Se cuNaa. SabaSe pahaLii vajah… DuuSarii vajah… aur TiiSarii vajah…)
  • मैंने इस घर को तीन वजहों से चुना। पहली वजह, यह बहुत सस्ता है। दूसरी वजह, यह शहर के बीचोंबीच है। और तीसरी वजह, यह मेरे दफ़्तर के काफ़ी क़रीब है। (mainNe iS ghar ko TiiN vajahon Se cuNaa. SabaSe pahaLii vajah, yah bahuT SaSTaa hai. DuuSarii vajah, yah sahar ke biiconbiic hai. aur TiiSarii vajah, yah mere DafTar ke kaafii qariib hai.)
    “I chose this house for three reasons. First of all, it’s quite cheap. Secondly, it’s right in the center of the city. And thirdly, it’s really close to my office.”

A Man Explaining His Reason for Doing Something during an Interview

“Well, I did this because…”

5. Making Recommendations and Complaints

We are all guilty of having opinions. Nevertheless, this isn’t always a bad thing. Giving the right feedback is valuable in that it helps make everything much easier for the next person. For instance, recommending a restaurant for its great food or giving negative feedback about a company that never pays attention to customer complaints may save your loved ones a lot of trouble.

Three Scoops of Different Ice Cream Flavors Drizzled with Syrup

“It’s the best ice cream you’ll ever have!”

So, the next time your native Hindi-speaking friends ask for your opinion about something, go ahead and play your role in helping them make an informed decision. Here are some intermediate-level Hindi phrases to help you start making complaints and recommendations. 

1 – “You should try this. It’s the best ___ I’ve ever had.”

  • ये चखकर देखो। इससे बेहतरीन बिरयानी मैंने पहले कभी नहीं खाई। (ye cakh kar Dekho. iSaSe behaTariiN birayaaNii mainNe pahaLe kabhii Nahiin khaaii.)

    Literal Translation: “Taste this. I’ve never had a biryani tastier than this.”
  • आपको ये पनीर टिक्का ज़रूर खाना चाहिए। ये बहुत ही स्वादिष्ट है। (aapako ye paNiir tikaa zaruur khaaNaa caahiye. ye bahuT hii SvaaDist hai.)

    Literal Translation: “You must try this paneer tikka. It’s delicious.”

2 – “We loved staying at this hotel. I would definitely go back again.”

  • हमें ये होटल बहुत पसंद आया था। हम वहां दुबारा ज़रूर जायेंगे। (hamen ye hotaL bahuT paSanD aayaa THaa. ham vahaan Dubaaraa zaruur jaayenge.)

3 – “Bad customer service. Would not recommend it.”

  • इस कंपनी की सेवाएं बिल्कुल भी अच्छी नहीं हैं। (iS kampaNii kii Sevaayen biLkuL bhii acchii Nahiin hain.)
  • इनकी ग्राहक सेवा बहुत ख़राब है। (iNakii graahak Sevaa bahuT kharaab hai.)

4 – “This brand has the best products. You should try their ___.”

  • इस ब्रैंड के सभी उत्पाद बहुत अच्छे हैं। तुम्हें इनकी कोको फ़ेस क्रीम ज़रूर इस्तेमाल करनी चाहिए। (iS braind ke Sabhii uTpaaD bahauT acche hain. Tumhen iNkii koko feS kriim zaruur iSTemaaL karNii caahiye.)

    Literal Translation: “All the products of this brand are awesome. You should try their cocoa face cream.”

A Man Complaining for Bad Service on a Restaurant

“Such poor service!”

6. Reaction Phrases for Everyday Conversations

In today’s times, with people living almost every moment of their lives on social media, how could we forget the importance of reaction phrases?

You know, it’s common to see the internet flooded with phrases like “Wow,” “Awesome,” and “You kidding?” But what are their Hindi substitutes and equivalents? And in what context should you use them?

We’ll tell you in a minute. And just so that it makes total sense to you, we’ve also included some sample dialogues using these intermediate Hindi phrases. So, have a go!

One Person Whispering a Secret in Another’s Ear

Ready to learn reaction phrases in Hindi?

1 – “Awesome!”

  • अरे वाह! (are vaah!)
  • क्या बात है! (kyaa baaT hai!)

Sample Dialogue
A: 
हम सब कल फ़िल्म देखने जा रहे हैं! रात का खाना भी बाहर ही खाएंगे। 
(ham Sab kaL fiLm DekhaNe jaa rahe hain. raaT kaa khaaNaa bhii baahar hii khaayenge.)
“We are going to see a movie tomorrow. We’ll also have dinner out.”

B:
अरे वाह! 
(are vaah!)
“Awesome!”

2 – “Really?”

  • सच में? (Sac men?)

3 – “No kidding!”

  • क्या बात कर रहे/ रही हो! (kyaa baaT kar rahe/ rahii ho!)

    Literal Translation: “What are you talking about!”

4 – “My goodness!”

  • हे भगवान! (he bhagavaaN!)
  • हे ईश्वर! (he iisvar!)

Sample Dialogue
A:
सुनील को दुर्घटना में बहुत चोट आयी है। उसे अस्पताल में भर्ती करवाया गया है। 
(SuNiiL ko DurghataNaa men bahuT cot aayii hai. uSe aSpaTaaL men bharTii karavaayaa gayaa hai.)
“Sunil was badly hurt in the accident. He has been admitted to the hospital.”

B:
हे भगवान! ये तो बहुत बुरा हुआ! 
(he bhagavaaN! ye To bahuT buraa huaa!)
“My goodness! This is terrible!”

5 – “Unbelievable!”

  • यकीन नहीं होता! (yakiiN Nahiin hoTaa!)
  • ऐसा नहीं हो सकता! (aiSaa Nahiin ho SakaTaa!)

    Literal Translation: “This cannot happen!”

6 – “Wow!”

  • वाह! (vaah)
  • बहुत सुंदर! (bahuT SuNDar!)

7 – “That’s fantastic!”

  • मज़ा आ गया! (mazaa aa gayaa!)
  • बहुत बढ़िया! (bahuT badhiyaa!)

Sample Dialogue
A:
मुझे दिल्ली के कॉलेज में प्रवेश मिल गया है। 
(mujhe DiLLii ke kauLej men praves miL gayaa hai.)
“I’ve got admission into a Delhi college.”

B:
बहुत बढ़िया! 
(bahuT badhiyaa!)
“That’s fantastic!”

7. Etiquette Phrases for Social and Business Settings

And our last category consists of the most popular etiquette phrases to use in personal and professional situations. Make sure to look at the literal translations where applicable. 

1 – “You first!”

  • पहले आप। (pahaLe aap.)

A Couple Dining at a Nice Outdoor Restaurant

Bon Appétit!

2 – “Bon appétit!”

  • शुरू करें? (suruu karen?)

    Literal Translation: “Let’s start?”
  • खाना शुरू करें? (khaaNaa suruu karen?)

    Literal Translation: “Shall we start eating?”

3 – “Welcome to our store.”

  • हमारे स्टोर में आपका स्वागत है। (hamaare Stor men aapakaa SvaagaT hai.)
  • हमारी दुकान में आपका स्वागत है। (hamaarii DukaaN men aapakaa SvaagaT hai.)

4 – “Please make yourself at home.”

  • इसे अपना ही घर समझिये। (iSe apaNaa hii ghar Samajhiye.)

    Literal Translation: “Think of it as your own house.”

5 – “Please let me know if you have any questions.”

  • अगर कोई सवाल हो तो मुझसे पूछें। (agar koii SavaaL ho To mujhaSe puuchen.)
  • अगर कुछ पूछना हो तो मुझसे बात करें। (agar kuch puuchaNaa ho To mujhaSe baaT karen.)

6 – “I look forward to hearing from you.”

  • मुझे आपके जवाब का इंतज़ार रहेगा। (mujhe aapake javaab kaa iNTazaar rahegaa.)

A Man Leaving for Work and Waving Goodbye to His Wife and Children

“Travel safe!”

7 – “Have a safe trip!”

  • आपकी यात्रा मंगलमय हो। (aapkii yaaTraa mangaLamay ho.)
  • शुभ यात्रा! (subh yaaTraa!)
  • अच्छे से जाना। (acche Se jaaNaa.)

    Literal Translation: “Travel safe.”

8. Reach New Heights with HindiPod101.com

We hope you enjoyed this Hindi lesson! You now know some of the essential Hindi phrases for intermediate learners, which is sure to help you make friends and leave a good impression on others. 

If your thirst for learning is still unquenched, there’s so much more available on HindiPod101.com to make your Hindi learning fun and easy. From our amazing video lessons to our lists of key Hindi phrases, our platform provides everything you’ve been looking for.

What’s more, you’ll also get access to free audio lessons, free vocabulary lists, and a free Hindi dictionary. There are vocabulary lists and PDF notes included with each lesson to make things even easier for you, not to mention online flashcards for more effective vocabulary retention. Sign up today, and have a great time learning with us on HindiPod101.com!

In the meantime, don’t forget to practice these intermediate Hindi phrases. Let us know which ones you found most useful and which ones seemed tricky. Is there any particular phrase you’d like us to translate for you? We’re all ears. Drop your message in the comments and let us know!

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