Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

Intro

Alisha: What is Hindi slang like?
Shakti: And is it commonly used?
Alisha: At HindiPod101.com, we hear these questions often. In this scenario, Khushbu Khan uses a slang expression Ben Lee has never heard before. She says,
"For real?"
ख़ुशबू: सच में? (Sac men?)
Dialogue
ख़ुशबू: सच में? (Sac men?)
बेन: इसका क्या मतलब होता है? (iSakaa kyaa maTaLab hoTaa hai?)
ख़ुशबू: इसका मतलब होता है, "Really?" (iSakaa maTaLab hoTaa hai, "Really?")
Alisha: Once more with the English translation.
ख़ुशबू: सच में? (Sac men?)
Alisha: "For real?"
बेन: इसका क्या मतलब होता है? (iSakaa kyaa maTaLab hoTaa hai?)
Alisha: "What does that mean?"
ख़ुशबू: इसका मतलब होता है, "Really?" (iSakaa maTaLab hoTaa hai, "Really?")
Alisha: "It means, 'Really?'"

Lesson focus

Alisha: Slang is an important aspect of language. It's not often taught inside the classroom, but learning can help you master a language. Slang, or
Shakti: कठबोली (kathaboLii)
Alisha: in Hindi, is informal words and expressions used by a particular group of people. Teenagers, for instance, have their own slang words that serve as some kind of code. People use slang words to better convey feelings and implied concepts. Some groups use them to establish their identity, exclude outsiders, or both. Since slang words are informal and are a part of the colloquial language, they are used in daily conversations and are important to be familiar with.
[Recall 1]
Why don't we learn more about Hindi slang starting with the ones in our dialogue?
Do you remember how Khushbu Khan says "For real?"
[Beep. Pause 5 seconds.]
Shakti: सच में? (Sac men?)
Alisha: When Ben asked what it meant, Khushbu explained that it simply meant 'really?' Just like in the English language, the phrase
Shakti: सच में? (Sac men?)
Alisha: is used to express surprise and disbelief. In particular, it is used when someone tells you a story that's too good to be true or tells you something you don't expect is ever going to happen.
Alisha: So far, you've learned that slang is an important aspect of colloquial language. It is often limited to small groups and can change quickly or become obsolete. Knowing a couple of Hindi slang words will keep you from being clueless and confused when you hear someone utter them. So, why don't we look at some more examples of slang words Hindi people use? Let's start with something positive.
Shakti: क्या बात है! (kyaa baaT hai!) [SLOW] क्या बात है! (kyaa baaT hai!)
Alisha: This slang term essentially means "Amazing," "Awesome," or "Wow." You will often see this expression used on social media, although it's also commonly used in face-to-face conversations. For instance, if you see a Facebook post you like, you can say,
Shakti: क्या बात है! सुंदर तस्वीर! (kyaa baaT hai! SunDar TaSveer!)
Alisha: "Wow! Beautiful picture!" A similar term would be
Shakti: ज़बरदस्त (zabaraDaST) [SLOW] ज़बरदस्त (zabaraDaST)
Alisha: which means "Tremendous!" Now, what if you want to show disappointment about something? In that case, you can say
Shakti: अरे यार! (are yaar!) [SLOW] अरे यार! (are yaar!)
Alisha: which is one of the most common slang words in Hindi. It essentially means "Oh man!" It's what you say when you want to express disappointment or frustration, such as when you miss the bus, for instance.
Shakti: अरे यार! मेरी बस छूट गयी। (are yaar! merii baS chuut gayii.)
Alisha: "Oh, man! I missed my bus." But this slang can be considered offensive, so avoid using it with the elderly or with someone superior at work or in society, where being respectful is necessary. Hindi also has slang words based on people's personalities. For instance, there's the expression
Shakti: नौटंकी (Nautankii) [SLOW] नौटंकी (Nautankii)
Alisha: This is a gender-neutral slang term that means "Drama King" or "Drama Queen," and is used for people who often throw tantrums or love to show off. There's another gender-neutral slang with the same meaning and this is
Shakti: ड्रामेबाज़ (draamebaaz).
Expansion
Alisha: Perhaps you're wondering if famous English slang expressions have an equivalent in Hindi. In fact, they do! For instance, the famous internet expression LOL, which means "Laughing out loud," in Hindi is
Shakti: हँसते-हँसते लोट-पोट हो जाना (hanSaTe-hanSaTe Lot-pot ho jaaNaa.) or हँस-हँस के लोट-पोट हो जाना (hans-hans ke Lot-pot ho jaaNaa.)
Alisha: Most Indians would use LOL on social media. This Hindi slang term literally means "to laugh so much that you are rolling on the ground." For example, if you saw a very funny movie and want to describe to a friend how much you liked the movie, you could say
Shakti: अरे यार! मैं तो हँसते-हँसते लोट-पोट हो गया। (are yaar! main To hanSaTe-hanSaTe Lot-pot ho gaya.)
Alisha: Notice the expression
Shakti: अरे यार! (are yaar!)
Alisha: You can use this expression to express happiness and excitement too.
Alisha: And then there's the English BRB, which is short for "be right back." In Hindi, it's
Shakti: अभी आता हूँ (abhii aaTaa huun) for a male or अभी आती हूँ (abhii aaTii huun) for a female.
Alisha: This sentence literally means "I am just coming." And finally, there's OMG in English, which stands for "Oh my God!" In Hindi, it's said as
Shakti: हे भगवान! (he bhagavaaN!)
Cultural Insight
Alisha: Like most cultures, Hindi has a lot of offensive slang words, most of which you should avoid using, as they can be degrading. There are a few of these words, though, that, when used appropriately, may not sound that negative. For instance, there's the word
Shakti: फ़ट्टू (Fattu)
Alisha: This could mean "coward" or the equivalent of the English expression "wimp." You can use it to encourage a friend to express his feelings to someone he likes. You can say something like, "Stop being a…
Shakti: fattu
Alisha: ...and admit your feelings to her already!" Of course, such manner of speaking is reserved for very close friends, so it's a good idea to use it sparingly.

Outro

Alisha: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them!
Shakti: फिर मिलेंगे! (phir miLenge!)
Alisha: See you soon!

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