One of the official tongues of India, Hindi is both colorful and phonetic – meaning there is a direct relationship between the spelling and sound of words. It’s the fourth most spoken language in the world, with more than 500 million people globally using it as a first or second language. Its similarities with Urdu – Pakistan's official dialect – and the fact that it’s understood in numerous countries mean it can expand your reach, providing you with even more job opportunities. So learning Hindi can be useful for you in business, especially if you're planning to work with a booming economy such as India. Native speakers will admire your efforts, and it’ll help bridge the cultural gap when you talk their language. And don’t forget the added bonus of being able to discover Bollywood’s incredible Hindi films!
Why Learn Hindi With Language Learning Software
Hindi evolved from Sanskrit (an ancient Indo-European language) and uses the Devanagari script. It can be an extremely tricky language for native English speakers, as the pronunciation, cadence, and tone are completely different. Learning to write Hindi is significantly more challenging than understanding it spoken. The language also has several influences and borrowed words from Portuguese and English that date back to colonial times. Although certainly not as difficult as Arabic, Mandarin, or Japanese, Hindi still represents a big hurdle for anyone wanting to learn it from scratch.
This is why using language learning software is practically unavoidable in this case, especially when you consider the amount of time it would take to learn on your own – even more so if you don’t live in a Hindi-speaking area. There are plenty of up-to-date affordable apps that let you study at your own pace. With an entertaining and stimulating process, you only need a few minutes a day to start learning. These software offer an immersive language learning experience, ideal for expanding your vocabulary and pronunciation skills, and include audio courses perfectly suited for a phonetic language such as Hindi.
Recommended Language Learning Apps for Hindi
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone was one of the earliest learning apps released, and thus offers extremely well-rounded courses in several languages. If you choose this app, you'll find yourself in an immersive, uncomplicated, and rewarding program, ideal for beginners since it uses what you already know. Rosetta Stone focuses primarily on teaching the basics of the Devanagari script, following it up with common conversational phrases in context – rather than bland vocabulary lists. This allows students to get a feel for Hindi's lively culture early on. You'll write, read, listen, and speak with audio and visual aids, interactive games, and even live lessons with a native speaker. Don't worry about the price just yet – instead, try the 3-day free trial to get a taster of this thorough software.
Mondly
Real-life scenarios, VR technology, and a genuinely engaging interface are the features that set Mondly apart, making it one of the most innovative language learning apps. It introduces complete sentences right off the bat, creating an interesting early challenge for beginners but optimal for those who already have a grasp on Hindi vocabulary or anyone keen to learn quickly. Although it doesn't teach grammar, Mondly offers a lesson with different material each day, and you can also participate in the weekly and monthly quizzes. The excellent audio quality using real voice actors, the augmented reality, and the surprisingly interactive chatbot will undoubtedly leave students engaged and motivated. Get a taste of Mondly with either their free-forever limited plan or use the 7-day free trial to test the premium subscription and unlock more features and languages.
Pimsleur
Being completely audio-based, Pimsleur is an ideal software for a phonetic language like Hindi and will get you speaking in no time. It teaches you core vocabulary using scientifically proven methods, such as word anticipation and by limiting the number of new words you learn, leaving you time to internalize them. Pimsleur’s 30-minute lessons featuring native speakers are accessible from mobile or desktop apps, online or offline, and range from the basics of saying hello to a more intermediate level, offering you a reading booklet to scan along the way. Pimsleur's approach to learning will get you thinking in Hindi, quickly becoming familiar with Hindi's script and pronunciation, something other courses don't quite offer. Try the first lesson for free to get a taste of this effective software.
The Challenges of Learning Hindi
Writing in Hindi is considered much harder to grasp than speaking since the script uses a wide variety of languages. If you don’t already know an Indo-Aryan language, you may find Hindi very idiomatic. Furthermore, this language generally follows an SOV (subject-object-verb) order for its sentences, instead of the more common SVO (subject-verb-object) found in Latin languages. Once you learn Hindi’s characters, it becomes much easier to get into its structure, which actually has rather satisfying and regular rules. Each letter in the Hindi alphabet has its own independent and distinct sound, and words are pronounced exactly as they are written. An easy example of a sequence of similar verbs could be: ‘khaana (खाना),’ ‘khilaana (खिलाना),’ and ‘khilwaana (खिलवाना),’ which translates as ‘to eat’, ‘to feed’ and ‘to have someone fed.’
Luckily, many native speakers also use the English alphabet, and often change the meaning of English words and make them sound more Hindi. English nouns are also often used, such as ‘pen,’ ‘guitar,’ and ‘computer,’ making it possible to deviate from the Devanagari script. Nonetheless, there are still new sounds and completely new words to learn, and that’s where language learning apps come in handy.
Best Ways To Learn Hindi Online
Undoubtedly, online courses are a great way to acquire an intermediate fluency, especially for beginners. However, afterward you will likely lose the language if you don't immerse yourself in a Hindi environment. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities online to expand your Hindi knowledge. One fun option is to delve into Bollywood movies – try watching the non-dubbed versions with English subtitles. You can choose from classics such as ‘Mughal-E-Azam’ or ‘Koshish,’ or more contemporary options, like ‘3 Idiots’ or ‘Gangs of Wasseypur.’ YouTube and other streaming websites are also a fantastic choice, with a massive community of Hindi-related channels and content. If possible, you should also start talking with native speakers, which will help you appreciate and familiarize yourself with Hindi’s many dialects and fascinating culture.