Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and is used across much of India. For children in Telugu families, learning Hindi is often part of school, and it opens doors to Indian films, music, and friendships across the country.
Here are 50 basic Hindi words and phrases for kids, with Devanagari script and simple pronunciation.
Greetings and Polite Words
- नमस्ते (Namaste) – Hello
- आप कैसे हैं? (Aap kaise hain?) – How are you? (respectful)
- मैं ठीक हूँ (Main theek hoon) – I am fine
- धन्यवाद (Dhanyavaad) – Thank you (also shukriya)
- माफ़ कीजिए (Maaf keejiye) – Sorry / Excuse me
- हाँ (Haan) – Yes
- नहीं (Nahin) – No
- अलविदा (Alvida) – Goodbye (people often say phir milenge, “see you again”)
About Me
- मेरा नाम ___ है (Mera naam ___ hai) – My name is ___
- आपका नाम क्या है? (Aapka naam kya hai?) – What is your name?
- मुझे भूख लगी है (Mujhe bhookh lagi hai) – I am hungry
- मुझे प्यास लगी है (Mujhe pyaas lagi hai) – I am thirsty
Family
- माँ (Maa) – Mother
- पापा / पिता (Papa / Pita) – Father
- भाई (Bhai) – Brother
- बहन (Behen) – Sister
- दादा (Dada) – Grandfather (father’s father)
- दादी (Dadi) – Grandmother (father’s mother)
- नाना (Nana) – Grandfather (mother’s father)
- नानी (Nani) – Grandmother (mother’s mother)
Numbers 1 to 10
- एक (ek) – 1
- दो (do) – 2
- तीन (teen) – 3
- चार (chaar) – 4
- पाँच (paanch) – 5
- छह (chhah) – 6
- सात (saat) – 7
- आठ (aath) – 8
- नौ (nau) – 9
- दस (das) – 10
Colours
- लाल (laal) – Red
- हरा (haraa) – Green
- पीला (peelaa) – Yellow
- नीला (neelaa) – Blue
- काला (kaalaa) – Black
- सफ़ेद (safed) – White
Food and Drink
- पानी (paani) – Water
- दूध (doodh) – Milk
- खाना (khaana) – Food
- चावल (chaawal) – Rice
- फल (phal) – Fruit
- आम (aam) – Mango
Useful Words
- अच्छा (achchha) – Good / okay
- बड़ा (badaa) – Big
- छोटा (chhotaa) – Small
- दोस्त (dost) – Friend
- स्कूल (school) – School
- किताब (kitaab) – Book
- घर (ghar) – House / home
- यह क्या है? (Yeh kya hai?) – What is this?
Hindi and Telugu: Friends, Not Twins
Children who speak Telugu may notice some similar words, especially ones from Sanskrit, like pustak/pustakam (book) or phal/phalam (fruit). But the two languages come from different families: Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language, while Telugu is Dravidian. Their grammar and scripts are quite different.
Fun Ways to Learn Hindi
- Sing Hindi children’s songs and rhymes.
- Watch Hindi cartoons with subtitles.
- Play “Hindi-Telugu-English”: Say one word in all three languages.
- Label items at home in Devanagari.
- Count in Hindi while climbing stairs or skipping.
- Talk to Hindi-speaking friends and neighbours.
Final Thoughts
Learning Hindi helps children connect with millions of people across India. Start with a few words each week, practise through play, and soon your child will be greeting friends with a confident “Namaste!“
