India is the world's second most populous country and is also very culturally, religiously, and lingually diverse. With over 22 languages that are recognized by the government and hundreds of other languages that are spoken within the country, it can be difficult to know what language the local people will speak when you visit India and which language (if any) you should learn before you travel.
In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about different languages of India including where they are spoken, the writing system and alphabet, how Indian languages are different from English, and some useful travel phrases.
The Different Languages of India
The languages spoken in India have ancient roots and belong to two major languages families. The majority of Indian languages belong to the Indo-Aryan family which is derived from Sanskrit and influenced strongly by Persian and Arabic. Most of North India speaks Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali.
In southern India, most languages are from the Dravidian language family. This language family includes languages such as Tamil and Malayalam. The Dravidian languages are completely different from the Indo-Aryan languages spoken in the rest of the country.
Within these two language groups, there are many different languages and dialects. Below we will explain some of the most widely spoken Indian languages.
National Languages of India
Despite what many people believe, India does not have an official national language. Although there is a lot of debate about what language (if any) should be the national language of India, the two most likely candidates are Hindi and English because they are the most widely spoken across the country.
Hindi: Hindi is natively spoken by about 41% of the people in India and is the primary language spoken in Northern India. Hindi is the first language of people living in the states of Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Chattisgarh.
Although other states in northern India do not speak Hindi as their first language, the people there will be able to understand Hindi as most Indians learn Hindi in school. Some states where Hindi is not natively spoken but is widely understood include West Bengal, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Kashmir, and Kammu.
English: English was brought to India during its colonization by the British and has remained within the country as the lingua franca that helps Indians of many different native languages communicate. English is often used in the central government, on countrywide news channels, and in business.
English is widely understood and spoken in India and foreigners who are exploring Indian cities should have few problems getting around by just speaking English. However, if you are traveling to rural areas in India it is less likely that the locals will understand English and it will be necessary to bring a guide who speaks the local language.
Regional Languages of India
Almost every state in India has its own language or dialect. Although there are over 780 languages spoken in India, 22 languages are recognized by the government and some of the most widely spoken of these 22 are explained below.
Bengali: Bengali is a North Indian language spoken in the state of West Bengal and is the second most widely spoken language in India with over 83 million speakers. Bengali is considered to be a very poetic language and the national anthem of India was originally written in Bengali.
Telugu: Telugu is a South Indian Dravidian language that is spoken by around 74 million people in India and across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Yanam.
Marathi: Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language that has around 72 million speakers and is the official language of some states in western India including Goa and Maharashtra.
Tamil: Tamil is a Dravidian language that is spoken in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This language has around 67 million speakers and is one of the oldest surviving languages in the world.
Urdu: Urdu is a North Indian language that is a sister language to Hindi. Hindi speakers often use many words from Urdu and most people who speak Hindi can understand those that speak Urdu and vice versa. Urdu is spoken mostly in Jammu and Kashmir and has over 59 million speakers in India.
Kannada: Like Tamil, Kannada is a South Indian Dravidian language and is one of the oldest surviving languages in the world. Kannada is spoken by the people in the state of Karnataka and has over 20 different dialects. Around 50 million people in India speak Kannada.
Other Indian Languages: Other equally important but less widely spoken regional languages of India include Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Oriya, Malayalam, Konkani, Manipuri, Khasi, and Mizo.
Lingual Divide between the North and South
In the 1960s, the Indian government tried to pass a law that would make Hindi the official language of India, but this received major backlash by Indians from regions in South India where people speak languages from the Dravidian family.
The Dravidian languages such as Tamil and Kannada are actually the indigenous languages of ancient India and hold a lot of culture and heritage for those who speak it.
Although Hindi will get you by in most of India, speaking Hindi in southern India especially in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka can be seen as insulting.
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Very great experience our driver D was…
Very great experience our driver D was never late and always had waters and a cold towel for us and our tour guide Som was very informative and had amazing English I recommend them both highly for anyone else traveling More
Rylan Coache, Feb 2024
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Excellent guide in Siem Reap
Our recent time spent in Siem Reap was made even more memorable by our expert guide, Som Piseth. Som was knowledgeable, attentive, flexible and super helpful - we learnt so much about Siem Reap and Cambodia in our 3 days with him. His English was excellent and his knowledge of, and pride in, his country was outstanding. We would highly recommend Som for anyone wanting an excellent guide in Siem Reap! More
Sharon Townshend, Feb 2024
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Asia Highlights trip to Thailand
Our first tour guide in Bangkok, Marie, was great to tour around with. She was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. Our next stop in Chang Mai we were greeted by our new tour guide, Rafael. He too was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. He made it feel as if we were traveling around with a long time friend. Every time we arrived at a new destination, we were greeted at the airport by someone with a sign with our name making our travels easy. I would definitely recommend Asia Highlights to anyone looking for a well planned trip of a lifetime! More
Tricia, Feb 2024
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Amazing Thailand experience
The tour guides were all knowledgeable and accommodating, especially Mayuree in Bangkok- absolutely wonderful. We felt taken care of and every step of the way was catered to our needs. More
Ashley White, Feb 2024
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Private tour perfect for our times
Asia highlights organized a private tour with our requests. Everything was perfect ?? the driver Tom and the guide Ying were always on time with a smile in their face. Always willing to help and make our trip perfect. Bangkok is a very hot city so we minimized the time outside. The driver always had cold towels for us in the van and cold beverages. More
Virginia, Feb 2024
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Thailand
We loved Chiang Mai and Susie did a great job showing us several temples, taking many pictures of us with the elephants at the sanctuary (a definite highlight of the entire trip!), and making sure we were well fed, which became a running joke between us.We had a very relaxing few days in Phuket enjoying the beautiful beaches. Kai was great, answering all of our questions and giving us a nice tour of the old town. The all-day speedboat tour of the Phi Phi islands started off a little shaky as the sea was quite rough so if you’re at all uncomfortable bouncing around in a speedboat, you might want to skip that tour. Things did calm down as the day went on and some of the areas they took us to for swimming, snorkeling, etc were really beautiful. A couple of the islands were too crowded with people. More
Andrea Roberts, Feb 2024
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What a Wonderful Trip
What a Wonderful Trip! We booked with Sharon and our trip was great - guides were waiting for us at each stop, and they were all very nice and helpful. I cannot stress how amazing the guides were - they made the trip. More
Rachel, Feb 2024
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Ask for Victor!
If you are traveling to Bangkhok you need to request Victor. He made our trip amazing! My family completed bucket list items with his guidance. He knew exactly how to get us places, kept us on time, made us feel safe, educated us on history, spoke excellent English and was genuinely a nice man! Everyone we encountered was awesome- but Victor is the reason for my 5 star review! More
Sandy, Jan 2024
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Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a…
Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a wonderful trip to Thailand. We had a great time. The tour guides were wonderful as were the hotels you booked for us. We will definitely contact you to plan our next trip More
Carol Yeung, Jan 2024
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Ying was the best
Ying was the best. She was really knowledgeable and kind. Thank you Ying for wonderful experience in Thailand! More
Sylvester Yeung, Jan 2024
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Very well organized
Very well organized. Our tour guide, Ying, was amazing! She had full knowledge of every location we visited and made sure our itinerary was fulfilled as expected. She was extremely helpful for our airport experiences, and made sure we arrived at an appropriate time. More
David M. Kang, Jan 2024
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Family trip to Thailand
We were lucky to be greeted by Marie and her driver.In Marie, we have made a friend for life. She is incredibly smart and knowledgeable about her home country. From the vast number of temples to safely traversing Chinatown.She helped give us tips on our free days, locate left behind lost clothing and arrange for pickup. She even helped check us in for our flight to Chiang Mai.She prepared us ahead of time for every event we had scheduled and bonded with our kids, 3x 13 year olds. More
Justin Levenbrook, Jan 2024
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Thailand with and amazing tour guide Ying
I highly recommend Ying as a tour guide in Thailand. Her expertise in Thai culture, combined with her passion for food and genuine love for her country, made the tour an exceptional experience. If you're looking for a guide who will not only show you the sights but also immerse you in the local culture and help you discover delicious Thai cuisine, Ying is the perfect choice. More
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Asia Highlights Thailand trip
Asia Highlights provided us with a great travel trip. They made it very easy to navigate through Thailand with everything going very smoothly. From the easy transportation to the great day itinerary everything was awesome. Will definitely look to use this agency again in the future. More
Taylor Jones, Jan 2024
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Perfect 2 WK Thailand Trip for a Solo Female Traveler
Bank was our guide in Bangkok and he showed us around the city with ease and we were able to see and try things I never would have planned on my own. After Bangkok, our small group flew to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng lantern festival and that was a breathtaking experience that I will never forget! Pop was our guide in this city and she was knowledgeable, kind and caring which made our experience even more memorable. More
Tia, Dec 2023
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We recently have just returned from Thailand
We recently have just returned one from a 5 week trip to Thailand through Asia Highlights. We had a wonderful time and Asia Highlights went beyond our expectations. They truly tried their best to make sure everything went smoothly and we were taken care of! Everyone was amazing and we would definitely use them in the future!! Many thanks to everyone that helped to make this an incredible once in a lifetime experience!! More
Karen Rocque, Dec 2023
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Indochina Experience
On our 5th day of our trip with Asiahighlights. We felt well taken care of before and it hasn’t changed since we started from Bangkok to Hanoi (guide Kim was verrry knowledgeable!) to Halong Bay (spectacular scenery) to Hoi An (guide Nhieu Tran, giving great local (shopping) tips and insights). More
Stefan Eisenhut, Dec 2023
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Accommodations by Asia highlights have
Accommodations by Asia highlights have been terrific so far. The Khmer Residence in Siem Reap as well as Eastin Grand hotel in Bangkok. Both had excellent pools and breakfasts.Tours in Siem Reap were particularly well given with an amazing mix of culture, history and humor throughout (Mr Poly). Tours in Bangkok by Mr Banks were informative and well organized with samples of Thai fruit and treats throughout. More
Chris Williams, Nov 2023
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Seeing Bangkok with ease
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Diane Elkins, Nov 2023
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Thailand- October 2023!
The team in Thailand was also great. Shout out to our tour guides (Monchai in Bangkok, Indy in Chang Mai and Sonia in Phuket) they were the best!! It was 6 of us and they make us all feel right at home! Kudos! More
Mori P, Nov 2023
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What Language Should You Learn before visiting India?
When traveling to India, it is not necessary to learn a new language because the majority of Indians speak English well. In big cities, most foreigners will have no problems getting by with English and in rural areas, you can always travel with a guide.
However, if you want to learn some Indian phrases, you will be able to impress the locals with your interest in their culture and you may make some new friends during your travels.
If you are only visiting one region in India, then the best idea is to learn a few phrases in that region's local language. However, if you are traveling across many regions in India, the best language to learn is Hindi as it is the most widely understood.
Indian Script and Alphabet
Each language in India uses a slightly different script although from an outside perspective it may be difficult to tell the difference between them. Unlike Mandarin, Indian scripts operate off of an alphabet with many different letters each of which makes a different sound.
Hindi and other Indo-Aryan languages use the Devanagari script which was taken from ancient Sanskrit and has 47 primary letters including 14 vowels and 33 consonants.
In Hindi writing, the vowels and consonants of words merge together to form one flowing shape. Written Hindi is easily recognizable by the horizontal line the runs across the top of every word. For example, the word India in Hindi is written इंडिया.
Indian Languages from a Foreigner's Perspective
Learning a new language is always difficult and it is especially daunting when that language is very different from your native language. If you grew up speaking English, then the languages of India will look and sound very foreign to you.
In this section, we will talk about some of the major differences between Indian languages, such as Hindi, and English.
Formality and Honorifics
One of the major differences between Indian languages and English is the use of honorifics. In Indian culture, respect for age and social position are both very important and this is strongly reflected in their languages.
In India, it is seen as impolite to call someone who is older than you or of a higher social standing by their first name. Instead, there are many honorifics (respectful titles) that should be used. The Indian honorifics system is quite complicated but in most of India, if you are referring to someone who is older than you, you can call them auntie or uncle depending on their gender.
In Hindi, you can also sound respectful and polite by using the word ji (pronounced like gee). Ji is similar to the Japanese word san and is an honorific that can be added to the end of a person's name to show respect. For example, if you are talking to another person who is named Deepak and you want to be respectful you can call them Deepakji (pronounced like Dee-pak-gee).
Consonants and Pronunciation
One of the best parts of learning an Indian language is that, unlike English, everything in Hindi is pronounced exactly as it is written and once you know all the sounds learning new words is easy. However, the downside of many Indian languages is that they include sounds that do not exist in English and are difficult for native English speakers to pronounce.
In Hindi, there are three different "r" sounds and two different "t" sounds. These differences in sound don't exist in English and many English speakers will have a hard time differentiating the sounds as well as pronouncing them.
Hindi also includes many consonants that are immediately followed by an "h" sound which don't exist in English. For example, in Hindi, there is a da sound and a dha sound as well as a ka sound and a kha sound. Depending on which one you use you can say a completely different word.
Although pronouncing words in Indian languages can be difficult for foreigners, even if you do get the pronunciation wrong it is likely that the people you are speaking to will still understand what you want to say and just be happy that you are trying to learn their language.
Influence of English
One aspect of Indian languages that makes them easier to learn is that the English language has had a large influence in India. Indian languages and English have a long history of exchanging words and many Indians today will use certain English phrases such as hi, bye, and cheers instead of saying them in their native language.
When traveling in India, it is very normal to hear people speak in a mixture of English and their native Indian language. In northern India speaking in Hinglish is very common and people in cities will carry on conversations while unpredictably switching between English and Hindi within the same sentence. This means that although as travelers you might not understand a lot of the conversations around you, you can still guess and interpret generally what people are saying.
Useful Phrases in Hindi
As Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India, when traveling in India it's a good idea to know some basic phrases that you can practice with the locals.
The first important word to know is thank you which is Hindi is shukriya (pronounced like shoo-cree-ya). Shukriya is a great word to use whenever you buy something or when someone helps you during your travels.
When traveling in India, it is also a good idea to know the words for yes and no in Hindi. Although everyone in India will understand the words "yes" and "no" in English. They may answer your questions using the Hindi versions which are haa (pronounced like hah) for yes and nah hi or naa (pronounced like nah-hee and nah)
Lastly, because India is a country with a high population, when using public transportation or when visiting busy tourist attractions you may want to say excuse me. In Hindi, there is no direct translation for excuse me, but Indians will often say "I'm sorry" when brushing past people instead. I'm sorry in Hindi is maaf keejiye (pronounced like maf-kee-gee-yay).
For more Hindi travel phrases please check out the article How to Say Hello in Hindi.
Visit India with Asia Highlights
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It was a whirlwind across a number of cities, but a very comprehensive experience across the many sides and cultures of China. Most days had sufficient activities, but weren’t overwhelming, which was great.Across cities, we had excellent tour guides, like Kitty (Beijing), Jenny (Xian), William (Guilin/Yangshuo), Kris (Shanghai), and Tony (Yellow Mountains.)
moreFrom the time we landed in Beijing until we left, we were well taken care of. My wife and I had Lily Liu as our guide and she was amazing. From arranging visits to all the different sights, to teaching us the history, it was fantastic.
moreThe tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history
moreWe made a private tour through South China in January 2024. Altogether Chengdu was the highlight. We had an incredible day at Emeishan. In Chengdu our guidewas Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreOther highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing,
moreOur day volunteering at the Panda Base was truly unforgettable. Helen, our guide, provided us with invaluable insights about Chengdu and the pandas, enriching our tour with her knowledge and expertise. We're grateful to Helen for accompanying us throughout the day and showcasing the highlights of China.
moreWe had a booking with China Highlights through Silvia Ye who guarenteed a perfect organisation. In Chengdu our guide was Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreWe traveled to China during the Chinese new year and we had Kris as our guide and he is simply knowledgeable,helpful and great.
moreWe visited Guilin for 2 days and stayed in the Guilin Waterfall hotel. Guilin was absolutely beautiful! Our guide, William, was very knowledgeable and kind! He taught us so much about Guilin and the surrounding area! We really enjoyed trying the specialty rice noodles of Guilin. Our highlight was the Li river cruise.
moreAmazing tour and the guide Mr. 贺霄 was very accommodating with our needs and request as we have bought our 2 years old with us. Well explained for all the place we visited. Any additional cost were informed well ahead and didn't felt any pressure if we opt not to go for additional detour. The trip was relaxing/ laid back/no rushing with zero shopping!
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