Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It’s a common language for over 615 million people worldwide, including millions of Indians. The language originated from India but developed from different dialects to become a standardized form known as Hindustani.
Most people would agree that Hindi is one of the most complicated languages to learn. So, we’ll look at what you can expect when learning this dialect, so dive in!
Is Hindi Hard To learn?
Hindi is the official language of India, and it’s among the most challenging languages to learn. According to FSI, it belongs to the Category III language because of its diction, accent, and tone of speech! Moreover, it is challenging due to its complicated written tradition.
We have nine reasons to get deeper and explore Hindi dialects, history, and grammar here, so tune in!
1. Official Language of The Republic of India
According to the Indian Constitution, Hindi is the official language of India as prescribed by the Union, which includes Hindi in the Devanagari script.
However, it’s important to remember that not all Indians speak Hindi because the country is exceptionally multicultural, and many languages are spoken there.
Additionally, Hindi is the language of Bangladesh and Nepal, two countries that border India.
Remember that Hindi has a wide variety of speech registers and articulations!
2. Category IV Difficulty Language
According to the Foreign Services Institution, the Hindi language belongs to Category III, which comprises the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn.
Students typically need 1100 class hours or 44 weeks of instruction to achieve fluency.
You’ll have to put in a lot of effort to master the challenging pronunciation and accustom yourself to the occasionally strange-sounding vocabulary and word order.
After you’ve spent some time learning the new letters and sounds, studying Hindi grammar and diacritics comes in as the second most crucial step!
3. Devanagari Script, Context, and Grammar Rules
Devanagari is the primary script for writing Hindi, Marathi, and Nepali. It is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal.
The Hindi writing system, Devanagari, is first and foremost regarded as being extremely difficult to learn. Therefore, focusing on pronouncing foreign sounds is vital because these concepts can be complex.
First and foremost, get to know the Devanagari script. Also, remember that the Hindi alphabet has 45 letters with 36 consonants and 13 vowels.
Additionally, take note of the subject-object-verb structure of Hindi sentences and gender conjugation.
4. Pronunciation
As you can see, learning Hindi might be difficult.
If you are interested in learning Hindi in the future, take this information and learn from it. We are all distinct, and our brains work differently. Try not to feel discouraged and keep on trying.
Therefore, focusing on pronouncing foreign sounds is vital because these concepts can be complex.
In addition, each character represents a combination of a vowel and a consonant rather than just a single vowel or consonant.
Due to this, many linguists think that Hindi is one of the most challenging languages to learn!
As a beginner, you can use applications like Learn Hindi Free ($2.99), Learn Hindi Step by Step ($0.99/month), Rocket Languages ($149.99), and Anki ($25.99) for starters in this dialect!
5. History of Hindi as the Descendant of Sanskrit
Hindi is a descendant of an early form of Vedic Sanskrit via Sauraseni Prakrit, which appeared in the 7th century C.E., and belongs to the Indo-Aryan family.
Learning Hindi is the first step toward communicating with many people in your area. Assume you’ve never heard it spoken before. In that case, I can tell you I think it’s one of the most beautiful recorded human languages.
Nearly 425 million Indians speak Hindi as their mother tongue, and another 120 million speak it as a second language.
Countries with sizable Hindi-speaking populations include South Africa, the U.S., the U.K., Mauritius, Bangladesh, Yemen, and Uganda.
You write Hindi from left to right, similar to other European languages. However, remember that the words “the” and “a” are not present in Hindi!
6. Access to Indian Culture and Civilization
Studying Hindi can significantly enhance your understanding of and appreciation for Indian customs and culture, including popular foods and media.
Once you have mastered Hindi, speaking Urdu and other languages will come effortlessly to you.
For some students, learning Hindi opens their eyes to the rich culture of India. This may occur through comprehending Bollywood-style movies, books, artwork, or music!
7. Resources in Learning Hindi
You can start with Duolingo, Drops, and HindiPod101 for free videos and podcasts to improve your vocabulary, reading, and listening abilities.
To enhance your writing and reading, you can go for Udemy ($39.99) and Rocket Hindi ($99.96), which offer a complete learning experience with interactive audio lessons.
To improve your speaking and listening skills, you can download Mango ($7.99), Tandem (free), and HelloTalk (free).
Additionally, reputable publishers serve as the foundation for excellent textbooks, including Elementary Hindi ($19.47), Hindi – A Complete Course For Beginners ($175.36), and Get Started in Hindi (29.99).
8. Impressive Career Opportunities
One shouldn’t assume that your work prospects are limited to those in India just because you speak Hindi.
Currently, many jobs in the U.S. require Hindi Translators, Journalists, Teachers, and Speech Writers.
Hindi is becoming increasingly popular abroad for a reason. Foreign nations have become interested as a result of India’s economic growth.
In light of this, a career in Hindi could provide you with one of the most promising possibilities!
9. Make a Commitment
Investing your time, money, energy, and commitment increases your likelihood of following through, whether buying a book or a subscription, signing up for a class, or joining a study group.
Stay focused on studying and remember to rest when needed.
Remember that you can always download and review your favorite lessons on your device and spend 1-2 hours learning Hindi!
To learn more, you can also see our posts on Bengali, Turkish, Urdu, and Thai.
Conclusion
As we’ve learned, picking up a new language shouldn’t be something you do in a fit of inspiration. It’s a lot of work, and there’ll be times when it feels impossible.
But assume you commit to sticking with it. In that case, Hindi is a beneficial language to learn that opens up opportunities to interact with Indian culture and have a more meaningful experience abroad.
In the end, communicating with other people is essential. It’s tough, but let it be known—it can pay off!