“What’s up?”

“May I know your name?”

“Oh, how are you?”

These are simple questions that carry the potential to bond two people, and they serve as great conversation starters. Today, you’ll learn and practice similar English-to-Hindi question-answer patterns that are popular in Indian society. These on-the-spot questions to ask in Hindi will help you break the ice and, on some occasions, save you from unnecessary challenges.

Before we start, you may want to get familiar with the most common Hindi question words. We have relevant lessons on our website that you can check out for the question words  “what,” “where,” and “when.” 

Now, there may be a ton of survival interrogative phrases. But let’s be honest: we can’t cram everything into just one lesson. So, here’s the deal. We’ll bring you the ten best conversation questions in Hindi and teach you different ways to answer them.

You’ll also learn the English meaning of each and every Hindi word while practicing the various sentence structures.

Quick Note: As this lesson mainly focuses on the top Hindi questions, we’ll only be explaining each word from the questions, instead of covering both Q&A.

Let’s begin the adventure and check out the ten most popular question sentences in Hindi!

Table of Contents

1. What’s in a name, after all?
2. How do you do?
3. Where are you from?
4. What do you do for a living?
5. Do you speak Hindi?
6. How is everyone in the family?
7. Time, please?
8. Would you like to have something?
9. What’s wrong?
10. How much is it?
11. Ice-Breaking with HindiPod101.com

1. What’s in a name, after all?

Well, a lot. The first personal thing we get to know about someone is his/her name. If it’s your first conversation with this person, then this is certainly one of the good questions to ask a Hindi native.

You’ll not only sweep them off their feet, but you’ll also enjoy the credit of breaking the ice! 

In a nutshell, asking somebody’s name is one of the top Hindi questions you need to know in India. Luckily, doing so isn’t that hard.

So, here we go!

Q.	आपका नाम क्या है? aap kaa Naam kyaa hai?	“What’s your name?”
A.	मेरा नाम मनीषा है। meraa Naam maNiisaa hai.	“My name is Manisha.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	आपका	“your”	aap kaa
Word 2	नाम	“name”	Naam
Word 3	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 4	है	“is”	hai

Q.	आपका शुभ नाम क्या है? aap kaa subh Naam kyaa hai?	“What’s your good name?”
A.	मेरा नाम अदित है। meraa Naam aDiT hai.	“My name is Adit.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	आपका	“your”	aap kaa
Word 2	शुभ	“good”	subh
Word 3	नाम	“name”	Naam
Word 4	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 5	है	“is”	hai

Voila! You’ve just mastered the very first conversation questions in Hindi! Wasn’t that easy? Based on the patterns of these basic Hindi questions and answers, you can see how your answer should be constructed. All you need to do is insert your name in place of the example name.

2. How do you do?

Okay, how do you show your care and concern for somebody? By asking how they are. This etiquette rule applies all over the world, and India is no exception. Because this is so important for strengthening any relationship, we’ll show you some simple Hindi questions and answers you can expect.

These may be easy questions to ask in Hindi, but they’re also a sureshot way to touch someone’s heart. One simple question, and they may pour out their pain, sadness, joy, or happiness to you in a moment. And an experience like that can make you feel so precious and strengthen your bond with that person.

Q.	कैसे हैं आप? kaiSe hain aap?	“How are you?”
A.	मैं ठीक हूँ। main thiik huun.	“I’m good/okay.”
A.	मैं परेशान हूँ। main paresaaN huun.	“I’m worried.”
A.	मैं ख़ुश हूँ। main khus huun.	“I’m happy.”
A.	मैं नाराज़ / उदास हूँ। main Naaraaz / uDaaS huun.	“I’m upset/sad.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	कैसे	“how”	kaiSe
Word 2	हैं	“are”	hain
Word 3	आप	“you”	aap

Above, we outlined the Hindi questions with answers for a variety of circumstances. This will allow you to become more fluent when using conversational Hindi questions, as you’ll be able to understand (or give) different answers. 

Q.	क्या हाल-चाल हैं? kyaa haaL-caaL hain?	“How do you do?”
A.	बिल्कुल बढ़िया! biLkuL badhiyaa!	“Great!” / “Absolutely fine!”
A.	बकवास! bakavaaS!	“Terrible!”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 2	हाल-चाल	“well-being”	haaL-caaL
Word 3	हैं	“are”	hain

Here are some of the best Hindi adjectives to help you express the various shades of your moods.

3. Where are you from?

Now, what are some general Hindi questions and answers that you can expect as a foreigner in India? 

Well, our third question is for asking where someone is from.

In this day and age, when the whole world has become a global village, people from all cultures and places can meet each other. In such circumstances, asking about someone’s hometown/country is inevitable.

And given India’s warm and social culture, you’ll find yourself either asking or answering Hindi questions like these often. So, check out these questions and impress the natives with your fluent Hindi.

Q.	आप कहाँ से हैं? aap kahaan Se hain?	“Where are you from?”
A.	मैं भारत से हूँ। main bhaaraT Se huun.	“I’m from India.”
A.	मैं जापान से हूँ। main jaapaaN Se huun.	“I’m from Japan.”
A.	मैं रूस से हूँ। main ruuS Se huun.	“I’m from Russia.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	आप	“you”	aap
Word 2	कहाँ	“where”	kahaan
Word 3	से	“from”	Se
Word 4	हैं	“are”	hain

If you’re located in India or currently living there, people may ask you the same thing, but in a slightly different way.

Q.	आपका घर कहाँ हैं? aap kaa ghar kahaan hai?	“Where do you live?”
A.	मेरा घर लाजपत नगर में है। meraa ghar LaajapaT Nagar men hai.	“I live in Lajpat Nagar.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	आपका	“your”	aap kaa
Word 2	घर	“home”	ghar
Word 3	कहाँ	“where”	kahaan
Word 4	है	“is”	hai

4. What do you do for a living?

Indians are quite upfront and casual when it comes to asking about others’ source of living. What you do and how you explain your work may have a wonderful impression on the locals. So why waste the chance to leave them speechless with your amazing Hindi vocab? 

And while we’re at it, it won’t take long to check out these straight-to-business questions and answers in Hindi!

Q.	आप क्या करते हैं? aap kyaa karaTe hain?	“What do you do?”
A.	मैं टीचर हूँ। main tiicar huun.	“I’m a teacher.”
A.	मैं वक़ील हूँ। main vaqiiL huun.	“I’m a lawyer.”
A.	मैं कलाकार हूँ। main kaLaakaar huun.	“I’m an artist.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	आप	“you”	aap
Word 2	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 3	करते	“do”	karaTe
Word 4	हैं	“are”	hain

Q.	आप क्या काम करते हैं? aap kyaa kaam karaTe hain?	“What’s your profession?”
A.	मैं तैराकी सिखाती हूँ। main Tairaakii SikhaaTii huun.	“I teach swimming.”
A.	मैं होटल में मैनेजर हूँ। main hotaL men maiNejar huun.	“I’m a hotel manager.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	आप	“you”	aap
Word 2	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 3	काम	“work”	kaam
Word 4	करते	“do”	karaTe
Word 5	हैं	“are”	hain

Yes, having your own business or being in a job does make a difference in Indian society. In fact, if you could grab a government job, you’d be treated as nothing less than a king/queen. However, things are changing and people are becoming more open-minded (though there’s still a long way to go for us Indians).

In your first few meetings, talking about each other’s professions falls under the category of good questions to ask a Hindi speaker. So, if you’re out of ideas, feel free to use such questions for a friendly chat.

Q.	आप व्यापार करते हैं या नौकरी? aap vyaapaar karaTe hain yaa Naukarii?	“Are you in a business or job?”
A.	मेरा ख़ुद का ब्यूटी पार्लर (व्यापार) है। meraa khuD kaa byuutii paarLar (vyaapaar) hai.	“I run my own beauty parlor (business).”
A.	मैं जिम में काम करता हूँ। main jim men kaam karaTaa huun.	“I work at a gym.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	आप	“you”	aap
Word 2	व्यापार	“business”	vyaapaar
Word 3	करते	“do”	karaTe
Word 4	हैं	“are”	hain
Word 5	या	“or”	yaa
Word 6	नौकरी	“job”	Naukarii

5. Do you speak Hindi?

Some of you may be surprised to know that not all Indians speak Hindi. In fact, there are more than twenty local Indian languages spoken in different parts of the country.

The bottom line is that whenever you meet an Indian, it’s better not to assume that they speak Hindi.

Can you speak Hindi?

Here are the basic Hindi questions and answers you can use to ask about someone’s Hindi-speaking abilities or answer about your own. 

Q.	क्या आप हिंदी समझते / बोलते हैं? kyaa aap hiNDii SamajhaTe / boLaTe hain?	“Do you understand/speak Hindi?”
A.	हाँ, मुझे ठीक-ठाक हिंदी आती है। haan, mujhe thiik-thaak hinDii aaTii hai.	“Yeah, my Hindi is alright.”
A.	हाँ, मुझे बहुत अच्छी हिंदी आती है। haan, mujhe bahuT acchii hinDii aaTii hai.	“Yeah, I am quite fluent in Hindi.”
A.	नहीं, मुझे ज़्यादा हिंदी नहीं आती। Nahiin, mujhe zyaaDaa hinDii Nahiin aaTii.	“No, I don’t know much Hindi.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	क्या	“do”	kyaa
Word 2	आप	“you”	aap
Word 3	हिंदी	“Hindi”	hinDii
Word 4	समझते	“understand”	SamajhaTe
Word 5	बोलते	“speak”	boLaTe
Word 6	हैं	“are”	hain

6. How is everyone in the family?

Family holds a special place in every part of the world, and this may be even more true for Indians than for most other people.

How’s your family?

So whenever you bump into a local friend, remember that family is definitely a topic of choice if you need some good questions to ask a Hindi native and melt his or her heart.

Q.	घर में सब कैसे हैं? ghar men Sab kaiSe hain?	“How’s everyone in the family?”
A.	घर में सब ठीक हैं। ghar men Sab thiik hain.	“Everything’s great at home.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	घर	“home” / “family”	ghar
Word 2	में	“in”	men
Word 3	सब	“everyone”	Sab
Word 4	कैसे	“how”	kaiSe
Word 5	हैं	“are”	hain

Q.	और सब ठीक-ठाक है? aur Sab thiik-thaak hai?	“Everything’s well in the family?”
A.	जी, सब अच्छा है। jii, Sab acchaa hai.	“Yeah, everything’s going great!”

Do you know what we call family members in Hindi? Here’s our quick list for family members in India. Have a look!

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	और	“and”	aur
Word 2	सब	“everything”	Sab
Word 3	ठीक-ठाक	“okay”	thiik-thaak
Word 4	है	“is”	hai

7. Time, please?

Isn’t it remarkable to learn so many Hindi question words in just one lesson? Well, don’t worry. We still have plenty of material for you in this guide.

This section is about asking for the time, which is another really important and practical question in Hindi. Before we teach you how to ask a Hindi question about time, you might like to take a sneak-peek at our Tell the Time in Hindi lesson for a more thorough knowledge.

Q.	कितने बज रहे हैं? kiTaNe baj rahe hain?	“What’s the time?”
A.	सुबह के सात बज रहे हैं। Subah ke SaaT baj rahe hain.	“It’s seven in the morning.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	कितने	“what”	kiTaNe
Word 2	बज	“time” / “o’clock”	baj
Word 3	रहे	“happening”	rahe
Word 4	हैं	“are”	hain

Q.	वक़्त क्या हो रहा है? vaqT kyaa ho rahaa hai?	“What’s the time?”
A.	दो बज रहे हैं। Do baj rahe hain.	“It’s two o’clock.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	वक़्त	“time”	vaqT
Word 2	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 3	हो रहा	“happening”	ho rahaa
Word 4	है	“is”	hai

8. Would you like to have something?

We all like to treat our guests in the best possible way. Suppose you’re on a date or having lunch with a colleague/friend. Wouldn’t it be marvelous to welcome them with some Hindi greetings?

Hey, would you like to eat with us?

Fortunately, there are many ways to impress people, and you can choose whichever sounds easiest and more apt to you.

Without further ado, here are the most popular Hindi questions and answers when welcoming your guests.

Q.	क्या लेना पसंद करेंगे? kyaa LeNaa paSaND karenge?	“What would you like to have?”
A.	मैं एक कप चाय ले लूँगी। main ek kap caay Le Luungii.	“I’ll have a cup of tea.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 2	लेना	“take”	LeNaa
Word 3	पसंद	“like”	paSaND
Word 4	करेंगे	“do”	karenge

Q.	कुछ चाहिए? kuch caahiye?	“Do you want something?”
A.	जी, मुझे पानी पीना है। jii, mujhe paaNii piiNaa hai.	“Yeah, I’d like to have some water.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	कुछ	“something”	kuch
Word 2	चाहिए	“want” / “need”	caahiye

Q.	चाय पिएंगे या ठंडा? caay piyenge yaa thandaa?	“Would you have something hot or cold?”
A.	जी, मैं शरबत लूँगा। jii, main sarbaT Luungaa.	“Yeah, I’ll have sherbet.”

Some fresh juice, please?

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	चाय	“tea”	caay
Word 2	पिएंगे	“will drink” / “have drink”	piyenge
Word 3	या	“or”	yaa
Word 4	ठंडा	“cold drink”	thandaa

9. What’s wrong?

Now, you don’t want to miss out on the Hindi phrases you’ll need when something goes wrong!

After all, when sad, all one wants is someone to show that they care. So, if you see that your friend’s feeling low, just asking these simple things may lighten their mood, and they may just share their feelings with you.

Q.	क्या हुआ? kyaa huaa?	“What happened?”
A.	मेरी तबियत ठीक नहीं है। merii TabiyaT thiik Nahiin hai.	“I’m not feeling well.”
A.	नहीं, कुछ नहीं हुआ। Nahiin, kuch Nahiin huaa.	“No, everything’s alright.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 2	हुआ	“happened”	huaa

Is something wrong?

Q.	कोई बात है क्या? koi baaT hai kyaa?	“Is something wrong?”
A.	मेरा झगड़ा हुआ है। meraa jhagadaa huaa hai.	“I’ve had a fight.”
A.	नहीं, कुछ नहीं हुआ। Nahiin, kuch Nahiin huaa.	“No, everything’s alright.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	कोई	“something”	koi
Word 2	बात	“wrong”	baaT
Word 3	है	“is”	hai
Word 4	क्या	“what”	kyaa

10. How much is it?

Our final section is related to shopping, bargaining, asking prices, and so on. Practice these phrases and grab yourself the best deal in the market by proving your Hindi knowledge.

Q.	इसका दाम क्या है? iS kaa Daam kyaa hai?	“What’s the price of this?”
A.	इसका दाम पचास रुपये है।  iS kaa Daam pacaaS rupaye hai.	“It’s fifty bucks.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	इसका	“its”	iS kaa
Word 2	दाम	“price”	Daam
Word 3	क्या	“what”	kyaa
Word 4	है	“is”	hai

Oh, what’s that?

Q.	ये कितने का है? ye kiTaNe kaa hai?	“How much is this?”
A.	ये सात सौ बीस रुपये का है। ye SaaT Sau biiS rupaye kaa hai.	“It’s seven hundred and twenty rupees.”

	Hindi	English	Romanization
Word 1	ये	“this”	ye
Word 2	कितने	“how much”	kiTaNe
Word 3	का	“of”	kaa
Word 4	है	“is”	hai

11. Ice-Breaking with HindiPod101.com

Finally, we’re at the end of this lesson. By now, you must have become familiar with many different questions in Hindi, the process of asking these questions, and even their proper responses.

But no matter how much you read, it’s just not worth it without regular practice. At HindiPod101.com, we make it possible for you to stay in touch 24/7, even when you’re on the go. All you have to do is download our mobile app and go through the lesson materials whenever possible.

Meanwhile, we’d love to hear from you! Let us know which of these Hindi questions and answers seem easiest to you. You can also make up some new questions on your own and flaunt your Hindi skills to the world!

Got any questions? Feel free to ask us through our Premium PLUS feature MyTeacher, and we’ll get back to you with an answer. Happy learning, guys!