Who would have imagined that English words like “bundle,” “time-pass,” or “boss,” could mean anything other than what they’re supposed to mean?
In India, Hinglish—or the tendency of Hindi speakers to overuse English words while speaking—has become a thing! And it doesn’t stop there. These brain teasers often give non-natives quite a hard time, because the actual meaning of English words in Hindi is far different from the original definition.
While Hinglish words may sound familiar to you as an English speaker, it’s important to remember that these words often have different meanings or nuances from what you’re used to.
If you don’t know the exact meaning of a Hinglish word, you’re likely to misunderstand the whole context of a conversation. And sometimes, even the seemingly simple English phrases spoken by the natives can be quite confusing for beginners.
In today’s lesson, we’ll look at the most common English words in Hindi, their literal meaning, and their actual meaning in the Indian context. But first, here’s a list of ways in which learning these popular hybrid words will benefit you!
They will ensure you never miss a pun.
They will make it easier to speak with natives.
You will be able to understand the hidden affection or taunt in a word.
So how exactly did English words become so prominent in Hindi?
In a broad sense, Hinglish history can be traced back to the time when India was the “golden bird” (SoNe kii cidiyaa) that everybody wanted to conquer. Over the centuries, many foreign countries have attacked and ruled the subcontinent. These countries include the British, the Portuguese, the French, the Mughals, and several others.
As a result, each civilization left an impression on the Indian culture. Indian society became a sponge, absorbing all of the elements impacting it and infusing them into its own culture. These influences are visible even today in what is presently known as the Indian Republic, be it in the way people dress, the way they eat, or the way they speak. Hinglish just happens to be the latest ‘thing’ on this list.
The name itself suggests that Hinglish is a combination of the Hindi and English languages. The younger generations in India have witnessed—and reasonably accounted for—the popularity of Hinglish in online chats, texting slang, and day-to-day conversations. However, the older generation has also (voluntarily) embraced its charm.
English Words with a Local Touch
3. Hinglish Words & Example Sentences
In this section, we’ll share with you several Hinglish examples so you can get a better idea of how Indians use English words in Hindi.
1. “Filmi” – फ़िल्मी (fiLmii)
Hinglish Meaning
A person who is overreacting / A dramatic incidence
Actual English Meaning
Derived from the word “film”
In a Sentence
दुल्हन की विदाई के समय बिल्कुल फ़िल्मी माहौल हो गया था। DuLhaN kii viDaaii ke Samay biLkuL fiLmii maahauL ho gayaa THaa. “As the bride was leaving, the whole atmosphere became dramatic.”
2. “Time-pass” – टाइम-पास (taaim-paaS)
Hinglish Meaning
Not taking something seriously / Something that doesn’t interest you much
Actual English Meaning
“Passing the time” / “Hobby”
In a Sentence
आज वाली मूवी बस टाइम-पास थी। aaj vaaLii muuvii baS taaim-paaS THii. “Today’s movie was just okay.”
3. “Number” – नंबर (Nambar)
Hinglish Meaning
A multipurpose word that can mean “score,” “phone number,” “waiting number,” “chance,” etc.
Actual English Meaning
“Numeral” / “Phone number”
In a Sentence
अपना नंबर बता! apaNaa Nambar baTaa! “Give me your phone number.”
4. “Bundle” – बंडल (baNdaL)
Hinglish Meaning
A totally useless person you can’t count on
Actual English Meaning
A stack of things
In a Sentence
पुनीत एकदम बंडल आदमी है। puNiit ekaDam baNdaL aaDamii hai. “Puneet is a useless person.”
Can be used to praise or taunt someone (the latter when that person is trying to act smart)
Actual English Meaning
The lead actor/actress in a movie / A brave person who performs good deeds
In a Sentence
सीमा, तुम तो इस ड्रेस में एकदम हीरोइन लग रही हो! Siimaa, Tum To iS dreS men ekaDam hiiroiN Lag rahii ho. “Seema, you look so gorgeous in this dress.”
6. “Puncture” – पंक्चर (pankcar)
Hinglish Meaning
Mentally or physically exhausted
Actual English Meaning
A small hole in a tire or something else that’s inflated
In a Sentence
भीड़ और गर्मी से दिमाग़ पंक्चर हो गया। bhiid aur garmii Se Dimaag pankcar ho gayaa. “The heat and the crowd exhausted me completely.”
Feeling “Punctured?” Oops… “Exhausted!”
7. “Junglee” – जंगली (jangaLii)
Hinglish Meaning
Lacking in social manners
Actual English Meaning
Derived from the word “jungle”
In a Sentence
ये बच्चे तो बिल्कुल जंगली हैं। ye bacce To biLkuL jangaLii hain. “These kids are so mischievous.”
8. “First-class” – फ़र्स्ट-क्लास (farSt-kLaaS)
Hinglish Meaning
“Everything is perfect!”
Actual English Meaning
A rank / A division / A railway coach / A high-end airline class
In a Sentence
A: तबियत कैसी है? TabiiyaT kaiSii hai? “How are you feeling?”
B: एकदम फ़र्स्ट-क्लास! ekaDam farSt-kLaaS! “Perfect!”
9. “Thug-life” – थग-लाइफ़ (THag-Laaif)
Hinglish Meaning
A life somebody is enjoying a lot
Actual English Meaning
A slang term for “criminal-life” or “a self-built person”
In a Sentence
कमल की तो थग-लाइफ़ चल रही है। kamaL kii To THag-Laaif caL rahii hai. “Kamal is enjoying his carefree life!”
10. “Boss” – बॉस (bauS)
Hinglish Meaning
Buddy / Friend
Actual English Meaning
A person’s direct superior in the workplace
In a Sentence
क्या हाल है, बॉस! kyaa haaL hai, bauS! “How are you, buddy?”
11. “Solid” – सॉलिड (SauLid)
Hinglish Meaning
Awesome / Perfect
Actual English Meaning
Something strong
In a Sentence
आज तो तुम एकदम सॉलिड दिख रहे हो। aaj To Tum ekaDam SauLid Dikh rahe ho. “Wow! You look amazing today.”
12. “Lollipop” – लॉलीपॉप (LauLiipaup)
Hinglish Meaning
Something to please someone or calm them down temporarily instead of giving them what they want / False promise
Actual English Meaning
A candy
In a Sentence
हर चुनाव से पहले नेता लोग जनता को कोई न कोई लॉलीपॉप दे देते हैं। har cuNaav Se pahaLe NeTaa Log jaNTaa ko koii Na koii LauLiipaup De DeTe hain. “Before every election, the political leaders try to woo the public with false promises.”
“Hello, ‘boss’, how are you doing?”
13. “Picture” – पिक्चर (pikcar)
Hinglish Meaning
Movie
Actual English Meaning
Photograph
In a Sentence
कल हम सब पिक्चर देखने जा रहे हैं। kaL ham Sab pikcar DekhaNe jaa rahe hain. “Tomorrow, we are all going to watch a movie.”
14. “Would-be” – वुड-बी (vud-bii)
Hinglish Meaning
Fiance
Actual English Meaning
A generic term used to describe a prospective/aspiring person or relationship
In a Sentence
आइये, आपको अपनी वुड-बी से मिलाता हूँ। aaiye, aapako apaNii vud-bii Se miLaaTaa huun. “Come here, meet my fiance.”
15. “Heropanti” – हीरोपंती (hiiropanTii)
Hinglish Meaning
Acting overly smart
Actual English Meaning
Derived from the English word “hero”
In a Sentence
ज़्यादा हीरोपंती मत दिखाओ। zyaaDaa hiiropanTii maT Dikhaao. “Don’t try to be a smart aleck.”
16. “Pass out” – पास-आउट (paaS-aaut)
Hinglish Meaning
Having graduated from a school/college
Actual English Meaning
To faint
In a Sentence
तुम किस कॉलेज से पास-आउट हो? Tum kiS kauLej Se paaS-aaut ho. “Which college did you pass from?”
17. “Bheja-fry” – भेजा-फ़्राई (bhejaa-fraaii)
Hinglish Meaning
Bored / Exhausted
Actual English Meaning
There’s no such word in English
In a Sentence
इतनी गर्मी में भेजा-फ़्राई हो गया। iTaNii garmii men bhejaa-fraaii ho gayaa. “It’s so hot, I’m exhausted!”
Now that we’ve looked at some unique Hinglish words, it’s time to talk about a similar (but distinct) topic: loanwords.
4. Loanwords vs. Hinglish Words
You may be wondering how loanwords are different from Hinglish words. Well, loanwords are words or phrases taken from a foreign language (English) and adapted by the target language (Hindi) while retaining their original meaning. Contrary to loanwords, Hinglish phrases are those which contain a specific meaning understood only by the local people. A Hinglish word may look like an English one, but its meaning is totally different.