Since their invention, phones have been an inseparable part of our lives. They allow us to communicate with others across long distances, and the world has relied heavily on them throughout the coronavirus pandemic. While texting and social media are the favored communication means nowadays, traditional phone calls still make up a sizable chunk of our day-to-day conversations.
If you’re visiting India, living here as a foreigner, or have friends and family here, being well-versed in the most common phone call phrases in Hindi is a must!
Hey, this is me!
To get you started, we’ve prepared a list of the most useful Hindi expressions for phone calls. You’ll pick up essential vocabulary, learn how to talk over the phone in Hindi like a native, and even see a couple of dialogue samples.
Let’s get going already!
Table of Contents
- Picking up the Phone
- Introducing Yourself on the Phone
- Describing the Reason for Your Call
- Asking to Speak to Someone
- Asking Someone to Wait
- Leaving a Message
- Asking for Clarification or Repetition
- Ending the Phone Call
- Sample Phone Conversations in Hindi
- Getting the Most Out of HindiPod101.com
1. Picking up the Phone
No matter what language you speak, it’s always important to follow proper telephone etiquette. When you first answer the phone, you’ll likely offer a greeting and then inquire about who’s calling (or whom the caller is trying to reach). Below are several Hindi phone call phrases you can use to initiate the conversation.
1st Stage
1. हेलो! (heLo)
“Hello!”
A simple “hello” will get the job done if you’re not feeling that confident during your first few moments on the phone.
Using the Phone in Hindi
2. हेलो, आप कौन बोल रहे (male)/रही (female) हैं? (heLo, aap kauN boL rahe/rahii hain?)
“Hello, who is speaking?”
This is one of the most common phone call phrases in Hindi, and it can be used in both formal and informal situations. Keep in mind that the verb conjugation in Hindi changes according to the gender and tone of the person.
3. हेलो, कौन? (heLo, kauN?)
“Hello, who is this?”
This is an informal phrase that Indians use when picking up their personal phone. Please, remember that it’s better to avoid using casual tones like this in more formal situations. This phrase is perfect, however, if you’re not expecting any professional calls.
2nd Stage
This is the stage where you ask for the name of the speaker in case he/she hasn’t told you yet. The phrases below can be used in both professional and personal conversations.
4. आपका नाम क्या है? (aapakaa Naam kyaa hai?)
“What’s your name?”
5. आपको किससे बात करनी है? (aapako kiSaSe baaT karaNii hai?)
“Whom do you wish to speak to?”
2. Introducing Yourself on the Phone
When you’re the one making the call, you’ll need to introduce yourself in Hindi. There are many Hindi phone conversation phrases you can use for this purpose, most of which can be used in any context. Keep in mind, however, that some of the phrases below are best suited for casual situations and others for formal situations.
6. जी, मेरा नाम ___ है। (jii, meraa Naam ___ hai.)
“My name is ___.” [Formal + Informal]
7. जी, मैं ___ का/की दोस्त बोल रहा/रही हूँ। (jii, main ___ kaa/kii DoST boL rahaa/rahii huun.)
“This is ___’s friend speaking.” [Formal + Informal]
8. जी, मैं Y कंपनी/ऑफ़िस से X बोल रहा/रही हूँ। (jii, main Y kampaNii/aufiS Se X boL rahaa/rahii huun.)
“I am X speaking from the company/office Y.” [Formal]
9. मैं हूँ, ___। (main huun, ___.)
“This is me, ___.” [Informal]
10. मैं ___ बोल रहा/रही हूँ। (main ___ boL rahaa/rahii huun.)
“I am ___ speaking.” [Formal + Informal]
Key Hindi Phrases for Professional Phone Calls
3. Describing the Reason for Your Call
Sometimes, we have no real reason for making a phone call. Maybe we just wanted a friendly chat with loved ones or are checking up on an old friend.
But what if you do have a pressing reason for ringing someone up? For instance, maybe you missed a call from an unknown number or have an important inquiry to make.
How would you express these reasons in Hindi? Let’s find out!
11. आपका कॉल आया था। (aapakaa kauL aayaa THaa.)
“You had called.” [Informal]
12. इस नंबर से कॉल आया था। (iS Nambar Se kauL aayaa THaa.)
“I got a call from this number.” [Formal + Informal]
13. मैंने ये जानने के लिए/पूछने के लिए फ़ोन किया है… (mainNe ye jaaNaNe ke Liye/puuchaNe ke Liye foN kiyaa hai…)
“I have called to inquire/ask about…” [Formal + Informal]
4. Asking to Speak to Someone
More often than not, you already know whom you wish to speak to. Below are a few phone phrases in Hindi that will come in handy when you need to ask for someone.
14. मुझे ___ से बात करनी है। (mujhe ___ Se baaT karaNii hai.)
“I wish to talk to ___.” [Formal + Informal]
15. क्या ___ घर पे है/हैं? (kyaa ___ ghar pe hai/hain?)
“Is ___ at home?” [Informal]
16. ___ से बात हो सकती है क्या? (___ Se baaT ho SakaTii hai kyaa?)
“May I talk to ___?” [Formal + Informal]
17. क्या ___ से बात हो सकती है? (kyaa ___ Se baaT ho SakaTii hai?)
“Can I talk to ___?” [Informal]
5. Asking Someone to Wait
Now, imagine you’re the receiver and the caller has asked to speak to someone. There are a few phrases you could use to ask them to wait while you transfer them to the correct person.
18. जी हाँ, एक मिनट। (jii haan, ek miNat.)
“Yeah, just a minute.” [Formal + Informal]
19. मैं उन्हें बुलाता/बुलाती हूँ। (main unhen buLaaTa/buLaaTii huun.)
“I’ll call him/her.” [Formal + Informal]
20. ज़रा होल्ड कीजिए/करना। (zaraa hoLd kiijiye/karaNaa.)
“Please, could you hold on for a second?” [Formal + Informal]
May I Know Your Number?
6. Leaving a Message
If you’ve made a phone call only to find that the person you wanted to reach is unavailable, you should leave a proper message for them. Here are a few Hindi phone call phrases you can use to let the receiver know you’d like to leave a message.
21. उनसे कह दीजियेगा कि मेरा फ़ोन आया था। (uNaSe kah Diijiyegaa ki meraa foN aayaa THaa.)
“Please tell him/her that I called.” [Formal + Informal]
22. क्या आप उन्हें मेरा मैसेज दे देंगे/ देंगी? (kyaa aap unhen meraa meSej De Denge/Dengii?)
“Would you give him/her my message?” [Formal + Informal]
23. उससे कहियेगा मुझे कॉल करे। (uSaSe kahiyegaa mujhe kauL kare.)
“Please tell him/her to call me back.” [Informal]
24. उनसे बोलियेगा कि इसी नंबर पे मुझसे बात कर लें। (uNaSe boLiyegaa ki iSi Nambar pe mujhaSe baaT kar Len.)
“Please tell him/her to give me a call on this number.” [Formal + Informal]
7. Asking for Clarification or Repetition
As a foreigner, trying to make a phone call in Hindi can be a daunting task. Any number of things could cause confusion or disturbance during the call, such as a limited vocabulary or a bad connection. In situations like this, it’s both necessary and polite to ask the other person to repeat what they’ve said.
25. माफ़ कीजियेगा, लेकिन आपकी आवाज़ सुनाई नहीं दे रही। (maaf kiijiyega, LekiN aapakii aavaaz SuNaaii Nahiin De rahii.)
“I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you.” [Formal]
26. आपकी आवाज़ नहीं आ रही। (aapakii aavaaz Nahiin aa rahii.)
“Your voice is not clear.” [Formal + Informal]
27. नेटवर्क नहीं आ रहा। (Netavark Nahiin aa rahaa.)
“There is no network.” [Informal]
28. कुछ सुनाई नहीं दे रहा। (kuch SuNaaii Nahiin De rahaa.)
“I can’t hear anything.” [Informal]
29. मैं एक बार वापस दोहरा देता/देती हूँ। (main ek baar vaapaS Doharaa DeTaa/DeTii huun.)
“I’ll repeat it once.” [Formal + Informal]
30. आपका शुभ नाम? (aapakaa subh Naam?)
“Your name, please?” [Formal]
31. आपका नाम क्या है? (aapakaa Naam kyaa hai?)
“What’s your name?” [Formal + Informal]
32. क्या मैं आपका नाम जान सकता/सकती हूँ? (kyaa main aapakaa Naam jaaN SakaTaa/SakaTii huun?)
“May I know your name, please?” [Formal]
Connect Better with Your Hindi-speaking Friends
8. Ending the Phone Call
This last segment deals with how to end a telephone conversation in Hindi! Here are the most commonly used phrases used before hanging up the phone.
33. बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद। (bahuT-bahuT DHaNyavaaD.)
“Thank you so much.” [Formal]
34. शुक्रिया। (sukriyaa.)
“Thank you.” [Formal + Informal]
35. नमस्ते। (NamaSTe.)
“Bye!” [Formal + Informal]
36. और कोई बात? (aur koii baaT?)
“Anything else?” [Informal]
37. आपका दिन शुभ हो। (aapakaa DiN subh ho.)
“Have a good day.” [Highly Formal]
38. तो फिर, __ को __ बजे मिलते हैं। (To phir, __ ko ___ baje miLaTe hain.)
“So, let’s meet on __ at __ .” [Formal + Informal]
39. ठीक है, फिर बाद में बात करते हैं। (thiik hai, phir baaD men baaT karaTe hain.)
“Alright, let’s talk later.” [Informal]
40. चलो ठीक है, फिर मैं फ़ोन रखता/रखती हूँ। (caLo thiik hai, phir main foN rakhaTaa/rakhaTii huun.)
“Alright, I’m hanging up now.” [Informal]
Phone Phrases That Make You Sound Smart!
9. Sample Phone Conversations in Hindi
Now that you have several phrases up your sleeve, it’s time to see what a real-life phone call conversation in Hindi might sound like. We’ve included two sample dialogues here: one informal and one formal.
Informal Phone Conversation
Here, two friends are setting up a time to meet for lunch on a weekend. This should give you a good idea of how an informal chat might go over the phone.
A: हेलो, मैं A बोल रही/रहा हूँ। (heLo, main A boL rahii/rahaa huun.)
“Hello, this is A speaking.”
B: हाँ, कैसी/कैसे हो? (haan, kaiSii/kaiSe ho?)
“Hey, how are you?”
A: मैं बिल्कुल ठीक हूँ। कई दिन हुए हम साथ नहीं बैठे। (main biLkuL thiik huun. kaii DiN huye ham SaaTH Nahiin baithe.)
“I’m good. It’s been so long since we spent time together.”
B: हाँ, क्यों ना मिलने का प्लान बनायें? (haan, kyon Naa miLaNe kaa pLaaN baNaayen?)
“Yeah, let’s make a plan and meet soon!”
A: ज़रूर! क्या तुम इस शनिवार को ख़ाली हो? (zaruur! Kyaa Tum iS saNivaar ko khaaLii ho?)
“Sure! Are you free this Saturday?”
B: हाँ, हम इस शनिवार मिल सकते हैं। (haan, ham iS saNivaar miL SakaTe hain.)
“Yep, we could definitely meet up this Saturday.”
A: तो फिर दोपहर का खाना साथ ही खाएंगे। (To phir Dopahar kaa khaaNaa SaaTH hii khaayenge.)
“Great, then let’s have lunch together.”
B: एवरग्रीन रेस्टोरेंट कैसा रहेगा? (evaragriiN reStorent kaiSaa rahegaa?)
“How about at Evergreen Restaurant?”
A: सही है! दोपहर 1 बजे मिलते हैं। (Sahii hai! Dopahar ek baje miLaTe hain.)
“That’s perfect! Let’s meet at one o’clock in the afternoon.”
B: ठीक है, मैं वहीं इंतज़ार करूँगी/करूँगा। (thiik hai, main vahiin iNTazaar karuungii/karuungaa.)
“Fine, I’ll wait for you there.”
A: बिल्कुल, चलो फिर मैं फ़ोन रखती/रखता हूँ। इस शनिवार मिलते हैं। (biLkuL, caLo phir main foN rakhaTii/rakhaTaa huun. iS saNivaar miLaTe hain.)
“Definitely. Okay, I’ll hang up the phone now. See you on Saturday.”
B: ठीक है, बाय! (thiik hai, baay!)
“Okay, bye!”
A: बाय! (baay!)
“Bye!”
Say Goodbye to Boring Calls!
Formal Phone Conversation
Once they’ve set the time and place, one of the friends calls the restaurant to reserve a table. They’ll be using relatively formal language here as this is most appropriate for making reservations.
A: हेलो, क्या एवरग्रीन रेस्टोरेंट में बात हो रही है? (heLo, kyaa evaragriiN reStorent men baaT ho rahii hai?)
“Hello, is this Evergreen Restaurant?”
Staff Member: जी हाँ, ये एवरग्रीन रेस्टोरेंट है। हम आपकी कैसे मदद कर सकते हैं? (jii haan, ye evaragriiN reStorent hai. Ham aapakii kaiSe maDaD kar SakaTe hain?)
“Yes, it’s the Evergreen Restaurant. How may we help you?”
A: मुझे इस शनिवार लंच के लिए एक टेबल बुक करवानी है। (mujhe iS saNivaar LaNc ke Liye ek tebaL buk karavaaNii hai.)
“I have to book a table for lunch this coming Saturday.”
Staff Member: जी, बिल्कुल। क्या मैं आपका नाम जान सकता हूँ? (jii, biLkuL. Kyaa main aapakaa Naam jaaN SakaTaa huun?)
“Sure. May I know your name, please?”
A: हाँ, मैं A बोल रही हूँ। (haan, main A boL rahii huun.)
“Yes, this is A speaking.”
Staff Member: आपको कितने लोगों के लिए और कितने बजे का रिज़र्वेशन चाहिए? (aapako kiTaNe Logon ke Liye aur kiTaNe baje kaa rizarvesaN caahiye.)
“At what time and for how many people would you like to make this reservation?”
A: सिर्फ़ दो लोगों के लिए और शनिवार दोपहर 1 बजे का रिज़र्वेशन चाहिए। (Sirf Do Logon ke Liye aur saNivaar Dopahar ek baje kaa rizarvesaN caahiye.)
“A table for two and I’d like this reservation at one o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday.”
Staff Member: बिल्कुल हो जायेगा। मैं अभी आपके लिए टेबल बुक कर देता हूँ। (biLkuL ho jaayegaa. Main abhii aapake Liye tebaL buk kar DeTaa huun.)
“Definitely! I’ll book the table for you right away.”
A: धन्यवाद। (DHaNyavaaD.)
“Thank you.”
Staff Member: क्या मैं आपकी कुछ और मदद कर सकता हूँ? (kyaa main aapakii kuch aur maDaD kar SakaTaa huun?)
“Do you need anything else?”
A: जी नहीं, बस इतना ही। (jii Nahiin, baS iTaNaa hii.)
“No, that would be all.”
Staff Member: फ़ोन करने के लिए धन्यवाद। आपका दिन शुभ हो। (foN karaNe ke Liye DHaNyavaaD. aapakaa DiN subh ho.)
“Thank you for calling. Have a good day!”
10. Getting the Most Out of HindiPod101.com
Now that we’ve covered all the essential Hindi phone phrases, we hope you feel more prepared and confident for your future phone calls. Make sure to practice them often!
We always love hearing from you, so feel free to let us know your thoughts on this article. Which of these phrases seems easiest to you, and are there any others you’d like to learn? If you’re uncertain regarding the pronunciation of any phrase, we recommend visiting our comprehensive Hindi pronunciation guide.
Don’t Let the Language Become a Hurdle!
If you’re nervous about making conversation in Hindi due to a lack of language skills, HindiPod101 can make your worries disappear. The comprehensive study materials on HindiPod101.com not only teach you everything you need to know about the language, but also allow you to explore Indian culture in-depth.
To start learning, all you have to do is download the Hindi mobile application or sign up on our homepage. So, what are you waiting for? Get access to unlimited Hindi learning resources today!
