How to Learn Basic Hindi by Watching Videos
There are between 500 and 600 million Hindi speakers around the world, making it the world's third most widely spoken language. Hindi is based on Sanskrit, which is the traditional Buddhist text. Hindi is easier to learn than other languages because the letters are always said the same. Therefore, you can learn Hindi by watching videos and practicing in your own time. You will also need patience to understand and develop your skills.
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Instructions
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Find video tutorials for learning beginner's Hindi. Go to a bookshop or use a website that contains educational material such as Hindi Learner, Bharatdarshan or Hindi for Fun. Hindi Learner also lists different sources of Hindi music videos and films for you to watch so that you become familiar with the language.
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Understand the basics and history of Hindi to focus your attention. Watch a video or read information that explains the basic format of the language. For example, understand that there are three levels of conversation -- formal, familiar and intimate -- which are used in different contexts. Know that it is written using symbols.
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Watch your first video. Learn the 11 Hindi vowels as the starting point to get to grips with the basics. Learn to write and read these. Click on the "Begin Learning" tab at Hindi Learner, then select "Hindi Alphabets" to educate yourself about the Hindi Varnamala.
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Repeat the video, and then practice writing and pronouncing the vowels. Repeat this exercise until you are confident you can remember them easily.
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Give yourself a test to demonstrate that you have learned the vowels, before moving on to the 33 Hindi consonants. Then, read, watch and practice saying the consonants to remember how they are written and pronounced.
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Learn everyday phrases to help your understanding. For example, "NA-MA-SKAR" means "Hello," while "KYA HAAL HAI" means "How are you?" Use these to build up a profile of Hindi conversation tools.
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Develop your Hindi vocabulary. Since you have the basic tools to read, write and converse, move forward by learning more common words. Numbers, nouns, pronouns and verbs are the backbone to any language to enable you to converse, so watch a video that gives you these skills.
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Practice. Assign at least an hour a day to refreshing the Hindi you already know and to learning new phrases, grammar and vocabulary. Create a schedule, if it helps you, to ensure you make time. Begin each session by reviewing past material, and then watching a new video.
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Get a Hindi learning partner and practice what you know. Do this by joining a local language club, or find a conversation partner online. Arrange to speak at least once a month to go over the things you have learned so you can talk about jobs, family and hobbies.
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Tips & Warnings
Be aware that there are hundreds of Hindi dialects, so when choosing videos to watch, make sure they belong to the Devanagari script. This is the main branch of the Hindi language.
References
Resources
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