How to Learn Hindi: 6 Effective Ways to Learn Hindi Quickly
Maria Claudia Alvarado
Published on June 22, 2023
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Are you looking for the best resources to learn Hindi but have had trouble finding the right one for you?
In this guide, I’ll show you the best tools and different study methods you can combine to create a complete study routine. To make sure you have everything you need, I’ve included apps, online courses, books, YouTube channels, and podcasts. If you prefer a more traditional learning style, I’ve also included the best online platforms that can help you find a Hindi tutor.
The Langoly team has over 5 decades combined of language learning experience, and our goal is to make your Hindi studies as easy as they can possibly be. We have personally tested and reviewed over 600 language products, so we’re familiar with the resources you need to effectively learn a language. Once you’ve read this guide, you’ll be on the fast track to reaching your Hindi language goals!
There are 500 million Hindi speakers around the globe, making it one of the most spoken languages in the world. Hindi, along with English is the official language of the Government of India and is the most widely spoken language in the country. It’s also spoken in countries like Nepal, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname. If you are planning on traveling to India, knowing the language is a great help to navigate the country and immerse yourself in India’s rich culture. India is also one of the most important textiles, mineral fuels, and gold exporters, so knowing Hindi can also help you do business in the country.
Table of Contents
How to Learn Hindi: Use These 6 Effective Study Methods
The best way to become fluent in Hindi is to use multiple resources. That’s why we’ve included six different ways to learn Hindi on this list. One resource can’t cover all the necessary skills, but using other quality tools to fill in the gaps is a good strategy that will help you reach proficiency. This is also a good way of discovering which study method works best for you.
How Long Will It Take You To Learn Hindi?
But, finding the right resources for you can be time-consuming. To save you time, we have applied the same strict methodology we use to test all the products included in this website and created a list with the best resources to learn Hindi. First, we determined which type of resources were the most helpful for Hindi learners. Then, we looked for a variety of tools to ensure there’s something for all types of language learners. In this guide, you’ll find high-quality tools to study Hindi in the most effective way.
Use the Best Hindi Apps
Apps are a convenient way to learn Hindi because they offer quick lessons and let you study wherever you can take your phone. Some apps focus on developing specific skills like vocabulary and grammar, while others can help you work on your conversation skills. Rocket Languages, Mondly, and Pimsleur are 3 of the best apps to learn the Hindi language based on the quality of their content and how effective they are at teaching Hindi.
Commitment: Low
Price: Low-Medium
Convenience: High
Rocket Languages
Rocket Languages is a big name in the language learning industry and for a good reason. It’s the best app overall for learning Hindi because it offers short but concise lessons that include audio from native Hindi speakers and cultural notes. The lessons build on what you have already learned, so you won’t feel overwhelmed by complicated grammar explanations. You can try Rocket Hindi for free or learn more about the app in this Rocket Languages review.
Mondly
Mondly uses modern technology to teach you Hindi from the start. It is the best beginner app for Hindi learners because it uses audio and voice recognition to help you hear the correct pronunciation of the language. All audio is voiced by native Hindi speakers, so you can listen to the way the language is spoken in real life. Mondly also lets you track your progress and see how much you have learned, which can be very motivating. You can try Mondly with a 7-day trial or learn more about the app in this Mondly review.
Pimsleur
Pimsleur offers comprehensive audio lessons that teach you Hindi pronunciation, phrases, vocabulary, context, and grammar. It’s the best Hindi app with audio lessons voiced by native speakers. In each 30-minute lesson, you listen to a conversation between two native Hindi speakers. Then, they break down the conversation and teach you how to pronounce each word. You can try Pimsleur for free to see if you like the Hindi course or you can learn more about the app in this Pimsleur review.
Take an Online Hindi Course
Online courses are an excellent option if you like structure in your Hindi learning experience. Most courses follow a set lesson plan and progressively build on what you have previously learned. This way you are constantly refreshing your knowledge while applying it to new exercises. Many courses also use a blended method of pre-recorded audio lessons and independent study material. Udemy, Indian Lingua, and Bhasha.io are 3 high-quality options for Hindi learners who prefer the self-study method.
Commitment: High
Price: Medium-High
Convenience: Medium
Udemy
Udemy is an online platform with tons of courses available for any topic you can imagine, including studying the Hindi Language. Some of the most popular Hindi courses include “Learn Hindi in 3 Weeks” and “Let’s Learn Hindi Through English,” but you can find over 50 other courses to help you practice writing, reading, and speaking. Udemy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can also read past users’ reviews to make sure you are getting a quality product. You can also learn more about the platform in this Udemy review.
Indian Lingua
Indian Lingua is an online platform that offers lessons with certified Hindi teachers and uses a familiar classroom setting. You can take live, group lessons or use interactive tools like video, games, audio, and more. It has lessons for Hindi students from A1-C2 levels. You can visit the Indian Lingua website to take a placement test and learn more about their courses.
Bhasha.io
Bhasha.io is a platform that teaches Hindi from the beginner level. It offers custom learning plans so you can practice the skills you are interested in developing first. Bhasha.io also provides the help of a private tutor to help guide you and clarify any doubts you could have about the language. Past students said they liked the course because it allowed them to practice with native speakers and learn through short video classes.
Find an Online Hindi Tutor
If you want to become fluent in Hindi, you need to practice speaking and listening to native speakers. This can be difficult if you don’t live near or know anyone who speaks the language. Luckily, there are many platforms where you can find an online Hindi tutor, but some are better than others. italki, Preply, and Berlitz are 3 platforms that stand out for their wide selection of tutors, flexible lesson plans, price ranges, and secure payments.
Commitment: Medium
Price: Medium-High
Convenience: Medium
italki
italki is an online platform that connects you with Hindi tutors from all around the globe for live language lessons. With italki, you can filter teachers by price range, where they are from, what other languages they speak, and the type of lessons they offer. Currently, there are 167 Hindi tutors available to help you learn. Each tutor sets their price and creates their own curriculum, so there is a wide range to choose from. You can take a discounted trial class to see which teachers you like or read more about it in this italki review.
Preply
Preply is similar to italki in that it lets you filter and connect with Hindi teachers for online lessons. There are 222 Hindi teachers available for online lessons. Many teachers offer a discounted trial lesson so you can see if they are a good fit for you before you purchase more classes. Preply stands out from similar websites because it offers a satisfaction guarantee that lets you take as many trial lessons as you need to find the right Hindi teacher for your learning style. You can learn more about it in this Preply review.
Berlitz
Berlitz provides an immersive Hindi learning experience that will help you start speaking the language from the start. You can take online or face-to-face Hindi classes if you live near a place where they offer group or private lessons. Berlitz offers flexible lesson plans and prices, so there are options for everybody. Past students felt that the teachers were very professional and that it was a convenient way to learn the Hindi language. See the Berlitz website to learn more.
Study with High-Quality Hindi Books
Books are a traditional, yet effective, way to learn Hindi. With books, you can choose how many lessons you complete at a time, skip and revisit units, and take them anywhere you want. Most books have detailed grammar explanations and practice exercises. Complete Hindi, Practice Makes Perfect’s Basic Hindi, and Master The Hindi Alphabet are 3 Hindi textbooks with excellent practice material and many positive reviews on Amazon.
Commitment: Low
Price: Medium
Convenience: Medium
Complete Hindi
Complete Hindi is a complete textbook that explains the language in an understandable way. It has 24 chapters that teach you the basics of Hindi through dialogues and concise grammar explanations. The book also includes cultural notes, so you can learn about Indian culture and see its influence on the language. You can see if Complete Hindi is a good choice for you here.
Practice Makes Perfect’s Basic Hindi
Basic Hindi is part of the Practice Makes Perfect language learning textbook series. The book focuses on helping you learn to read and write in the Devanagari alphabet. The first four chapters offer English transliterations to the text to avoid overwhelming you when you start learning Hindi. It also includes access to the Teach Yourself app, so you can listen to online lessons to learn Hindi pronunciation. You can learn more about the book here.
Master the Hindi Alphabet
Master The Hindi Alphabet does exactly what the name says: it teaches you how to read and write the letters of the Hindi alphabet. The book includes examples that show the correct stroke order to write each letter and font variations. Each letter is presented in a clear size, and there is plenty of space to practice tracing and writing. You can learn more about Master the Hindi Alphabet here.
Watch Hindi YouTube Videos
Using YouTube videos is a modern way of learning Hindi. They help you improve your understanding of the language but are also a great way to hear how people speak Hindi in the real world. There is a wide variety of Hindi video creators on the platform that have content that can help you learn the usual language topics like Hindi vocabulary and grammar, but others have videos that teach pronunciation and colloquialisms. Anil Mahato, Hindi Sumvaad, and Hindi TV are 3 of the most popular Hindi language content creators on YouTube.
Commitment: Low
Price: Low
Convenience: High
Anil Mahato
Anil Mahato has over almost 800 videos and 131K subscribers on YouTube. He has videos with Hindi language crash courses to help you learn basic phrases and words. He also has videos for different topics like grammar rules, holidays, overcoming the fear of learning Hindi, and more. His energetic attitude motivates you to keep watching and learning.
Hindi Sumvaad
Firdaus created the Hindi Sumvaad channel to teach Hindi conversation through English. She is a professional teacher with videos that teach you to talk about different useful topics like health and money. You can also find videos with recipes, flashcards, slang, and handy tips and tricks to remember Hindi words. She posts new videos often, so you can check her YouTube channel for new content.
Hindi TV
The Hindi TV channel focuses on teaching you Hindi vocabulary fast. There are 347 flashcard-style videos that teach vocabulary, grammar, and conjugation. You can learn common words and phrases for all kinds of topics like fruit names, house objects, animals, and more. There are new videos every week, so you’ll always have something new to watch.
Listen to Hindi Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to learn Hindi online if you don’t have too much time to invest or want to focus on working on your listening comprehension skills. You can find free, high-quality podcasts online, download them to your phone, and listen to them while you do other things like cooking, working out, or walking the dog. HindiPod101, Learn Hindi from Bollywood Movies and Learn Hindi On The Go are 3 excellent and entertaining options that can help you understand and speak Hindi better.
Commitment: Low
Price: Low
Convenience: High
HindiPod101
HindiPod101 is one of the most effective podcasts to learn Hindi. It has in-depth lessons that get you to speak Hindi right away. It helps you work on your speaking and listening skills, but it also offers vocabulary and grammar explanations to make sure that you really understand the content. You can try HindiPod101 for free for 7 days.
Learn Hindi from Bollywood Movies.
Learn Hindi from Bollywood Movies teaches Hindi using Bollywood movies and music. This is a fun and interesting way to learn the language the way it’s spoken in India. There are also transcripts available to help you understand the dialogues on their webpage. The podcast is no longer being updated, but there are 123 episodes for you to enjoy.
Learn Hindi On The Go
Learn Hindi On The Go is best for beginner and intermediate-level Hindi students. The podcast was created by a family of native Hindi speakers and qualified teachers, so you know you are in good hands. The content is easy to follow and you listen to conversations about different topics. It also includes quizzes and other practice material to help you test your knowledge of the language.
How to Learn Hindi: Final Thoughts
I hope that this guide helped you find the best resources to learn Hindi. Finding the right study method and tools is key to staying motivated to practice. No matter your reason for learning Hindi, you can always trust that using high-quality content and keeping a consistent study routine will help you reach your language goals.
How to Learn Hindi: FAQ
Hindi can be a hard language to learn for English speakers. According to the U.S. Department of State, Hindi is a Category III language. This means you need 1,100 class hours to become proficient in Hindi, but this is only an estimate.
If you want to know how long it will take you to learn Hindi, you can visit our Fluency Calculator.
You can learn Hindi quickly by using multiple language resources and keeping a consistent study routine. Setting a couple of minutes aside to practice every day will help you see fast progress in your language learning journey. Finding the best study method and using a variety of high-quality resources will help you stay motivated and help you speak Hindi before you know it.
You can learn Hindi at home on your own by using resources like apps, books, videos, and podcasts. Books are a great way of tackling vocabulary and grammar, but you can use an app if you prefer quick and interactive lessons. There are great apps that combine some of these resources to help you learn Hindi like Rocket Languages, Pimsleur, and Mondly.
Hindi is a hard language for English speakers to learn because of the significant linguistic differences between the languages. Even though Hindi is a phonetic language, the sounds you will hear are very different from the ones in English, and pronunciation is key to speaking any language fluently. Hindi also uses a different alphabet and diacritics, which you will also have to learn to reach proficiency in the language.
To learn Hindi fluently, you have to train all the language skills: writing, reading, listening, and speaking. There is not one single resource that can help you work on all the skills you need to reach fluency. Instead, you can use different resources to help you fill in the knowledge gaps. For example, apps are a good option to learn vocabulary and books can be helpful for reading and writing, but you might prefer to work with a Hindi tutor to develop your listening and speaking skills.
You can learn Hindi for free using resources available online. If you don’t mind getting interrupted by ads, Duolingo offers its entire Hindi course for free. There are also podcasts and other authentic Hindi materials on the internet that you can use to study.