The Indians Abroad

Hinglish: Indian English lost-in-translation abroad – Idioms and phrases from India

“What is your good name, sir?”
“Steve”
“It is nice knowing you, Steve Ji!”
…..
“Hey Boss, are you enjoying the fair?”
“Simply! Enjoying to the maximum!”
….
“How was the movie?”
“First-class!”
…
“I will give you a ring over the week-end.”
“OK boss”

As mentioned in many previous posts on this site under ‘Communications’ category, English in India is spoken very differently as compared to the same language overseas. Our Indian mother-language and the grammar has significant impact on English – taught as a second or third language throughout the country. Sometime, the Indian English – due to the influence of Hindi and other local languages – is also called Hinglish.

Just a small clarification on the scope of this article. Of course, there is a mush more involved ‘Hinglish’ spoken within Indian communities, ( “Tired, kya?” = “Are you tired?”). As long as both sides understand, there is no harm, no foul. However, we tend to include some ‘Hinglish’ even when talking to American or English audience abroad. That is where we run into some miscommunication. This post will focus only on this flavor of subtle Hinglish. The hard-core Hinglish, may be some other time.

Many English words, Idioms and Phrases have different meaning in India or are used only in India. When used abroad, they don’t feel right or mean something different.

Here are some of the common idioms and phrases, and their closest (or alternatives) usage in proper English when outside India:

What is your good name?: A polite way of asking someone’s name; it comes from translation of Hindi phrase – Shubh naam (good name). ‘May I know your name’ or ‘You name please?’ is more appropriate in non-Indian settings.

Eve teasing: It refer to sexual harassment of females, or taunting them – as in schools or colleges or in bazaars etc.

Poor Joke (pj): ‘Poor joke’ is not a commonly used phrase, a more common way of saying the same thing is ‘bad joke’!

Time-pass: Relates to doing something trivial or of little importance, that does not matter. ‘Nothing imprortant’ is one of the many alternative way of responding, instead of ‘time-pass’.

Time-waste: This is worse than ‘time-pass’, doing something you don’t even enjoy. ‘It is a waste of time’ is a similar expression often used in Western countries.

Himalayan blunder:Very big mistake, a mistake of the size of Himalaya mountain. Blunder generally means ‘big’ mistake..may not need too many adjectives that are not commonly used overseas.

Specs and opticals: Refer to the eye-glasses; so, just say glasses/eye-glasses instead.

Cent per cent: Means hundred percent, or completely.

First-class: It means high-quality material and is used very broadly. ‘Very good’, or ‘the best possible’ is better alternate description.

Seth ji and John ji:In India, we add ‘ji’ at the end of the proper name of a person to show respect. There is no equivalent translation. Mr./Miss is used in formal settings. Addressing by the first name, the tone of voice and communication style are better ways to show politeness.

ABCD:American-Born Confused Desi; refers to the new Indian generation overseas, that doesn’t know much about Indian culture and traditions. Now, not everybody abroad knows much about this term, not even ABCDs; and it is often used with derogatory tone. So, refrain from it.

FOB or Fresh off the boat :New immigrant, who is not assimilated or adapted to the local culture abroad. More commonly used by local (ABCD) desis to refer to new-comers. Not the best way to welcome one of your own.

Give me a ring: ‘Give me a call’, is a better way of saying the same, when you want someone to call you. It has nothing to do with ring – the engagement ring, or friendship ring, or the wedding ring….

Tell me!:Used when answering the phone. Jjust say  ’how can i help you’ or ‘what can I do for you’.

Arranged marriage: Marriage based on family arrangement where brides and grooms are selected by the family. Not everybody is familiar with the concept in other countries.

Convey her my greetings: ‘Give her my regards’ may convey the message better.

Commercial sex workers: A prostitute is the correct alternate.

Innocent divorcee: It refers to someone who is forced to divorce with no fault of his/her own. Both sides probably feel that the fault lies with the other side, so the usage of word ‘innocent’ may not be understood.

Bollywood:The Mumbai (Bombay) movie Industry. Most of the Westerns don’t know much about our film industry, even though the fan-base is growing.

Boss: When saying ‘Hey Boss’ in a general conversation, it is equivalent of saying ‘hey friend’ or ‘hey buddy’; has nothing to do with job or supervisory relation. Don’t use it, unless of course, talking to your boss.

Kollywood:The Kodambakkam (Chennai) film industry that produces South Indian (Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada) movies. Not very popular term abroad.

Issue-less divorce: Probably means a divorce that is finalized; every divorce happens due to some issues.

Share your comments and more Hinglish idioms that are lost in translations abroad!

Related articles on English usage and grammar related tips:

• 12 Self-help tips on improving desi English language.
• 10 Tips on English pronunciation and accent improvement!
• A self-help guide to lose your accent!
• How to break a bad habit!

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