Hindi is among the oldest languages to be discovered by mankind, which has its roots laid back in around the 10th Century AD. It is a descendant of Sanskrit, which was the earliest speech of the Aryans in India. Hindi – also known as Hindustani or Khari-Boli, is written in the Devanagri script, which is the most scientific writing system in the world and is widely spoken by over ten million people across the globe as their first or second language, which makes it 3rd most widely spoken language in the world.
Hindi is spoken by almost the entire Indian population and has managed to influence many other languages spoken in this country. It has been adopted as an official language in most parts of India, but is yet to be declared as the National language. Recently, it has also been suggested that Hindi be one of the official languages in the United Nations because of the large number of Hindi speakers across the world, and the Indian government has been actively working on the same.
The Hindi literature can be majorly divided into four stages, namely:
- Adikal (The early period) ranging from 10th to 14th Century
- Bhaktikal (The devotional period) ranging from 14th to 18th Century
- Ritikal (The scholastic period) ranging from 18th to 20th Century
- Adhunikal (The modern period) 20th Century onwards
The alphabets in Hindi are known as “Varnmaala” which are broadly characterized as Swar and Vyanjan. The Varnmaala can be listed as below:
| Varnmaala |
Hindi examples |
Pronounced as |
Phonetic Examples |
| अ |
अनार |
a |
Up |
| आ |
आम |
aa |
Arm |
| इ |
इमली |
i |
Is |
| ई |
ईख |
ee |
Eat |
| उ |
उल्लू |
u |
Uber |
| ऊ |
ऊन |
oo |
Oops |
| ॠ |
ऋषि |
ri |
Risk |
| ए |
एडी |
e |
Ate |
| ऐ |
ऐनक |
ai |
Ant |
| ओ |
ओखली |
o |
Open |
| औ |
औरत |
au |
Audio |
| अं |
अंगूर |
am/an |
Number |
| अः |
|
aha |
|
| क |
कबूतर |
ka,ca |
King |
| ख |
खरगोश |
kha |
Khaki |
| ग |
गमला |
ga |
Gun |
| घ |
घड़ी |
gha |
Ghastly |
| ङ |
|
Nga |
|
| च |
चम्मच |
cha |
Chair |
| छ |
छतरी |
chha |
Chhatisgarh |
| ज |
जल |
ja |
Jam |
| झ |
झंडा |
jha |
Jhalem |
| ञ |
|
Nja |
|
| ट |
टमाटर |
Ta |
Take |
| ठ |
ठठेरा |
Tha |
Thane |
| ड |
डमरू |
Da |
Danger |
| ढ |
ढोलक |
Dha |
|
| ण |
|
Na |
|
| त |
तरबूज़ |
ta |
|
| थ |
थैली |
tha |
Thick |
| द |
दवाई |
da |
The |
| ध |
धनुष |
dha |
Buddha |
| न |
नल |
na |
Name |
| प |
पतलून |
pa |
Parent |
| फ |
फल |
pha,fa |
Flower |
| ब |
बकरी |
ba |
Bank |
| भ |
भालू |
bha |
Bhavan |
| म |
मछली |
ma |
Made |
| य |
योगी |
ya |
Yacht |
| र |
रस्सी |
ra |
Rain |
| ल |
लड्डू |
la |
Lawyer |
| व |
वाहन |
va,wa |
Vase |
| श |
शरबत |
sha |
Shine |
| ष |
षटकोण |
Sha |
Share |
| स |
साबुन |
sa |
Sale |
| ह |
हिन्दी |
ha |
Hat |
| क्ष |
क्षत्रिय |
kSha |
Rickshaw |
| त्र |
त्रिशूल |
tra |
|
| ज्ञ |
ज्ञानी |
Gya |
Gyan |
| श्र |
श्रमिक |
Shra |
Shred |
| क |
कबूतर |
Ka |
Colour |
| का |
काग़ज़ |
kaa |
Carton |
| कि |
किताब |
Ki |
King |
| की |
कील |
Kee |
Keep |
| कु |
कुंवर |
Ku |
Kung Fu |
| कू |
कूलर |
Koo |
Cool |
| कृ |
कृपाण |
Kri |
Crypto |
| के |
केला |
Ke |
Case |
| कै |
कैलाश |
Kai |
Camera |
| को |
कोयला |
Ko |
Cold |
| कौ |
कौवा |
Kau |
Cow |
| कं |
कंगन |
Kang |
Kangaroo |
| कः |
|
Kaha |
|
Vowels
Out of the total 48 letters in the Hindi Varnmaala, there are a total number of eleven Vowels (Swar) in Hindi.
|
Swar
|
Hindi examples
|
Pronounced as
|
Phonetic Examples
|
|
अ
|
अनार
|
a
|
Up
|
|
आ
|
आम
|
aa
|
Arm
|
|
इ
|
इमली
|
i
|
Is
|
|
ई
|
ईख
|
ee
|
Eat
|
|
उ
|
उल्लू
|
u
|
Uber
|
|
ऊ
|
ऊन
|
oo
|
Oops
|
|
ॠ
|
ऋषि
|
ri
|
Risk
|
|
ए
|
एडी
|
e
|
Ate
|
|
ऐ
|
ऐनक
|
ai
|
Ant
|
|
ओ
|
ओखली
|
o
|
Open
|
|
औ
|
औरत
|
au
|
Audio
|
|
अं
|
अंगूर
|
am/an
|
Number
|
|
अः
|
|
aha
|
|
Swar are basically of three types:
- Hrisv swar– Those which are spoken easily and in no time. These are four in number:
|
Hrisv Swar
|
Hindi examples
|
Pronounced as
|
Phonetic Examples
|
|
अ
|
अनार
|
a
|
Up
|
|
इ
|
इमली
|
i
|
Is
|
|
उ
|
उल्लू
|
u
|
Uber
|
|
ॠ
|
ऋषि
|
ri
|
Risk
|
|
अं
|
अंगूर
|
am/an
|
Number
|
|
अः
|
|
aha
|
|
- Deergha swar– Those which are spoken in comparatively more time. These are seven in number:
|
Deeghr Swar
|
Hindi examples
|
Pronounced as
|
Phonetic Examples
|
|
आ
|
आम
|
aa
|
Arm
|
|
ई
|
ईख
|
ee
|
Eat
|
|
ऊ
|
ऊन
|
oo
|
Oops
|
|
ए
|
एडी
|
e
|
Ate
|
|
ऐ
|
ऐनक
|
ai
|
Ant
|
|
ओ
|
ओखली
|
o
|
Open
|
|
औ
|
औरत
|
au
|
Audio
|
- Plut swar– Those which take the most time, like ओ in ओ३म (Om)
Other than swar, there are also, Ayogvah, which are two in number: अं, अः
- अं: is the anuswar
- अः is the visarg
Consonants
Vyanjan, which are the consonants of Hindi are divided into:
- Sparsh Vyanjan: These are 25 in number, with 5 categories and 5 letters in each of the five categories, namely:
Below is a list of the Sparsh Vyanjan and their usage:
|
Sparsh Vyanjan
|
Hindi examples
|
Pronounced as
|
Phonetic Examples
|
|
क
|
कबूतर
|
ka,ca
|
King
|
|
ख
|
खरगोश
|
kha
|
Khaki
|
|
ग
|
गमला
|
ga
|
Gun
|
|
घ
|
घड़ी
|
gha
|
Ghastly
|
|
ङ
|
|
Nga
|
|
|
च
|
चम्मच
|
cha
|
Chair
|
|
छ
|
छतरी
|
chha
|
Chhatisgarh
|
|
ज
|
जल
|
ja
|
Jam
|
|
झ
|
झंडा
|
jha
|
Jhalem
|
|
ञ
|
|
Nja
|
|
|
ट
|
टमाटर
|
Ta
|
Take
|
|
ठ
|
ठठेरा
|
Tha
|
Thane
|
|
ड
|
डमरू
|
Da
|
Danger
|
|
ढ
|
ढोलक
|
Dha
|
|
|
ण
|
|
Na
|
|
|
त
|
तरबूज़
|
ta
|
|
|
थ
|
थैली
|
tha
|
Thick
|
|
द
|
दवाई
|
da
|
The
|
|
ध
|
धनुष
|
dha
|
Buddha
|
|
न
|
नल
|
na
|
Name
|
|
प
|
पतलून
|
pa
|
Parent
|
|
फ
|
फल
|
pha,fa
|
Flower
|
|
ब
|
बकरी
|
ba
|
Bank
|
|
भ
|
भालू
|
bha
|
Bhavan
|
|
म
|
मछली
|
ma
|
Made
|
- Antash Vyanjan: These are four in number:
|
Antash Vyanjan
|
Hindi examples
|
Pronounced as
|
Phonetic Examples
|
|
य
|
योगी
|
ya
|
Yacht
|
|
र
|
रस्सी
|
ra
|
Rain
|
|
ल
|
लड्डू
|
la
|
Lawyer
|
|
व
|
वाहन
|
va,wa
|
Vase
|
3. Ushm Vyanjan: These are also four in number:
|
Varnmaala
|
Hindi examples
|
Pronounced as
|
Phonetic Examples
|
|
श
|
शरबत
|
sha
|
Shine
|
|
ष
|
षटकोण
|
Sha
|
Share
|
|
स
|
साबुन
|
sa
|
Sale
|
|
ह
|
हिन्दी
|
ha
|
Hat
|
Merging Vowels and Consonants
When we merge the vowels and consonants in hindi, we get a new letter with a special character (called maatra) attached to it, which gives a unique sound to the consonant, the vowel is added to. The special character, called maatra will differ based on the vowel being used. Below is a simple representation of the same:
|
Swar+Vyanjan
|
Hindi examples
|
Pronounced as
|
Phonetic Examples
|
|
क= क + अ
|
कबूतर
|
Ka
|
Colour
|
|
का= क + आ
|
काग़ज़
|
kaa
|
Carton
|
|
कि= क + इ
|
किताब
|
Ki
|
King
|
|
की= क + ई
|
कील
|
Kee
|
Keep
|
|
कु= क + उ
|
कुंवर
|
Ku
|
Kung Fu
|
|
कू= क + ऊ
|
कूलर
|
Koo
|
Cool
|
|
कृ= क + ॠ
|
कृपाण
|
Kri
|
Crypto
|
|
के= क + ए
|
केला
|
Ke
|
Case
|
|
कै= क + ऐ
|
कैलाश
|
Kai
|
Camera
|
|
को= क + ओ
|
कोयला
|
Ko
|
Cold
|
|
कौ= क + औ
|
कौवा
|
Kau
|
Cow
|
|
कं= क + अं
|
कंगन
|
Kang
|
Kangaroo
|
|
कः= क + अः
|
|
Kaha
|
|
Sample Text
To understand how Hindi alphabets are used as building blocks to make complex sentences, please see the following :
“दया वो भाषा है जिसे बहरा भी सुन सकता है और अँधा भी देख सकता है “
“Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see”
– Mark Twain
