Indian English
Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Indian English is a group of English dialects spoken in India and also understood in neighbouring countries in South Asia. Although based largely on British English, Indian English has acquired a unique flavour with a strong accent, unique vocabulary and even a distinct numbering system, which can make it tricky for English speakers from elsewhere to understand. However, if spoken slowly, educated speakers of Indian and non-Indian varieties can understand each other.
UnderstandDespite increasing globalisation and a gradual move away from rural living, Indians continue to romanticise local words, and they use some of them while speaking English with other fellow citizens.
PronunciationIndian accents vary depending on the prevailing native language spoken there, and many native English speakers may find them tricky to understand unless spoken slowly. There are some rules of thumb to notice.
GrammarPerhaps the most common jibe about Indian English is its use of "improper" grammar, which can sound strange to English speakers from other countries.
Basic phrases
NumbersIndians have a different way to count numbers above ten thousand, which has been adopted so deeply into Indian English that most speakers are not aware that other dialects don't use them.
Get in/Get aroundSimilar to American English, the word "bus" is used for both local buses and long-distance coaches. The word "coach" is not understood in India to mean a kind of bus.
See
DoThe word "cinema hall" is often used in India for the building, as opposed to the film industry. Both "interval" and "intermission" are used in India to mean a break between two film sessions.
Buy
EatMenus in Indian restaurants are often written in English, but using Hindi or other local names for dishes.
Drink
Sleep
LearnIndian English tends to follow British English regarding academic terminology. However, American English is also employed for certain concepts, for example:
Stay safe
Stay healthy
Connect and copeBoth "toilet" and "bathroom" are widely understood in India to refer to the room containing the fixture. Other terms like "washroom" and "lavatory" are also understood.
TimeIn Indian English, the names of days and months have a tendency to be pronounced as it is spelt. Ironically, some pronunciations don't even follow the English spelling but a certain Indian language. For example,
OtherIndians generally use the standard English names for basic colours. However, they sometimes also use words from local languages, including in set phrases and also for relatively uncommon English words for colours.
Suffixes
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Indian English" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons