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Selling to India White Paper

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A management consultancy firm advising American companies how to increase revenues and reduce costs by leveraging the economies of China and India.
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The opening of the global marketplace has enabled many savvy businesses of all sizes to capitalize on new markets and sources of labor and innovation. These International Business Articles can help you research these opportunities and prepare for the risks involved. Please let us know if you have other global business articles or resources and we'll add them to the list.

You can also Contact Us to discuss how Amritt Ventures can help you do business globally. Our focus in on Asia and primarily on India and China.

Global Business Articles
Inc.com Global Resources
Inc's website has a whole section dedicated to Global Business with a wealth of resources including Columns by top executives, How-To Guides, Articles on many topics, and an Ask the Expert feature.

Latest International Business Articles
Suite 101 is an "eclectic online magazine featuring a heady blend of fresh opinions, candid recommendations, and savvy commentary from more than 300 expert writers". Their International Business section includes a great list of articles and blogs on many topics relating to International Business many of which focus on doing business in India and China.

China and India: MIT China Expert Comments
This article from Jasheng Huang of MIT discusses how China and India compare to each other in terms of competitive economy and the reasons and explanations as to how each got to its present position.

U.S. Image up slightly, but still negative
The Global Attitudes Project from the Pew Research Center shows that the "American Character gets mixed reviews". Of all the 16 nations in the survey, India had the most favorable opinion of the USA at 71% having a favorable opinion, China was in the middle at 42%.

Indian English Dictionary

Sample Word: Karta
Head of Household (literally "the one who does")

Sample Word: 420
A deceptive person, one who cheats you (after Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code); "I thought Jay was a nice guy but he turned out to be 420."

Sample Word: 2 by 4
Two divided by Four

Sample Word: 2 into four
Two times four

Sample Word: Aao Jo
Goodbye (in Gujarati)

Sample Word: ABCD
American Born Confused Desi; a pejorative term for 2nd generation Indians in USA

Sample Word: Achchaa!
Okay (from Hindi); Good

Sample Word: Aeroplane
Airplane

Sample Word: Alloh
Hello (when answering the phone)

Sample Word: Allright
okay

Sample Word: Almari
Cupboard, cabinet, sometimes closet; also called "almirah"

Sample Word: Almirah
Cupboard, cabinet, sometimes closet; also called "almari"

Sample Word: Alms
Money or in-kind charity, to beggars or to organizations; the word is archaic in America, common in India

Sample Word: Alright
Okay

Sample Word: Amma
In north India, mother; in south India, female (kid or adult)

Sample Word: Annexure
Appendix, "Please look at Annexure B of our report for financials"

Sample Word: Ans.
Answer (abbreviation)

Sample Word: At the rate of
@, At (for email addresses) (my email is jay at the rate of aol.com)

Sample Word: Auto
Auto-rickshaw, - a three wheeler open taxi (tuk-tuk)

Sample Word: Babu
Bureaucrat, clerk, sometimes boss

Sample Word: Babu English
Pejorative for grammatically incorrect English written by a fellow Indian

Sample Word: Back
Ago, as in "We met three days back."

Sample Word: Badmash
See hooligan

Sample Word: Balance Sheet, left side
Where liabilites are recorded, NOT assets

Sample Word: Balance Sheet, right side
Where Assets are recorded, not Liabilities

Sample Word: Balti
Bucket; also a type of cuisine (balti chicken)

Sample Word: Bandh
General strike, where commerical establishments may be shut down

Sample Word: Bapu
Literally father, often refers to Mahatma Gandhi, the "Father of India."

Sample Word: Basement
Usually refers to underground parking in a condo, basement as living space are rare

Sample Word: Batchmate
Classmate

Sample Word: Batch-mate
Classmate

Sample Word: Bearer
Waiter

Sample Word: Berra
Waiter (also baira)

Sample Word: Bhaiya
Man, dude; literally brother

Sample Word: BIMARU
Acronym referring to the Indian states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh; historically slow-growth economies

Sample Word: Black money
Also "black"; money that is untaxed and undocumented to the government

Sample Word: Board
Signboard or sign; see also hoarding

Sample Word: Bogey
Coach, in a passenger train

Sample Word: Bonnet
Hood (of an automobile)

Sample Word: Boot
Trunk (of automobile)

Sample Word: Bowled
Knocked out, from cricket

Sample Word: Brinjal
Eggplant;(Hindi word is Baingan)

Sample Word: Britisher
Briton

Sample Word: Broking
Brokerage (from the British)

Sample Word: Brother
May be a brother, or cousin; see real brother

Sample Word: Bungalow
Any big house, typically with a verandah, driveway and walled front yard

Sample Word: Bunk
(verb), to avoid classes in school

Sample Word: Bus!
That's it (from Hindi)

Sample Word: By
/, the symbol referred to as slash; divided by; see also "1 by 2"

Sample Word: C.A.
Chartered Accountant, like a CPA in the USA

Sample Word: Calling card
Business card (see also visiting card)

Sample Word: Cantt
Cantonment; the (permanent)area in a city reserved for military installations and housing

Sample Word: Car Park
Parking lot

Sample Word: Cash Memo
Receipt in a retail store

Sample Word: Cent Percent
100 percent

Sample Word: Chaat
Spicy fresh snack foods

Sample Word: Challo!
Let's go

Sample Word: Chappals
Slippers

Sample Word: Chaprasi
Messenger (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Chawl
Tenement, see also kholi

Sample Word: Chennai
The new name for Madras, a major Southern City

Sample Word: Cheque
Check (as in a bank check)

Sample Word: Chowk
Urban square, market, major intersection

Sample Word: Chuddies
see Chaddies

Sample Word: Ciggy
Slang for cigarette

Sample Word: Cinema
Movie, or movie theater

Sample Word: Cinema Hall
Movie Theater

Sample Word: Co-brother
For a married man, his wife sister's husband; used most often in South India

Sample Word: Cold drink
Beverage (Coke, Milk Shake, Lemonade); "It's sweltering bhai, let's stop for cold drinks"

Sample Word: Colony
Neighborhood or American sub-division; "I grew up in Nehru Colony""

Sample Word: Come again
Please repeat what you said, I did not understand you the first time.

Sample Word: Con Call
Conference phone call, usually at a pre-arranged time

Sample Word: Convent School
A school runs by Christian missionaries; often nuns; but loosely any Christian school

Sample Word: Corporate
Company; "A large corporate in Delhi is interested in hiring my brother"

Sample Word: Corporates
Companies; our customers include California corporates such as Intel and Amgen

Sample Word: Cousin brother
Cousin, male

Sample Word: Cousin sister
Cousin, female

Sample Word: Crore
Ten million (also see "lakh")

Sample Word: CTC
Cost to Company (when referring to the total compensation of an employee including benefits)

Sample Word: Cupboard
Cabinet

Sample Word: Current came
The power came back on

Sample Word: Daru
Booze, sometimes written as daaru

Sample Word: Daaru
Booze, sometimes written as daru

Sample Word: Dacoit
Robber

Sample Word: Dak Bungalow
A government guest house, often in a remote location, where no hotels may exist

Sample Word: Dal
Lentils; also the dish cooked with lentils and a major protein source in Indian diets; also dhall

Sample Word: Deadly
Intense (slang)

Sample Word: Degree holder
Someone who has a degree (diploma) from the equivalent of a 4-year college

Sample Word: Dekko
To take a look, to examine, to watch out of curiousity; from Hindi dekho "to see"

Sample Word: Departmental store
Any self-service shop, even if small

Sample Word: Dhall
Lentils, typically a source of protein, cooked as a soup/gravy

Sample Word: Dickey
Trunk (of automobile)

Sample Word: Diploma holder
One who has completed a 2-3 year college course, such as in an American junior college

Sample Word: District
County, in local government

Sample Word: DM
District Magistrate; the senior most local government official at the county level

Sample Word: Donkey's years
A long time

Sample Word: Dosa
South Indian crepe, often filled with potatos, eaten as a snack

Sample Word: Dress
Outfit, clothing (for men or for women)

Sample Word: Duplex
Two-level house (NOT two houses with a common wall); often mis-pronounced "duplay"

Sample Word: Eggetarian
A vegetarian who also eats eggs and egg products

Sample Word: Eleven number bus
Slang for walking

Sample Word: Email ID
Email Address; "Please give me your Email ID"

Sample Word: EMI
Equal Monthly Instalments; a level payment plan to repay capital or revolving loans

Sample Word: Engaged
Busy (for a telephone line); "I gave you a tinkle but your number, was engaged"

Sample Word: Fag
Slang for cigarette

Sample Word: Farm
For a wealthy urban resident, a cottage or resor in the country; with little or no agriculture!

Sample Word: FD
Fixed Deposit, same as a CD or Certificate of Deposit at a US bank

Sample Word: Filter Coffee
Brewed Coffee as opposed to instant coffee

Sample Word: Firangi
Foreigner

Sample Word: Fired
Chastised (not removed from job)

Sample Word: First floor
The second floor of a multi-storey building, see ground floor

Sample Word: Flat
Apartment

Sample Word: Samosa
Triangular fried snack food; filled with potatoes, perhaps meat; similar to empanada

Sample Word: Scheme
Plan, project; (no negative connotation)

Sample Word: Scooter
Sometimes used in North India to refer to a scooter-rickshaw taxi; also "auto".

Sample Word: Seniors
More experienced employees (or students); NOT old people

Sample Word: Sexy
Extremely cool, slick

Sample Word: Shri
Also Shree, meaning Mister, Mr.

Sample Word: Shrimati
Mrs., also written as Srimati or Sreemati (see also Shri)

Sample Word: Sir
Used in place of a person's name, honorific, see "ji"; "Sanjay Sir authorized me to buy this computer".

Sample Word: Sit
To have an office "I sit in London and Delhi."

Sample Word: Six by three or six upon three
Six divided by three

Sample Word: Sixer
Home run, slang from cricket

Sample Word: Sleeper
Cross-tie, as in the cross member that connect railroad tracks

Sample Word: Slow
Soft; "Please speak slow."

Sample Word: Speak in english
Speak English

Sample Word: Specs
Spectacles, glasses

Sample Word: Speed-breaker
Road bump

Sample Word: Stamp paper
Government issued paper, for the signing of legal documents, as a tax collection method.

Sample Word: Stand for election
Run for elective office

Sample Word: Standard
School year / grade - "My son is in sixth standard."

Sample Word: Status family
Rich people

Sample Word: Stay
Usually used instead of live "Where do you stay in Chicago?"

Sample Word: STD
Long-distance phone call, Subscriber Trunk Dialling.

Sample Word: Steel Frame
Metaphor for elite Indian Administrative Service, IAS; the steel frame that holds up the India edifice

Sample Word: Stepney
Spare tire (in automobie), sometimes used insultingly to refer to a mistress (spare wife)

Sample Word: Studio
Photo studio

Sample Word: Supreme Court
The highest court in the Country; there is only one Supreme Court, not one per state; see High Court

Sample Word: Take
Means "consume" when used with food or drink items. "Take a cold drink, please."

Sample Word: Tap
Faucet

Sample Word: Taxi-Vaxi
Taxi (usually a nonsensical word is attached to emphasize a word e.g. chai-vai, taxi-vaxi)

Sample Word: Tea
Hot tea, often served with milk and sugare pre-mixed; unless you specify in advance

Sample Word: Tehsil
A subdivision of a county

Sample Word: Telecon
Telephone conference, or business telephone call

Sample Word: Thali
Dinner plate, often made of Stainless Steel; see also Thali meal

Sample Word: Thali meal
All you can eat "prixe-fixe" usually at mid-priced restaurant.

Sample Word: Tharra
Country liquour, as distinct from IMFL; tharra is often a drink of the lower socio-economic classes

Sample Word: Tick
Check off (not irritate); "Please tick the the preferred time for your appointment on this list."

Sample Word: Tieup
Joint Venture; agreement to work together

Sample Word: Tie-up
Joint Venture; agreement to work together

Sample Word: Tiffin
Meal, specially a short meal or one that you carry with you

Sample Word: Tiffin carrier
Lunch Box; lunch pail

Sample Word: Timepass
Wasting time away, also used to refer to snack food sold in buses/trains/stations

Sample Word: Tinkle
Phone Call; "Give me a tinkle next time you are in town and we can meet."

Sample Word: Toilet
Restroom, see also W.C.

Sample Word: Too good
Very good; "Your presentation today was too good."

Sample Word: Torch
Flashlight

Sample Word: Turnover
Revenue

Sample Word: Tyre
Automobile tire

Sample Word: Under root
Square root, in mathematics

Sample Word: Untouchables
Persons belonging to scheduled caste - politically incorrect word - DO NOT USE

Sample Word: Updation
Updating

Sample Word: Upgradation
Process of applying an upgrade

Sample Word: Upto
Up to

Sample Word: Use and throw
Disposable

Sample Word: Vaastu Shastra
Indian architectural practice of maintaining balance with nature; analogous to "FengShui".

Sample Word: Vela
To have free time. (in Southern India)

Sample Word: Vernac
Provincial; culturally backward, or unrefined (from "vernacular")

Sample Word: Vide
Refer to; "You owe us $32,570 vide Invoice Number 3275/F."

Sample Word: Visiting card
Business card (see also calling card")"

Sample Word: Waah!
Wow! (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Wallah
Someone involved in the function just mentioned - e.g. The taxi-wallah knew Kolkata very well

Sample Word: WC
Water Closet, ie toilet

Sample Word: White money
Also white; money that is shown on the books and duly taxed; as opposed to black money

Sample Word: Windscreen
Windshield (of automobile)

Sample Word: Wine
Can mean aloholic liquor; you may not find any Chablis at a wine shop!

Sample Word: Works
(noun) factory, plant

Sample Word: Yaar
Friend, amigo, buddy (slang, Hindi), also written as yar

Sample Word: Yallow
Hello (when answering the phone)

Sample Word: Yankland
Pejorative for USA

Sample Word: Yesterday night
Last night

Sample Word: You people
Indians commonly use "you people" when they want to address more than one person. Not intended to belittle or criticize the recipient.

Sample Word: Your good name please?
What is your name?

Sample Word: Zed
Zee (the last letter of the alphabet)

Sample Word: Fly
"and family"; often seen on group tickets; "Mr Singh, Mrs Singh and 2 fly."

Sample Word: Football
Soccer; American football is not played in India

Sample Word: Footfalls
In the retail business: number of prospective and real customers to enter the store

Sample Word: Footpath
Sidewalk

Sample Word: Foreign Returned
Having come back from foreign country(an implied privilege for education or employment experience)

Sample Word: Freak Out
Let's have fun (slang)

Sample Word: French beard
A goatee

Sample Word: Fresher
Freshman; first year student, new employee, inexperienced worker

Sample Word: Full stop
Period, at the end of a sentence

Sample Word: Gandhi Dynasty
Refer to the first Prime Minister of India, Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi etc (but not Mahatma Gandhi)

Sample Word: Ghee
Clarified butter, often used as a cooking medium

Sample Word: Godman
Pejorative word for a person who who claims to have supernatural powers

Sample Word: Godown
Warehouse

Sample Word: Godrej
Steel almirah; after the brand name of a leading India company

Sample Word: Goggles
Sunglasses, also swimming goggles

Sample Word: Good name
Name

Sample Word: Goodname
Polite way to request someone's (proper) name, not nickname; see "Your good name"

Sample Word: Governor
A non-executive, appointed head for a province or state; see Chief Minister

Sample Word: Gratuity
Payment for meritorious service (not identical with a tip)

Sample Word: Ground floor
First floor of a multi-storey building; see first floor

Sample Word: Haanji
Yes, sir

Sample Word: Hai Ram
Oh God!, an exclamation of suprise, frustration, excitement; "Hai Ram, I can't believe I got the job."

Sample Word: Haina
Isn't it. (used it as a confirmatory filler at the end of a sentence).

Sample Word: Half-pants
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nekar"

Sample Word: Half-ticket
Reduced price ticket, for a child, senior, or other special category

Sample Word: Hash
#, ie the pound symbol

Sample Word: Hat trick
Three in a row, from cricket

Sample Word: Healthy
In North India, refers to fat people, but not pejoratively

Sample Word: Hero
In a movie, leading man or male star

Sample Word: Heroine
In a movie, leading woman

Sample Word: High Court
The highest court in the state; each state in India has a high court (see Supreme Court)

Sample Word: High Tech
Stylish (used in reference to attire, for example)

Sample Word: History sheeter
Person with a long history of violations or crimes

Sample Word: Hoarding
Billboard

Sample Word: Hockey
Field hockey, played on grass with a ball and hockeysticks; NOT "ice hockey"

Sample Word: Homely
One who can build a good home, has upstanding moral values (when referrring to a marriageable girl)

Sample Word: Hooligan
Hoodlum, unruly person

Sample Word: Hotel
Eating establishment, restaurant

Sample Word: Hullo
Hello

Sample Word: I am understanding it
I have already understood.

Sample Word: IAS
Indian Administrative Service; the elite civil service cadre that runs the country

Sample Word: Iddly
In South India, steamed rice/lentil patty, traditionally eaten at breakfast

Sample Word: Idli
In South India, steamed rice/lentil patty, traditionally eaten at breakfast

Sample Word: IMFL
Indian-made Foreign Liquor; distilled spirits like whisky, rum or gin made in India, as distinct from tharra

Sample Word: Indent
(noun) purchase order, or official requistion for goods or services

Sample Word: Indian-made Foreign Liquor
Whisky, rum, gin etc produced in India but not "country-liquour" which is usually much less expensive and sold in different stores.

Sample Word: Intimate you
Inform you

Sample Word: Invigilator
Monitor, as in an administered test or examination

Sample Word: Item girl
It girl; a female movie star who appears in an "item song" in a Hindi movie; "the talk of the town"

Sample Word: Jangal
Jungle, forest; jungle actually originated in Hindi

Sample Word: Jao
Please go (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Jawan
Soldier, as in "private" in USA

Sample Word: Jugaad
Creative improvisation; "jury rigging" in American; find a way out by hook or by crook

Sample Word: Keep
Put (verb)

Sample Word: Keep
Pejorative for mistress (noun)

Sample Word: Kem Cho
How are you, in Gujarati

Sample Word: Kholi
In Mumbai, tenement; see also chawl

Sample Word: Kitty party
A gathering of housewives, often accompanied by potluck meals, or network marketing

Sample Word: Kolkata
The new name for Calcutta, a large city in East India

Sample Word: Kyoon
Why (from Hindi); "kyoon ki" is because; Indians will use these words in English sentences

Sample Word: Laatsahib
The big boss, from Lord Sahib (ie the Governor General or Viceroy in colonial India)

Sample Word: Lac
Hundred Thousand (see Crore)

Sample Word: Lacuna
Gap, shortcoming, failing

Sample Word: Ladyfinger
Okra, a vegetable; bhindi

Sample Word: Lady's finger
Okra, a vegetable; bhindi

Sample Word: Lakh
Hundred Thousand (see Crore)

Sample Word: Lift
Elevator

Sample Word: Lift
Ride; "Can you please give me a lift to the airport? The bus is running late."

Sample Word: Load shedding
Brown outs or blackouts, often pre-scheduled, due to electric power shortage

Sample Word: Lorry
Truck

Sample Word: Love marriage
A marriage that follows a love affair, as opposed to a more common "arranged marriage", which is arranged by the bride's and groom's parents.

Sample Word: Maane
What I mean is (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Madam
Respectful term for women - same as Ma'am

Sample Word: Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, freedom fighter, revered as the Father of Independent India

Sample Word: Mall Road
Main Street; The English colonialists often named the major street Mall Road; most Mall Roads have been renamed to Mahatma Gandhi Road or MG Road

Sample Word: Mama
Maternal uncle, also street talk for "cop"

Sample Word: Marks
Points; "He received 92% marks on the exam."

Sample Word: Matlab
What I mean is (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Matter
Material, content. "Please give me the matter for your website"

Sample Word: MBBS
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (physician, licensed to practice much like an MD in USA)

Sample Word: MD
Managing Director, equivalent of CEO; (physicians are called MBBS)

Sample Word: Meat
Any food of animal origin (chicken, pork, lamb, fish, etc)

Sample Word: Memsaab
see memsahib

Sample Word: Memsahib
Honorific to refer to a woman boss or woman of higher status (from "ma'am sahib")

Sample Word: Messrs.
For a corporation e.g. Messr Procter & Gamble

Sample Word: Military Hotel
(in Tamilnadu), A restaurant that serves non-vegetarian food; where many are vegetarian

Sample Word: Miscreants
People up to no good; petty criminals;

Sample Word: Missed call
A call that is deliberately unanswered on a cell phone, as a signal; "Give me a missed call when you are ready."

Sample Word: Missi amma
In Karnataka, often used to refer to an Anglo Indian or Christian woman, one who may wear a skirt

Sample Word: Mixie
Grinder, blender

Sample Word: Mobile
Cell Phone; "I left my mobile at home."

Sample Word: Mother Tongue
Native language; I live in Delhi but my mother tongue is Oriya

Sample Word: Mumbai
The new name for Bombay; the natives always called it Mumbai

Sample Word: My Mrs.
My wife..

Sample Word: Nahin
No, from Hindi

Sample Word: Namaskar
See namaste

Sample Word: Namaste
A greeting, literally "I respect you", see also "namaskar".

Sample Word: Near and Dear
Friends and family

Sample Word: Nearly
Can mean "approximately", rather than "almost"; "We have nearly 10-12 Vice Presidents"

Sample Word: Needful
Whatever is needed to be done (I will do the needful)

Sample Word: Nekar
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nikkar"

Sample Word: NGO
Non-governmental organization, usually in reference to private non-profit groups

Sample Word: Nikkar
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nekar"

Sample Word: Note
Bill of currency; I will give you a hundred rupee note

Sample Word: NRI
Non-resident Indian, an Indian citizen residing overseas

Sample Word: Numbers
Each, as measure of quantity; Please send me 3 numbers of ingots, means Please send me 3 each ingots;

Sample Word: Nursing home
Small private hospital, usually owned by a physican; NOT a retirement home

Sample Word: Oblique
See "By"; My address is "Seven Oblique A" for 7/A; same as "slash"+B262 in American

Sample Word: Obsequies
Funeral rituals

Sample Word: Off it
Switch it Off

Sample Word: Offs
Holiday or vacation day (days that I am off)

Sample Word: On it
Switch it On

Sample Word: Only
When used in a complex sentence, "only" might qualify any word in the sentence; always clarify!

Sample Word: Oof!
Show distress or frustation (ugh)

Sample Word: Open
Switch on (Open the airconditioner please)

Sample Word: Out of station
Out of town; "Sorry I could not meet you, I was out of station when you visited."

Sample Word: PTO
Please turn over (annotation at the bottom of a page to indicate further content)

Sample Word: Parallely
In parallel (simultaneously in time)

Sample Word: Passed out
Graduated (from college)

Sample Word: Passout
To graduate, to complete education, "I am a 1996 passout from Delhi University."

Sample Word: Pass-out
To graduate, to complete education, "I am a 1996 pass-out from Delhi University."

Sample Word: Pavement
Sidewalk; (in the US pavement refers to the street not the sidewalk); see also footpath

Sample Word: Pen-down strike
A strike or protest in which office workers sit at their desks but do no work

Sample Word: Peon
Unskilled office helper

Sample Word: Pet name
Nick name. "My brother is Krishna, but we gave him the pet name Kris."

Sample Word: Petrol
Gasoline

Sample Word: Petrol pump
Gas station

Sample Word: PIN code
Postal Code, (PIN= Postal Index Number);

Sample Word: Pindrop silence
Literaly absolute silence

Sample Word: Plinth
Built up area, in real estate

Sample Word: Postgraduate
Graduate, a student pursuing education beyond a bachelor's degree

Sample Word: Prepone
Move it earlier (as opposed to post - postpone)

Sample Word: Public School
A prestigious (and very private) school; similar to Brtish public schools.

Sample Word: Puncture
Flat (for an automobile tire)

Sample Word: Pune
The new name for Poona, near Mumbai (which see)

Sample Word: Purse
Purse, or wallet for a man or woman

Sample Word: Pyjama
Loose pants worn by men in North India, not just for sleeping

Sample Word: Queue
Line (Please form a Q in front of the ticket counter); of course many Indians then ignore queues :)

Sample Word: Ragging
Hazing, harrasment of new students by seniors

Sample Word: Raise an invoice
Create an invoice

Sample Word: Rapeseed
Canola see for oil; actually canola is a North American invention (Canadian oil, low acid)

Sample Word: Ration Card
Government issued document that entitles holder to price controlled food; also serves as ID

Sample Word: Real Brother
Brother; as distinct from a cousin or "cousin brother".

Sample Word: Regularise
Legitmize

Sample Word: Rest house
See "dak bungalow"

Sample Word: Revert
Get back to you (by phone or email); "Give me a week to revert to you."

Sample Word: Rick
Rickshaw

Sample Word: Ring
Phone call. "Give me a ring tomorrow."

Sample Word: Rubber
Eraser (not condom)

Sample Word: Sahib
Also sa'ab or saab; boss, often used to refer to person in power or of higher status, see also "memsahib".

Sample Word: Have, have!
exhortation to eat/drink something offered to a guest

Sample Word: One by two
(in South India), instruction to split a restaurant order into two (also 2 by 3, 4 by 7 etc)

Sample Word: Chemist
pharmacist, see also druggist

Sample Word: Druggist
pharmacist, see also chemist

Sample Word: Local
suburban train (in Mumbai)

Sample Word: Maggu
bookish person, one who studies a lot, someone who memorizes answers

Sample Word: Vanaspati
of vegetable/vegetarian origin; vanaspati oil

Sample Word: Roti
bread; see also double-roti

Sample Word: Double-roti
sandwich bread

Sample Word: 1 by 2
(in South India), instruction to split a restaurant order into two (also 2 by 3, 4 by 7 etc)

Sample Word: Forename
first name, see also christian name

Sample Word: Christian name
first name, see also forename and surname

Sample Word: Surname
last name, see also forename and christian name

Sample Word: Dekho
To take a look, to examine, to watch out of curiosity; from Hindi, see also dekko

Sample Word: Mufti
off duty clothes of someone who wears a uniform at work (from British Indian Army)

Sample Word: Puts in (his or her) papers
announces the decision to resign, "Jay Aman put in his papers last week"

Sample Word: Throws up
causes, bring up; (" Arabian Sea throws up cyclonic circulation")

Sample Word: Throw up
bring up, cause to happen,

Sample Word: Jai
Hail (salutation); such as Jai Ganesh (to a god) or Jai Hind (to the country)

Sample Word: Jija-ji
Sister's husband (as a pronoun, or a suffix); "Ramesh Jija-ji will be over for dinner"

Sample Word: Stand
trade show booth/exhibit

Sample Word: Crockery
chinaware; fragile dishes

Sample Word: Cabin
office, cubicle

Sample Word: Pukka
solid, real, permanent, the real thing (also spelled pucca); literally means ripe

Sample Word: Pucca
solid, real, the real thing (also spelled pukka); literally means ripe

Sample Word: Pphutt
broken, stopped working, literally torn;

Sample Word: Chamcha
Sycophant (slang), a person who is a "suck-up"; literally a large spoon or ladle

Sample Word: Modalities
processes, paperwork (bureaucratese); We cannot issue the licences since modalities remain.

Sample Word: Sub
everything (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Saneema
cinema

Sample Word: Puncher
puncture

Sample Word: Handle
handlebar of bicycle, steering wheel of car

Sample Word: Into
multiplied by; see 2 into 4

Sample Word: PFA
Please find attached (abbreviation often used as part of an email)

Sample Word: Franked
verb, the acting of applying metered postage, using a "franking" machine

Sample Word: Franking machine
postage meter

Sample Word: Retiring room
waiting room for travelers at a railway or bus station (may include clean toilets)

Sample Word: Pay-in slip
deposit slip (at a bank)

Sample Word: Bearer (on a cheque or financial document)
cash ( pay to bearer in India is the same as pay to cash in the USA

Sample Word: Averagely
on the average

Sample Word: Cowdung
cow chips, used as fertilizer, and as fuel for village fires

Sample Word: Bitiya
daughter, child

Sample Word: Beta
son, child

Sample Word: Party
entity, company; "I want to you to meet a promising party, who may place a large order"

Sample Word: Stockist
a dealer or retailer who maintains inventory of a particular item

Sample Word: Tubelight
flourescent light

Sample Word: White goods
in retail: major appliances (and not linens as in United States)

Sample Word: Baap Re!
an exclamation of surprise, literally "Oh daddy!"

Sample Word: Vakalatnaama
affidavit, power of attorney

Sample Word: Abey
Hey You!

Sample Word: Sri
Also Shree, Shri, meaning Mister, Mr.

Sample Word: Yar
Friend, amigo, buddy (slang, Hindi), also written as yaar

Sample Word: Graduate
undergraduate; someone with a bachelor's degree is specifically called a graduate

Sample Word: Treble
triple

Sample Word: Corpus
amount, sum of money

Sample Word: Typical
unusual, different (ie the opposite of the American meaning);

Sample Word: Partition
refers to the 1947 partition of colonial India into independent Pakistan and India

Sample Word: Masjid
mosque (an Islamic place of worship)

Sample Word: Qawwali
mystical singing in the "sufi" tradition; involved repetition, clapping and improvisation

Sample Word: PSU
public-sector undertaking, a company where owned by the government

Sample Word: Mallu
slang for South Indian person, a Malayalam speaker, (some consider it derogatory, do not use)

Sample Word: Gora
slang for "white" person, foreigner,

Sample Word: School
an elementary (primary), middle or high (secondary) school; in unqualfied form, "school" rarely refers to a college or university

Sample Word: NCR
the tri-state area surrounding New Delhi; the National Capital Region

Sample Word: Resp.
respected (used as form of address in a letter or email, such as Resp. Dr. Joy)

Sample Word: Fagged out
tired, exhausted

Sample Word: Smt.
Shrimati, Mrs., also written as Srimati or Sreemati

Sample Word: Cr.
Crore (ten million); "This plot of land costs 4 Cr rupees"

Sample Word: Hutment
a group of huts or makeshift dwellings, often in a slum area

Sample Word: Boring
drilling, as in drilling underground for water as part of new construction

Sample Word: Mem
pronounced "maim", slang for "doll" or female dressed in western outfit; from "ma'am"

Sample Word: Deemed university
a private educational entity, that is not yet approved by the government to grant degrees

Sample Word: Stuck up
busy, pre-occupied, "I was late to the call because I was stuck up with a client visit"

Sample Word: Aam aadmi
the common man (often used as the American equivalent of "Main Street:" in politics)

Sample Word: Asli
authentic, real

Sample Word: Badla
in stock market: buying on margin; literally "exchange" or even "revenge"

Sample Word: Benami
anonymous; often used to describe (illegal) anonymous property transactions

Sample Word: Berth
place; sleeper seat on train;

Sample Word: Bisleri
bottled water; after the brand name of a popular beverage company

Sample Word: Bullet
brand name of a popular motorcycle from Royal Enfield

Sample Word: Capsicum
bell pepper

Sample Word: Chowkidar
watchman; literally one who guards the courtyard or chowki.

Sample Word: Coir
fiber made from coconut husk;

Sample Word: Corporator
elected official in city government, similar to councilman

Sample Word: Creche
daycare center for infants

Sample Word: Cum
in combination, such as sofa-cum-bed or ticket-cum-reservation

Sample Word: Curd
yoghurt

Sample Word: Dahi
yoghurt

Sample Word: Dhania
coriander (seeds); cilantro (leaves)

Sample Word: Gharwali
wife, housewife

Sample Word: Grease
lubricant (never cooking fat)

Sample Word: Gutka
chewable tobacco product; shredded tobacco with nuts, sweeteners and flavors added

Sample Word: Gymkhana
country club; sporting facility;

Sample Word: Hafta
weekly payment, usually in reference to a bribe

Sample Word: Hawala
undocumented foreign exchange transactions (not legally permitted)

Sample Word: Sensex
Sensitive Index, of key Bombay Stock Exchange stocks; akin to Dow Jones Industrials

Sample Word: PAN
Permanent Account Number, a unique ID for Indian taxpayers

Sample Word: Inmates
occupants (not necessarily jail inmates)

Sample Word: Khadi
homespun fabric; clothing made from homespun; often worn by politicians

Sample Word: Kharif
autumn; autumn harvest as distinct from rabi

Sample Word: Rabi
spring; spring harvest

Sample Word: Medico
doctor, sometimes medical student or resident

Sample Word: Mushaira
a public gathering of Urdu poets (often extended into a late night event)

Sample Word: Nescoffee
Instant coffee, after Nestle's popular instant coffee (as distinct from filter coffee)

Sample Word: North Block
Federal (Central) government building which houses Finance, Home ministries , see South Block

Sample Word: Paying guest
a boarder, someone who rents a room or bed in a private home

Sample Word: Saloon
a beauty parlor for women; a barber (for men)

Sample Word: Sanctum sanctorum
the innermost part of the temple; only priests can enter it, generally

Sample Word: Shamiana
large, often colorful tent for social, religious or political events

Sample Word: South Block
the building that houses the central ministries of Defense and of External Affairs (see North Block)

Sample Word: Udupi hotel
in South India, a vegetarian restaurant run by South Indian Udupi Brahmins

Sample Word: Horeca
Sales term, abbreviation for HOtels, REstaurants and CAterers

Sample Word: Shuttlecock
"birdie" in badminton, see also shuttle

Sample Word: Shuttle
"birdie" in badminton, short for shuttlecock

Sample Word: Bangle
ornamental bracelet worn by women, often made from gold or from colored glass; some women wear several bangles on both wrists

Sample Word: Jungly
see junglee

Sample Word: Junglee
uncultured, wild; literally "of the jungle/forest"; sometimes spelled jungly

Sample Word: Chal
see chalo

Sample Word: Durbaan
security guard, doorman

Sample Word: Heeng
see asofoetida

Sample Word: Asofoetida
a pungent spice,also known as heeng, used widely in Indian cooking, and in traditional medicine as a digestive aid

Sample Word: Earthing
grounding (in electrical circuitry)

Sample Word: Fast
having loose morals (often in reference to a woman)

Sample Word: Munni
girl, young woman

Sample Word: Aerial
radio antenna (noun)

Sample Word: Acha
See achchaa!

Sample Word: Chori
theft; also in poetry/song to steal a glance or to do something furtively, as in chori-chori

Sample Word: Dil
heart (often in a romantic not physiological sense); "hriday" is the more proper Hindi word

Sample Word: Helo
Hello

Sample Word: Hallo
hello

Sample Word: Jaan
life; also "darling" colloquially

Sample Word: Kabhi
sometimes; also, when

Sample Word: Kumar
Indian middle name or (in recent years) last name; Kumar literally means unmarried male but that usage is obsolete

Sample Word: Mai
I (the singular personal pronoun)

Sample Word: Mei
in (verb); sometimes written as "mein"; not to be confused with mai (which see)

Sample Word: Mera
mine (masculine possessive pronoun); see also meri

Sample Word: Meri
mine (feminine possessive pronoun); see also mera

Sample Word: Munna
boy, young man

Sample Word: Aum
See Om

Sample Word: Om
a sacred invocation in Hindu philosophy and religion; often aspirated over 40-120 seconds or more

Sample Word: Zindagi
life, living

Sample Word: Chaikhana
in northwestern India and Pakistan, a tea stall

Sample Word: Charpoy
a cot, typically strung with rope, or cloth/nylon tape; literally four legs

Sample Word: Choli
blouse, upper garment for women

Sample Word: Dalit
a member of the shudra cast, literally "the oppressed"

Sample Word: Dupatta
a long scarf, typically strung over the shoulders and bosom

Sample Word: Gajra
floral garland, floral band often jasmine or marigold

Sample Word: Ghat
steps, often leading to a river, pond or bathing place; also hills/mountains

Sample Word: Ghati
pejorative for Marathi (someone from the Western Ghats) do not use

Sample Word: Ghazal
urdu poem, often sung

Sample Word: Goonda
thug

Sample Word: Harijan
member of lower caste, termed coined by Mahatma Gandhi; now referred to as Dalit

Sample Word: Haveli
an old-fashioned mansion, typically with a large central courtyard;

Sample Word: Hookah
a waterpipe for smoking; used in Northern and Northwest India with tobacco (not marijuana, typically)

Sample Word: Jati
caste (Hindi)

Sample Word: Laddoo
a dessert, typically a round ball with dairy, lentil or flour ingredients

Sample Word: Lathi
a staff or cane, typically made of bamboo; used as a walking stick or a disciplinary cane by police

Sample Word: Lingam
also Shiva-lingam, the phallic representation of the Hindua Lord Shiva

Sample Word: Lungi
a sarong style wrap worn by men; very common in South India; also worn in North India

Sample Word: Malik
owner, of a company or business or a parcel of land

Sample Word: Maidan
empty/flat field; often a town square, or meeting place or cricket field

Sample Word: Mona
mona Sikh or mona Sardar refers to Sikh male who has shaved his beard, cut his hair short

Sample Word: Panchayat
a village council, typically consisting of five elders

Sample Word: Parikrama
circumambulation of a temple, deity or holy place by a worshipper

Sample Word: Pir
a Sufi saint or holy man

Sample Word: Prasad
consecrated food offering in Hindu religion; also a Hindu last name or male middle name

Sample Word: Pulao
rice that has been sauted before being steamed; may contain spice/peas/etc

Sample Word: Sepoy
British Colonial way of mispronouncing sepahi; or constable, private

Sample Word: Sepahi
constable, private; see also Sepoy

Sample Word: Tilak
sacred mark on forehead, often yellow sandalwood paste or red coloring

Sample Word: Address diary
address book

Sample Word: Ayurveda
traditional form of medicine in India (other forms are Unani, Homeopathic

Sample Word: Doordarshan
India's government owned television channel; literally "visualize from afar"

Sample Word: Gherao
to surround/encircle a person, generally an official; a form of protest

Sample Word: Jatra
in West Bengal, a form of traditional/folk theater

Sample Word: Kabaddi
a traditional indian game; two teams play in a court, includes one player holding their breath

Sample Word: Mere
Mine (plural possessive pronoun, masculine possessive pronoun)

Sample Word: Deva
Minor god

Sample Word: Mein
In (verb)

Sample Word: Chai
Tea

Sample Word: Prem
Love, also a masculine name

Sample Word: Nahi
No

Sample Word: Mujhe
Mine (possessive pronoun)

Sample Word: Cess
Tax

Sample Word: Teri
Yours (dimunitive possesive pronoun)

Sample Word: Panir
see Paneer

Sample Word: Paneer
a form of fresh home-made cottage cheese (often used in cooking)

Sample Word: Bhindi
Okra, also called ladyfinger

Sample Word: Karta
Head of Household (literally "the one who does")

Sample Word: Sister
Nurse

Sample Word: Bhabhi
(elder) brother's wife

Sample Word: Bolo
Say it, Tell me

Sample Word: Goli Maar!
See Goli Mar

Sample Word: Pakoras
Deep fried fritters (breaded potatoes, onions, chicken, veggies)

Sample Word: Dada ji
Gramps, Grandpa, old man

Sample Word: Murgh
chicken

Sample Word: Murgh mussalam
the whole chicken (uncut, but cooked)

Sample Word: Salaam Walikum
Islamic greeting, your reply "Walikum Salaam"

Sample Word: Dengue
a mosquito borne viral illness; usually accompanied by high fever)

Sample Word: Baraat
Wedding Procession

Sample Word: Paan
the betel leaf, eaten after a meal (with catechu, lime, and betel nut)

Sample Word: Sat Sri Akal
Sikh greeting

Sample Word: Angrez
English person; often generic for any foreigner

Sample Word: Tulsi
Basil, used for religious purposed by Hindus; as seasoning by all

Sample Word: Non-veg joke
a raunchy or obscene joke (which many Indian men would not share in mixed company)

Sample Word: Goods train
freight train

Sample Word: Bagasse
Material remaining after sugarcane (or sorghum) stalks are crushed to extract their juice.

Sample Word: Khataa khat
quickly, pronto!

Sample Word: Bhromor
bumble-bee (Bengali)

Sample Word: Kutti
female dog

Sample Word: Kutta
dog, male dog; (see also kutti)

Sample Word: Alaap
introduction, initial movement (as in classical music or son)

Sample Word: Kapsi
capsicum (green, bell peper); aka Simla mirch or Moti mirch

Sample Word: Simla Mirch
Capsicum (green/bell pepper)

Sample Word: Surruchi
tasty (Bengali)

Sample Word: Koi ho
Who's there?!

Sample Word: Masala
spice (n); colloqially: spicy (adj), as in masala movie

Sample Word: Punjabi
from the region of Punjab (in northern India and Pakistan) ; the language spoken in the Punjab

Sample Word: Punjabi suit
baggy shirt and trousers worn by women; women from the Punjab region tended to wear these as opposed to saris worn by the rest of Indian women

Sample Word: Alvida
goodbye

Sample Word: Thug
a cheat, a thief

Sample Word: Goli mar
fuggedaboutit, forget about it; literally "shoot the issue (dead) with a bullet"

Sample Word: Naani
maternal grandmother

Sample Word: Bhabi
see bhabhi

Sample Word: Golimar
see goli mar

Sample Word: Raag
piece of classical indian music, aka raga

Sample Word: Raga
raag

Sample Word: Ajino Moto
monsodium glutamate (MSG); used in chinese coooking; after a popular brand of MSG

Sample Word: Saag
spinach (in Punjabi), any vegetable (in UP)

Sample Word: Palak
eyelid

Sample Word: Paalak
spinach, see also saag

Sample Word: Haat
street market, fair

Sample Word: Asafetida
see Asafoetida, known as heeng

Sample Word: Baabul
father, dad

Sample Word: Babool
a tropical tree, often trimmed for use as a hedge in north indian gardens

Sample Word: Maata
revered mother; also a slang term for smallpox in north India

Sample Word: Vakalatanama
see Vakalatnaama

Sample Word: Bn
battalion (as in army or paramilitary forces)

Sample Word: Coy
Company (as in army or paramilitary forces)

Sample Word: Entre
Appetizer (as in Europe), and not main course of a meal (as in America)

Sample Word: Touch wood
knock on wood (for good luck)

Sample Word: Theek hai
that's right, or it's all right, or its okay

Sample Word: Bindaas
with reckless abandon, carefree

Sample Word: Fridge
refrigerator

Sample Word: Gosht
meat

Sample Word: Funda
(slang) essence, fundamental,

Sample Word: Fitment
fit ( "What is the fitment between your company needs and our products?")

Sample Word: Bhidoo
buddy (in Mumbai?)

Sample Word: Yedah
irrational, unbalanced, crazy (slang in Mumbai)

Sample Word: Dada
elder brother; Street boss (Mumbai slang)

Sample Word: Dada giri
intimidation, as in by a street boss or rogue (adverb)

Sample Word: Kachra
trash, rubbish

Sample Word: Phattey
tall tales, fabrications

Sample Word: Munda
boy, young man (used in Punjab and north India as slang from Punjabi)

Sample Word: Shifted
relocated, moved (as in office, home); " We have shifted to South Delhi"

Sample Word: Bong
slang for a person from Bengal

Sample Word: Chaddies
underpants

Sample Word: Mention not
Don't mention it; a way saying "You are welcome" in response to a thank you

Sample Word: Bath
as a verb, bath can mean "shower". as in I'm going to a quick bath early tomorrow."

Sample Word: Stores
Warehouse, Stockroom (as in factory)

Sample Word: Do
short for "ditto", used to indicate duplicated data in a list or table

Sample Word: Satta
Gambling, usually illegal, informal mass-scale gambling run by the underworld

Sample Word: Long-cut
A circuituous or rambling path to the destination; opposite of short-cut

Sample Word: Tonga
a horse-drawn carriage, usually on two wheels, still used as a "taxi" in India, seat four or more

Sample Word: Chutney
sauce, could be sour, sweet, or tart; usually from herbs or vegetables

Sample Word: Biryani
a dish from Hyderabad,usually lamb, chicken or mutton covered with fried, spiced rice

Sample Word: Pakora
see pakoras

Sample Word: Tandoor
Clay oven, high temperature; see Tandoori

Sample Word: Tandoori
a type of Punjabi cuisine cooked in a Tandoor (which see); chicken and naan bread are commonly cooked Tandoori style

Sample Word: Tata
goodbye, also the name of a large Indian corporate group after the founding family

Sample Word: Shawl
a rectangular woollen or cotton cloth, draped over shoulders for warmth or appearance, worn by women or men

Sample Word: Mydear
my dear, used to mean friend or buddy in casual conversation

Sample Word: Khaki
brown color, also cotton clothing used by police, military and other liveried services

Sample Word: Churidar
trousers, worn by either sex, very tight around lower leg, forming a seried of ringlets ("churi")

Sample Word: Chunni
a long scarf worn by women, draped over both shoulders and front; for modesty; may also cover head/ears in cold or windy weather

Sample Word: Chatni
see chutney

Sample Word: Ghunghat
part of a sari, used to cover the head/face

Sample Word: Ghaghra
lower garment worn by women, usually with a choli on top

Sample Word: Lehenga
lower garment worn by women, usually with a choli on top

Sample Word: Matar
peas, chickpeas; or a dish cooked with peas/chickpeas

Sample Word: Sari
a long (six or nine yard) rectangular piece of clothing worn by Indian women, draped over lower body and shoulder; may be made of cotton or silk or other material; can be casual or formal

Sample Word: Nani
see naani

Sample Word: Shree
See Shri

Sample Word: Kal
yesterday, also tomorrow!

Sample Word: Mahal
palace

Sample Word: Dhoti
long rectangular piece of cloth, can be worn by women or men to cover lower body; see also sari

Sample Word: Chaiyya
Shade (also made famous by the worldwide hit song Chaiyya Chaiyya, google it)

Sample Word: Jai Ho
All Right! Wow! Praise to you!

Sample Word: Lathi charge
police disciplinary action, including attack on crowd using bamboo canes (see lathi)

Sample Word: Hi
see hai

Sample Word: Hai
is (verb)

Sample Word: Pyar
affection, love

Sample Word: Ho
let there be (verb); would

Sample Word: Kya
what?

Sample Word: Tum
singular you, affectionate form (for someone of equal status). Aap is used for higher status or older; Tu is the dimunitive

Sample Word: Bharat
the hindi name for India (legally equivalent to India); see also Hindustan

Sample Word: Hindustan
casual equivalent to India, more formal term is Bharat. Hindustan does NOT mean land of Hindus (both India and Hindustan are derived from the Indus river).

Sample Word: Bhai
brother; also "fellow" or "dude" coloquially

Sample Word: Baba
saint, grandfather; sometimes used to denote an infant (archaic: was used this way by the British rulers and their servants)

Sample Word: Jaiho
See Jai Ho!

Sample Word: Desi
countryman; of or from the country (as opposed to city); also used by Indian-Americans to refer to fellow Indians

Sample Word: Guru
literally teacher; often used for spiritual teacher; in slang, can mean "buddy"

Sample Word: Ji
yes sir; also term of respect suffixed to a person or title in authority: such as Teacher-ji or Obama-ji.

Sample Word: Sahib
boss, senior person; person in power; also abbreviated as sa'ab.

Sample Word: Pyaar
see pyar

Sample Word: Taj
crown, also short name for the Taj Mahal, India's most famous mausoleum, in Agra

Sample Word: Raj
royal (not democratic) rule; also used disparagingly as "Liccence Raj" or "Babu Raj"

Sample Word: Chalo
Let's go; also used colloquially in North India to mean "let it be"

Sample Word: Shanti
peace, calm

Sample Word: Yaar
friend, buddy; in gay culture: partner

Sample Word: Na
No

Sample Word: Main
I, pronoun

Sample Word: Ki
that; also possessive conjunction "car ki headlight"

Sample Word: Tu
see tum

Sample Word: Kuch
see kucch

Sample Word: Kucch
some, few, a little

Sample Word: Saya
shadow, ghost

Sample Word: Shit
exclamation (not considered as much of a curse word, as in America); Indians may use in polite company; even urban Indian women may use it.

Sample Word: Tere
yours (dimunitive)

Sample Word: Hum
I (colloquial); We

Sample Word: Mere
mine (plural, masculine)

Sample Word: Namastey
see namaste

Sample Word: Suo motu
on its own motion; A latin legal term, but used mostly in India and Pakistan, for a judge or govt agency acting on it own, without prompting from another party

Sample Word: B.A. Fail
attended college (but did not receive a bachelor's degree)

Sample Word: Eve teasing
sexual harassment of a female (often on the street by young males)

Sample Word: Innocently divorced
divorced from a non-consummated marriage; often seen in matrimonial advertising

Sample Word: Join duty
start a new job, return to work after a period away

Sample Word: Tight slap
hard slap (with a tight, not loose hand)

Sample Word: Get down
disembark (as from a train, bus or other mass transportation)

Sample Word: Loose motions
diarrhea

Sample Word: Expire
die

Sample Word: Kindly
Please ("Kindly sign the credit card authorization below"

Sample Word: Paining
hurting (my leg is paining)

Sample Word: Cover
envelope, postal envelope, bag (new stamps are issued as "first day covers")

Sample Word: Hijra
transgender male who adopts feminine gender identity and lives communally

Sample Word: Tike
see theek hai

Sample Word: Saab
see sahib

Sample Word: Aur
and (from Hindi); confusing to foreign visitors because of the confusion with the English "or"

Sample Word: Hoon
Am; as in "I am"

Sample Word: Fanaa
to be consumed by a cause; to sacrifice oneself to the cause

Sample Word: Maa
Mother

Sample Word: Saala
wife's brother

Sample Word: Didi
Elder sister; also used as a respectful term (suffix) for a female older than the speaker

Sample Word: Hare
see harey

Sample Word: Harey
glory to a divine being; such as in "harey ram"; see also hare

Sample Word: Raja
king, prince; also a term of endearment for a child

Sample Word: Sanam
(my) beloved, male or female

Sample Word: Tumse
tum se; can mean from you, by you, because of you

Sample Word: Arrey
Oh! an exclamation of surprise

Sample Word: Are
see arrey

Sample Word: Aaja
aa ja; come here!

Sample Word: Tikka
a small chunk; as in chicken tikka

Sample Word: Sajna
my(male)beloved

Sample Word: Sajni
my (female) beloved

Sample Word: Spirit
alcohol (as in distilled spirits); may refer to ethyl alcohol as in drinks or methyl alcohol (for cleaning)

Sample Word: Ishq
romance, crush

Sample Word: Hain
is

Sample Word: Mahatma
a great soul, respected human being; often in reference to Mahatma Gandhi

Sample Word: Gaya
(he) has gone or (he) has left

Sample Word: Pata
to know

Sample Word: Pata
mailing address

Sample Word: Moti
fat female

Sample Word: Moti
pearl

Sample Word: Bhi
also

Sample Word: Apna
mine, our

Sample Word: Krishna
the hindu god Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu; also a common Hindu name; a river in central India

Sample Word: Zara
a bit;

Sample Word: Haan
yes

Sample Word: Chalaan
fine, tax levied by officials

Sample Word: Soniye
used to address an attractive female; literally "the golden girl" in Punjabi

Sample Word: Balle balle
A celebratory cry; Hurray!

Sample Word: Abscond
to disappear, to go into hiding; the employee has absconded

Sample Word: Intimate
see "intimate you"

Sample Word: Baira
see berra

Sample Word: Cantonment
see cantt

Sample Word: Guru-ji
respected guru; see guru

Sample Word: Tera
masculine dimunitive possessive pronoun, yours

Sample Word: Amrit
mythical potion that enables immortality; created by a massive, prolonged, churning of the seas

Sample Word: Aayah
nanny or elder-care person, always female

Sample Word: Avatar
incarnation; an image, sign or animation representing a living being; an alter-image such as in "my casual avatar and my office avatar"

Sample Word: Tashan
style/attitude

Sample Word: Baabul
Poetic term for father, dad or home; most often used by forlorn daughters

Sample Word: Buck up
a term of encouragement, as to someone running in a race; sometimes used in a congratulatory tone

Sample Word: Gutkha
see gutka

Sample Word: Couple
two, a few (can be 1-5, maybe fifteen). A couple of friends or a couple of days can mean more than two!

Sample Word: BHK
Bedroom, Hall, Kitchen (when referring to a home, apartment or house, as in 2 BHK)

Sample Word: Cloney
mispronunciation of "Colony" which means neighborhood. often heard in North India, esp Punjab

Sample Word: Gaddi
Vehicle (car, truck, even motorbike); Punjabi slang word

Sample Word: Ho Jayega Ji
It will be done, sir. This is a wish not a statement of intent and certainly not a promise!

Sample Word: Loin
mispronunciation of "Lion", often heard in North India. Imaging the humorous implications!

Sample Word: Mruti
mispronunciation of "Maruti", India's most popular small car, made by Suzuki; often heard in North India, esp Punjab

Sample Word: Oye!
Punjabi exclamation, can convey welcome, surprise, attention, anger, even amorous passion depending on intonation and volume; often repeated Oye!Oye!Oyeeey!

Sample Word: Punj Mint
literally Five Minutes; practically, a short time (as judged by the speaker, can be 20 minutes to 2 days or forever)

Sample Word: Unkull
Uncle, a reference to any one older or more respected than the speaker; often heard as Unkull Ji

Sample Word: You nonsense!
Angry exclamation roughly equivalent to "You're full of sh*t"

Sample Word: Riks
Risk; common mispronunciation

Sample Word: Kitkat
remove fuse assembly in a ceramic circuit breaker; used in domestic and business electrical applications, usage is diminishing

Sample Word: Agmark
"Certification standard for food products, and its associated logo"

Sample Word: ahimsa
"non-violence, often referring to Gandhian principles"

Sample Word: air-dash
rush travel by air

Sample Word: Akbar Road
(in media) a reference to the New Delhi headquarters location of the Indian National Congress political party

Sample Word: Ambassador
an automotive brand, manufactured in India for several decades starting in the 1950s

Sample Word: Angrezi
"English, the language; or British, the people"

Sample Word: anicut
dam; reservoir

Sample Word: anna
older brother (from Tamil)

Sample Word: arranged marriage
marriage arranged by parents/relatives

Sample Word: Aya Ram
Someone who should not be taken seriously

Sample Word: babudom
bureaucracy

Sample Word: backside
rear (or a building or room);

Sample Word: bandobust
protection arranged and provided by police or other security personnel

Sample Word: banian
undershirt

Sample Word: bank holiday
government or public holiday

Sample Word: basmati
aromatic long rice grown in India and Pakistan

Sample Word: bata
"allowance, usually for casual labor"

Sample Word: bhaji
fried vegetables

Sample Word: board exams
final examinations for 10th or 12th grade conducted by State or Central government school education boards

Sample Word: Bombaiyya
Bombay-speak

Sample Word: borewell
deep narrow well machine drilled for water

Sample Word: brokers excuse
"(on a sign outside a building, often in South India), No solicitors (brokers, please excuse us, we don't want you coming in or knocking at the door)"

Sample Word: bureau
steel cabinet used as a secure storage space.

Sample Word: bustee
"dwelling place, slum"

Sample Word: bypoll
mid-term elections

Sample Word: capitation fees
"fees charged by an educational institution over the approved fee structure in the guise of ""donation"""

Sample Word: casual leave
leave not covered under designated leaves such as medical leave

Sample Word: Chanakya
"someone deviously political or shrewd; Machiavellian; Chanakya was an advisor to an ancient king, ChandraGupta Maurya and wrote a famous book on running a kingdom"

Sample Word: chargesheet
formal charges filed in a court

Sample Word: checkpost
"a compulsory stop on a road where goods, passengers, and documents are checked and recorded"

Sample Word: cheri
slum

Sample Word: Chief Secretary
"the top bureaucrat in a state government, usually an elite officer of the Indian Administrative Service"

Sample Word: Chiranjeevi
"In marriage invitations, Chiranjeevi may be used as a title next to the groom's name. It may also be shortened as Chi"

Sample Word: chit
a financial scheme in which a group of people put in a fixed amount every month and one of them gets to collect the entire amount by lucky draw each time

Sample Word: chuddies
underpants

Sample Word: clean chit
exoneration; a not-guilty verdict

Sample Word: Collector
the top bureaucrat in a district; from the British Raj where the bureaucrat's main job was collecting taxes

Sample Word: coming station
next (bus/railway) station or stop on the journey

Sample Word: communal party
a political party that does not have a secular outlook on religious issues.

Sample Word: convent English
"supposedly a highly quality of English; or the speaking ability, thanks to being educated in an English convent (run by Western missionaries.)"

Sample Word: convent-educated
educated in a school where English is the primary medium of instruction (may or may not be run by nuns)

Sample Word: cool bar
a stall or shop selling soft drinks or fruit juices

Sample Word: country fellow
villager; a person not used to the ways of the city

Sample Word: countrymade
made without licence or official sanction; often to refer to handmade guns

Sample Word: curd rice
fried rice with yoghurt and light spices

Sample Word: custodial deaths
suicides; murders in police custody

Sample Word: dandia
Gujarati folk dance where each participants clicks a pair of sticks with others; popular during the Fall (Navratri season)

Sample Word: darshan
view

Sample Word: dasi
female servant; temple courtesan

Sample Word: Dearness Allowance
cash payment made to employees by the employer to offset the effect of inflation

Sample Word: deewana
obsessed with desire; mad with love

Sample Word: Delhi Belly
stomach upset suffered by foreign tourists

Sample Word: devi
goddess

Sample Word: dhan
wealth; money

Sample Word: dharma
religion; righteousness; philanthropy

Sample Word: dharna
picketing

Sample Word: dhikkar
condemnation

Sample Word: dhobiwallah
Washerman or laundryman (washes by hand rather than with a machine)

Sample Word: dias
"dais or stage, common misspellig"

Sample Word: doodhwallah
Someone who sells or supplies milk to households; milkman

Sample Word: doosra
an advance bal (pitch) in cricket; similar to a curve ball in baseball

Sample Word: dost
friend

Sample Word: doubt
"question as in ""Do you have any doubts on the traininge material I just covered?"""

Sample Word: drumstick
"Mooringa olifera, a long bean"

Sample Word: dry grapes
raisins

Sample Word: durbar
king's court

Sample Word: elaichi
"cardamom, a spice used in cooking and as an an after dinner mint"

Sample Word: encounter
"euphemism for a killing by police, disguised to look like the accused or convict was trying to escape"

Sample Word: family-planning operation
a tubectomy or vasectomy surgery to prevent further pregnancies

Sample Word: feni
"a distilled alcholic drink made from cashewnuts (sometime from coconuts), originating in Goa"

Sample Word: firang
foreign

Sample Word: firing
angry reprimand (not dismissal); I received a firing from the boss last week since I was late on a deliverable

Sample Word: fisherfolk
fishermen and their families

Sample Word: foot overbridge
bridge meant for pedestrians

Sample Word: foreign hand
involvement of a foreign government or its spy agency; often used in reference to alleged Pakistani or Chinese infiltration in India.

Sample Word: forex
foreign exchange

Sample Word: fundas
fundamentals; essentials

Sample Word: gangman
a railway worker whose job is to maintain and check the safety of railway tracks

Sample Word: ganja
marijuana leaves used for smoking

Sample Word: garam
hot

Sample Word: Gaya Ram
See Aya Ram

Sample Word: gobar gas
cooking gas produced from a percolation tank for animal feces usually cowdung

Sample Word: Gujju
"person of Gujarati origin, from the western state of Gujarat"

Sample Word: gumastha
clerk

Sample Word: gumboots
"knee-high, water-proof, rubber boots"

Sample Word: gunny bags
bags made from jute or hemp

Sample Word: gur
"jaggery, brown unrefined sugar"

Sample Word: gurs
monkeys

Sample Word: gyan
knowledge; wisdom; thoughts; attention

Sample Word: hair fall
hair loss; aloepecia

Sample Word: half ticket
discount ticket as for a child; also pejorative slang for dimwit

Sample Word: handwash
"in a south Indian restaurant, a sign pointing a sink for washing hands prior to a meail"

Sample Word: Harijans
aspirational term invented by Gandhi for lowest castes of Hindus; now called Dalits

Sample Word: havaldar
police rank between inspector and constable

Sample Word: height of
intolerable extreme of

Sample Word: high command
the top leadership in a political party

Sample Word: Hindi belt
"Hindi speaking states of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand"

Sample Word: hooch
"illegally brewed liquor, usually country liquor"

Sample Word: horn OK please
(on the back of a truck or commercial vehicle) please honk at me if you want to pass me

Sample Word: hundi
collection box

Sample Word: hungama
commotion; celebration

Sample Word: Iftar
feast to celebrate the end of the Ramzan period of Islamic fasting

Sample Word: immoral traffic
prostitution under The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act

Sample Word: indipop
Indian pop music

Sample Word: inmates
occupants of a building - not necessarily of a jail

Sample Word: innocent divorcee
a divorcee in a marriage that was not consummated; often seen in matrimonial ads

Sample Word: ISI Mark
"A symbol of quality, certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which was formerly known as Indian Standards Institute"

Sample Word: item number
a provocative song-dance sequence in a movie (often completely un-connected with the main story)

Sample Word: jaggery
"unrefined brown sugar, often sold in chunk form"

Sample Word: japat
seizure of assets by court order

Sample Word: jehadis
Muslim terrorists

Sample Word: johad
catchment area for capturing rainwater (in a village or an arid area)

Sample Word: kabab
skewered meat

Sample Word: kaccha
raw; unprepared; unsophisticated; low quality

Sample Word: kajal
"cosmetic made from ground lead sulfide or antimony sulfide, used to brighten eyes"

Sample Word: kameez
shirt; blouse

Sample Word: karyakartas
"workers, often volunteers; in a political movement or cause"

Sample Word: kirana
a retail (or grocery) store

Sample Word: kisan
farmer

Sample Word: kissa
story

Sample Word: Kollywood
"Kodambakkam (Madras) film industry, which produces South Indian (Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada) movies"

Sample Word: kurta
"a loose, long shirt with a short collar; worn by men and women"

Sample Word: kuruvai
short-term paddy crop season with a duration of 100-115 days

Sample Word: ladies seat
"seat reserved for ladies, as in a train or movie theater"

Sample Word: ladka
boy

Sample Word: laxman rekha
firm line that should not be crossed; after a fable in the epic Ramayan

Sample Word: leela
"spectacle, story"

Sample Word: LIC policy
"[slang] a life insurance policy (issued by the Life Insurance Company, formerly the monopoly provide of life insurance)"

Sample Word: Lok Adalat
people's court

Sample Word: madisaar
"Brahmin style of wearing the sari, in south India"

Sample Word: Madras Tamil
"colloqial Tamizh, as spoken in Madras/Chennai"

Sample Word: make a move
leave; I have stayed too long at the party and must make a move

Sample Word: management seats
"seats in an educational institution, which are offerred by the management using its own discretion and/or at a higher fee structure"

Sample Word: masti
fun; spirit; euphemism for sexual adventure

Sample Word: matrimonials
advertisements in matrimonial columns of newspapers

Sample Word: maulvi
Muslim learned man

Sample Word: mediamen
"reporters, papparazi"

Sample Word: medicos
medical students or doctors

Sample Word: minority community
anyone who is not a mainstream Hindu

Sample Word: mofussil areas
outlying districts

Sample Word: mohajir
"refugee, used in Pakistan to refer to Muslims who migrated from India during the partition of the country in 1947"

Sample Word: mohalla
locality; neighbourhood

Sample Word: morcha
public demonstration for conveying a protest or making a demand

Sample Word: Mughal
Relating to the Mughal empire

Sample Word: muhurtam
An auspicious day in the astrological calender when a wedding (or an important venture) can be arranged

Sample Word: mukhota
mask

Sample Word: mundu
white dhoti in South India

Sample Word: Mungeri Lal
daydreamer; a fictional character who is prone to daydreaming

Sample Word: munsif
low-level judge in a district court

Sample Word: naik
non-commissioned officer in the Indian Army

Sample Word: nariyal
coconut

Sample Word: native place
wherever one came from

Sample Word: Navratnas
Government-owned companies (PSUS or Public Sector Units) designated for enhanced financial and operational autonomy; literally the Nine Jewles

Sample Word: naxalites
"terrorists with violent/leftist leanings; named after the town of Naxalbari, in West Bengal"

Sample Word: naya
new

Sample Word: neta
"politician, leader"

Sample Word: nimbu
lemon

Sample Word: Nirodh
"condom, after the brand name of a government subsdiezed product, distributed to promote family planning"

Sample Word: no encumberances
"no family dependents (for a divorcee from a previous marriage, as seen in a matrimonial ad)"

Sample Word: nose cut
a sharp retort or insult; a mark of disrespect

Sample Word: nullah
stream; watercourse; drain

Sample Word: official machinery
government infrastructure; government facilities

Sample Word: opticals
eye-glasses or a shop selling eye-glasses

Sample Word: other backward classes
"Communities in the Indian caste classification system who are below forward castes or upper castes, referred to as OBCs"

Sample Word: paati
[Tamil] grandma

Sample Word: Page 3 people
"socialities (who are often featured on Page 3, the society page of a metropolitan newspaper)"

Sample Word: Pak
Pakistan

Sample Word: pallu
free end of a sari that is thrown across the chest and over the shoulder.

Sample Word: panchakatcham
[Tamil Nadu] Brahmin style of wearing the veshti

Sample Word: Peter
"[Tamil Nadu Slang] someone who speaks fluent English (it is assumed that a christian name, Peter, may be asssociated with English speaking persons)"

Sample Word: PG accommodation
living with a family as a paying guest

Sample Word: phool
flower

Sample Word: reservation
Policy of reserving jobs and seats for certain disadvantaged communities

Sample Word: ryots
farmers

Sample Word: saas
mother-in-law

Sample Word: saathi
friend; companion; partner; also used in Indian gay culture to refer to life partner

Sample Word: sabha
cultural association; political assembly or conference

Sample Word: sadhu
"celibate Hindu priest, often clad in saffron"

Sample Word: Sangh Parivar
"[Hindi] Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its parent organization Rashtriya Syamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its sister organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)"

Sample Word: sanyas
"ascetic, celibate life"

Sample Word: Sardarji
"a Sikh male, slang"

Sample Word: sarkari
related to government.

Sample Word: Sati-Savitri
"a devoted wife, after the legendary Savitri (who committed ritual self-immolation when her husband died)"

Sample Word: seer
wise man

Sample Word: seva
service; help

Sample Word: shakti
strength

Sample Word: shikaara
boats that ply on lakes in Kashmir

Sample Word: South India
"States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Pondichery "

Sample Word: supari
"hired killer (underworld slang, popularized in Bollywood movies)"

Sample Word: sutradar
troubleshooter; problem-solver

Sample Word: Syrian Christian
"Malayali Christian from Kerala, who have nothing to do with Syria; descendants from the original converts of St. Thomas in AD 35"

Sample Word: tainted
"slang, a modern politician with criminal history or charges against him or her"

Sample Word: tender coconut
"raw coconut, which has green outside and whose water is a popular roadside drink"

Sample Word: tortoise coil
"after a popular brand, mosquito repellent coil that burned at night and emits light fumes"

Sample Word: trishul
trident

Sample Word: Udipi hotel
"restaurant run by Udipi Brahmins, usually in South India"

Sample Word: undertrial
jailed inmate who is awaiting trial or whose trial is currently underway

Sample Word: vote bank
votes of a particular community that is expected to vote in favour of a political party or alliance

Sample Word: wet grinder
"kitchen appliance used to grind wet grain and lentils, used for making dosa and iddly dough"

Sample Word: would be
"prior to a an event such as a wedding or job; would be boss, would be father in law"

Sample Word: yagna
"Vedic ritual with ritual fire, pronounce yagya"

Sample Word: yatra
journey; travel

Sample Word: Yuvraj
crown prince; heir to the throne.

Sample Word: Scale
ruler; "I need a 12 inch wooden scale"

Sample Word: Paper
test, exam. "How did you do on your Physics paper today?"

Sample Word: Washroom
restroom, "bathroom"

Sample Word: Bum
butttocks (not vagrant or homeless person)

Sample Word: Pallah
see pallu

Sample Word: Sali
wife's sister

Sample Word: Blighty
foreign, British;(a British Raj terms, and a variant of the Hindi word vilayati); The Economist magazine has a column called Blighty

Sample Word: Rusticate
Suspend (as in a student from school)

Sample Word: Even
also, too; the word "even" as a modifer can show up in the most unexpected place in a sentence, prior to a noun, verb, adjective or as a dangler at the end, even.

Sample Word: Bridegroom
groom

Sample Word: Bulb
lightbulb

Sample Word: Cheap
inexpensive, less expensive (with no connotation of poorer quality)

Sample Word: Marriage
wedding; (rarely using to mean the relationship/institution of marriage); may be used in plural form as in "We went to three marriages last week"

Sample Word: Serial
(on televison) a series or mini-series; could be a soap opera or a sitcom but neither term is popular in India;

Sample Word: Biscuit
Cookie

Sample Word: Biskoot
See biscuit

Sample Word: At home
an evening reception/dinner party;

Sample Word: Tube light
traditional (tubular) fluorescent lights

Sample Word: Hold-all
A rollable canvas bag with straps used to carry mattresses and sheets during train journeys; the product is becoming obsolete now

Sample Word: Holl-doll
see hold-all

Sample Word: Wash room
see washroom

Sample Word: Webminar
webinar; British and Indian usage sometimes abbreviates web-seminar to web-minar rather then the common American form webinar

Sample Word: Aerobridge
jetway, the stucture that connects the airport terminal to a parked airplane, enabling passengers to enter and exit

Sample Word: Teleshopping
direct buying by consumer, typically via direct response television advertising

Sample Word: Plot
(noun), a define, usually semi-developed piece of land; the American equivalent is "lot" or "empty lot"

Sample Word: Thrice
three times

Sample Word: Apart from
aside from; "apart from Sundays, the office is open every day"

Sample Word: Cream
lotion (such as in hand or body lotion); the older term is "vanishing cream" as different from "cold cream"

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