自学印地语介绍

The best way to learn the script is to copy out each character several times, pronouncing its sound as you do so. Start with the consonants. Each basic consonant is actually a complete syllable: for example the sign 'क  stands for not just the consonant 'k' but the whole syllable 'ka'; it will sound similar to the first syllable of the word 'cup'. The 'a' vowel is always there unless replaced by some other vowel indicated by a special vowel sign. More on this later: for now, concentrate on copying and learning the consonants.

Write on lined paper, with the top line of the character falling on the printed line, and the rest of the character hanging below.

Aspiration

In the descriptions of the Hindi sounds you'll see many references to 'aspiration' - the amount of breath that escapes from the mouth when a sound is spoken. In English, the initial 'k' of 'kick' is strongly aspirated, the closing 'ck' much less so. In Hindi, such differences are represented by pairs of consonants such as क  ka

(unaspirated) and ख kha (aspirated). English consonants fall halfway between the two, so you'll have to make a special effort to cut back your aspiration for the one, and increase it for the other! All these things are best dealt with by listening to the recordings, and/or by asking a Hindi-speaker to demonstrate them for you.

On the facing page you'll find all the main characters of the script set  out in a table; then each character is set out separately with its handwritten equivalent, and a note on pronunciation. The consonants are dealt with first (as is the tradition), though in dictionary order the vowels precede the consonants.

Devanagari: the basic characters

Independent vowel forms ('vowel characters')
अa   आ aa  इi  ई ii
उu  ऊ uu  ऋ ri
एe  ऐ ai ओ  o औ  au

Consonants

कka  खkha  गga घ gha
चca  छ cha जja  झ jha
टta  ठtha   डda ढdha  णna
तta  थtha   दda धdha  नna
पpa  फpha  बba भbha  मma
यya  रra   लla  वva
शsha  षsha सsa  हha

Dependent vowel forms

('vowel signs', based on क  as an example)
क ka काkaa किki कीkii
कुku कूkuu कृkri
केke कैkai कोko कौkau

The consonants
The consonants
क ka As in 'skin'; minimum aspiration.
क.qa Further back in the throat than undotted (many speakers say 'ka' for both).
खा  kha Aspirated version of क ka.
ख. kha Like the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'.
ग ga As in 'gift'.
गा.ga A more guttural version of the above.

घ  gha Aspirated version ग ; like the 'g h' in 'dog-house'.
A single sound.
च ca As in 'cheap',but with the tongue positioned  sound in 'tube'.
छ cha Aspirated form of the above.
ज् ja As in 'jeep'.
ज़ za   As in 'zip'.
झ jha  Aspirated form of ज ja.