B
BolFluent
Conversation
Ready phrases for real-life situations
Greetings & Small Talkinformal
Use with friends, colleagues you know, family. For formal first meetings, use 'Hello, nice to meet you' instead of 'Hi'.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| Hi! How's it going? Default casual greeting. | नमस्ते! कैसा चल रहा है? |
| Pretty good, thanks. How about you? Standard reply — always bounce the question back. | बहुत बढ़िया, धन्यवाद। तुम्हारा क्या हाल है? |
| Not bad. Long time no see! 'Long time no see' is grammatically odd but a fixed friendly idiom. | ठीक-ठाक। बहुत दिनों बाद मिले! |
| Yeah, it's been a while. How have you been? 'How have you been?' covers the whole gap since you last met. | हाँ, काफ़ी समय हो गया। कैसे रहे? |
| Can't complain. Same old, same old. Casual: 'nothing new'. | शिकायत नहीं। वही पुरानी कहानी। |
| Have a good one! Casual goodbye, works any time of day. | अच्छा दिन हो! |
| You too — take care! Warm sign-off. | तुम भी — अपना ख़याल रखना! |
At a Restaurantpolite-neutral
'Could I' / 'Could we' / 'Please' make every request sound polite. Avoid bare commands like 'Give me water' — it sounds rude in English.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please. First thing you say at the host stand. | दो लोगों के लिए एक मेज़, कृपया। |
| Could we see the menu? 'Could' is the polite request word. | क्या हमें मेन्यू मिल सकता है? |
| What would you recommend? Asking the waiter for a suggestion. | आप क्या सुझाएँगे? |
| I'll have the butter chicken, please. 'I'll have...' is the standard ordering phrase. | मैं बटर चिकन लूँगा, कृपया। |
| Could I get some more water? Polite request mid-meal. | क्या मुझे थोड़ा और पानी मिल सकता है? |
| Could we have the bill, please? In US English you might also hear 'check' instead of 'bill'. | क्या हमें बिल मिल सकता है? |
| Keep the change. Telling them to keep extra money as tip. | बाक़ी रख लो। |
On the Phoneneutral
Phone English skips many words you'd use in person. Speak slowly, confirm names — clarity beats fluency on the phone.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| Hello, is this Rahul? Confirming who picked up. | हेलो, क्या यह राहुल हैं? |
| Speaking. Who's this? 'Speaking' = 'Yes, this is me'. | बोल रहा हूँ। आप कौन? |
| It's Anjali from the design team. Introduce yourself + context. | मैं अंजलि बोल रही हूँ, डिज़ाइन टीम से। |
| Hold on a second, please. Asking them to wait briefly. | एक सेकंड रुकिए, कृपया। |
| Sorry, I didn't catch that — could you repeat? Polite way to ask for a repeat. | माफ़ कीजिए, मैं समझ नहीं पाया — क्या आप दोहराएँगे? |
| Can I get back to you in an hour? 'Get back to you' = call you back. | क्या मैं एक घंटे में आपको वापस फ़ोन कर सकता हूँ? |
| Alright, talk to you soon. Bye! Standard friendly close. | ठीक है, फिर बात करेंगे। अलविदा! |
Interview Phrasesformal
Interviews need a formal tone. Avoid filler ('um', 'like'), avoid 'sir/madam' (sounds dated in modern interviews — use their name).
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| Thanks for having me. Standard opener at the start of the interview. | मुझे बुलाने के लिए धन्यवाद। |
| Could you tell me more about the role? Shows genuine interest. | क्या आप मुझे इस भूमिका के बारे में और बताएँगे? |
| I have about three years of experience in this field. 'About' softens the number, sounds natural. | इस क्षेत्र में मेरे पास लगभग तीन साल का अनुभव है। |
| I'd describe myself as detail-oriented and a quick learner. 'I'd describe myself as...' is a classic interview framing. | मैं ख़ुद को बारीकी पर ध्यान देने वाला और जल्दी सीखने वाला बताऊँगा। |
| One of my strengths is staying calm under pressure. Highlights a strength without bragging. | मेरी एक ख़ासियत है दबाव में शांत रहना। |
| That's a great question — let me think for a moment. Buys you 5 seconds to think. | यह एक अच्छा सवाल है — मुझे एक पल सोचने दीजिए। |
| I look forward to hearing from you. Formal closing line at the end. | मैं आपसे जवाब सुनने का इंतज़ार करूँगा। |
Shoppingpolite-neutral
'Excuse me' is the universal opener to get a shop assistant's attention. Don't say 'hello' to start a request.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| Excuse me, do you have this in a smaller size? 'Excuse me' first, then the question. | माफ़ कीजिए, क्या यह छोटे साइज़ में है? |
| How much is this? Direct, polite price question. | यह कितने का है? |
| Can I try it on? 'Try on' = wear briefly for fit. | क्या मैं इसे पहन कर देख सकता हूँ? |
| Do you accept cards? Checking payment options. | क्या आप कार्ड लेते हैं? |
| Could I get a receipt, please? Polite request for the bill/receipt. | क्या मुझे रसीद मिल सकती है, कृपया? |
| Is there a discount on this? Use during sales, or in markets where bargaining is OK. | क्या इस पर कोई छूट है? |
| Thanks, I'll take it. Confirming the purchase. | धन्यवाद, मैं ले लूँगा। |
Travel & Directionspolite-neutral
Always open with 'Excuse me' when stopping a stranger. Speak a bit slower than usual — directions need clarity.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the station? Standard polite ask for directions. | माफ़ कीजिए, क्या आप मुझे बता सकते हैं कि स्टेशन कैसे जाएँ? |
| Is it within walking distance? Useful for figuring out if you can walk. | क्या यह पैदल जाने की दूरी पर है? |
| How long does it take from here? Estimating travel time. | यहाँ से कितना समय लगेगा? |
| Could you drop me off at the next signal? Telling cab/auto driver where to stop. | क्या आप मुझे अगले सिग्नल पर उतार सकते हैं? |
| Please take the next left. Giving directions to driver. | कृपया अगले बाएँ मुड़िए। |
| How much will it cost? Asking fare estimate. | कितना ख़र्च आएगा? |
| Could I get a receipt? For business expense claims. | क्या मुझे रसीद मिल सकती है? |
Polite Disagreementformal
In English, disagreement is almost always SOFTENED. Bare 'No, you're wrong' sounds aggressive. Use 'I see, but...' / 'That's a fair point, though...' to keep relationships intact.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I see what you mean, but I'd look at it differently. Acknowledge first, then disagree — the golden rule. | मैं आपकी बात समझ रहा हूँ, लेकिन मैं इसे अलग ढंग से देखता हूँ। |
| That's a fair point, though I'm not sure I agree. 'Fair point' validates their view; 'though' introduces yours. | यह सही बात है, लेकिन मैं पूरी तरह सहमत नहीं हूँ। |
| I can see where you're coming from. Shows empathy without agreeing. | मैं समझ सकता हूँ आप कहाँ से कह रहे हैं। |
| Let's agree to disagree. Polite way to end an unwinnable argument. | चलो हम सहमत हो जाते हैं कि हमारी राय अलग है। |
| Could we find a middle ground? Suggesting compromise. | क्या हम कोई बीच का रास्ता निकाल सकते हैं? |
| I hadn't thought of it that way — interesting. When you want to keep listening before pushing back. | मैंने इस तरह से नहीं सोचा था — दिलचस्प है। |
Meetings & Schedulingpolite-neutral
In a professional setting, 'Are you free?' is fairly casual — 'Do you have any availability?' is formal. Pick the right register.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| Could we schedule a meeting for next week? Standard professional opener. | क्या हम अगले सप्ताह की मीटिंग schedule कर सकते हैं? |
| Does Tuesday at 3 pm work for you? 'Does ___ work for you?' is the natural English phrasing. | क्या मंगलवार दोपहर तीन बजे आपके लिए ठीक है? |
| I'm afraid I can't make it then. How about Thursday? 'I can't make it' = 'I can't attend'. Polite + natural. | माफ़ी चाहूँगा, उस वक्त नहीं हो पाएगा। गुरुवार कैसा है? |
| Let me check my calendar and get back to you. Buy yourself time professionally. | मुझे अपना कैलेंडर देखकर आपको बताना होगा। |
| Just to confirm — we're meeting at 4 pm on Friday. Always confirm details to avoid mix-ups. | बस confirm करने के लिए — हम शुक्रवार चार बजे मिल रहे हैं। |
| I'll send you a calendar invite shortly. 'Shortly' = soon. Sounds professional. | मैं अभी आपको कैलेंडर invite भेज दूँगा। |
Apologies & Mistakespolite-neutral
English apologies are SPECIFIC — name what went wrong, take responsibility, then say what you'll do. 'Sorry' alone is weak.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I'm really sorry — that was my fault. Direct ownership. No excuses. | मुझे सच में अफ़सोस है — यह मेरी ग़लती थी। |
| I apologise for the delay. Formal version of 'sorry'. Use in emails. | देरी के लिए माफ़ी चाहूँगा। |
| I should have told you earlier. My bad. 'My bad' is casual — friends/colleagues only, not formal. | मुझे पहले बताना चाहिए था। मेरी ग़लती। |
| Let me know how I can make it up to you. Offer to fix things — strong professional move. | बताइए मैं इसकी भरपाई कैसे कर सकता हूँ। |
| It won't happen again, I promise. Forward-looking commitment. | ऐसा दोबारा नहीं होगा, मेरा वादा है। |
| Thanks for your patience. Use after any inconvenience you caused. | आपके धैर्य के लिए धन्यवाद। |
Networking & Introductionspolite-neutral
First impressions matter. 'Myself Rahul' is very common in Indian English — but it's wrong. Use 'I'm Rahul' or 'My name is Rahul'.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| Hi, I'm Rahul. Nice to meet you. Standard introduction. NEVER 'Myself Rahul'. | नमस्ते, मैं राहुल हूँ। आपसे मिलकर अच्छा लगा। |
| What do you do? Casual way to ask about someone's job. | आप क्या करते हैं? |
| I work as a software engineer at Infosys. Format: 'I work as a [role] at [company]'. | मैं Infosys में software engineer हूँ। |
| What brings you here today? Networking event opener — natural English. | आप यहाँ किसलिए आए हैं? |
| It was great talking to you. Let's stay in touch. Polite exit line. | आपसे बात करके अच्छा लगा। संपर्क में रहेंगे। |
| Do you mind if I add you on LinkedIn? Always ask before connecting on professional platforms. | क्या मैं आपको LinkedIn पर add कर सकता हूँ? |
Practise
1. Polite way to ask the bill at a restaurant:
- Bill, fast.
- Give me bill.
- Could we have the bill, please?
- Bring bill now.
Show the answer
Could we have the bill, please?
2. On the phone, you say:
- Who you?
- Who's this?
- Tell your name.
- Why calling?
Show the answer
Who's this?
3. Polite disagreement:
- You are wrong.
- I see your point, but I'd look at it differently.
- No way!
- That's silly.
Show the answer
I see your point, but I'd look at it differently.
Related lessons
- Phone EtiquetteOpening, holding, transferring, ending
- Office Small TalkMonday-morning, lunch, weekend chat
- Email & WhatsApp WritingFormal vs casual; avoid Indian email clichés
- Social Media EnglishCaptions, comments, LinkedIn
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