thOda this, thOda that
CREATED
Apr 2022
WORK
Typographic Research
The Hinglish Phenomenon–Learn the hybrid language
In India, every two miles the water changes, every four miles the speech. There are 122 major and 1,600 minor languages spoken in India, colloquialisms vary not only from region to region but from city to city. Hinglish is a mix of Hindi and English that is spoken by upwards of 350 million people in urban India. Words in different languages cannot simply be replaced and expected to behave exactly the same.
Thoda This, Thoda That means "a little bit of this, little bit of that"; denoting the spirit of Hinglish- little Hindi and a little English. The objective of these cards is to allow non-Hindi (Hinglish) speakers to familiarize themselves will the language of the streets of India. General Hindi lessons might teach you how yo count or say that you're hungry but they lack in the vernacular. The lingo can be adopted when used in conversations and that is where these cards come in. This project allows you to learn the pronunciation and meaning of Hinglish one would use in everyday conversations. So now you can better understand the dialogues of the new Bollywood film, or taunt your Indian friend with Indian sarcasm.
A Short Story
Hinglish is a mix of Hindi (the official language of India) and English (an associate official language) that is spoken by upwards of 350 million people in urban areas of India. English was brought to India when the Britishers colonized the country. Apart from stealing the natural resources and making people fight their wars, they adopted many Indian languages’ words to their language. Today English is not secondary to Hindi. The switching between the two languages over the years has created the amalgamation called Hinglish. It is popular because Hindi and English equally dominate a regular bilingual’s life.
Hinglish is not made of just slangs, it is spoken and written (mostly texting) unconsciously. Even the most essential words like ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank You’ are have become an indispensable part of our vocabulary; the Hindi translation of these words almost feel awkward to say out loud. Such foreign words have become a part of day-to-day speech so much so that it becomes difficult to find a Hindi substitute for these words. Hinglish also involves the replacement of the Devanagari script for Hindi with the Latin script. In fact, this hybridized language has become the norm thanks to the surge of internet and online communications.
Pronunciation Tip!
Hindi can be difficult to enunciate! It is okay if you get it wrong a few times. You can practice by hearing the pronunciation or reading the phonetic spelling. In the spelling, syllables are separated with a hyphen(-) and the letters that are in capitals pronounced with a stress.
Chal Bye
CH-aa-L bai
Chal is an informal form of let's go. Now spread across cultures it can mean anything- okay, yes, no, what?, really!, let's do it and many more. Chal Bye literally translates to okay bye.
Bheja Fry
bay-jhuh frī
Bheja Fry is a common slang used describe a person or a situation who is so irritating or perplexing that it fries your brains, hence the term— Bheja(brains) Fry!
Taxiwala
taiKsee-vaala
Wala suffix notorious for its different meanings. Here it means possessor. A taxiwala is someone who drives a taxi. It can also be used as the one, for e.g. redwala- the red one.
Arre No
A-rr-ai No
The meaning of arre changes with intonation. It expresses surprise when used in a higher tone. In a lower tone, it conveys exasperation. Said neutrally, it is used to get attention.
Bindaas Mood
biN-daas mood
Bindass can mean anything in the range of good or cool to excellent. It can be an answer to how are you? Or be used to describe the carefree and frank nature of a person.
Uncle Ji
uhng-kl jee
In India, it is custom to address people a generation older than oneself as uncle or aunty even if they are not relatives. And “ji” is a gender-neutral suffix used as a mark of respect.
Scene Kya Hai?
sēn K-ya Haay
Scene Kya Hai is a very simple question. Kya hai means what is? And here scene refers to a plan that the speaker would love to be involved in. So, What’s the Scene?
Heropanti
heero-panti
Heropanti is an adverb made of the word hero and the suffix -panti, which means -ness. It is for someone who shows off by performing actions and drama like a movie hero.
Chill Maar
CHil mär
The translation of Chill Maar is- Hit Chill. Chill Maar is used when the speaker is emotional about reaching a relaxed state of mind and advices others to do so too.
Please Yaar
pleez yAAr
Yaar means friend but it is more emotional than a standard dude, mate or bro. Yaar has connotations of love. The longer the yaaaaar, the stronger the feelings.