Hindi Script
The Hindi Script: Devanagari
The Hindi script, known as Devanagari, is a gateway to exploring the rich tapestry of Indian literature and culture.
Delving into the beauty of Hindi literature through this script offers a deeper appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage, values, and philosophies that have shaped Indian society over millennia.
Hindi Alphabet Reference Chart
Example Words
Western Names
John – जॉन (ज-ॉ–न)
Mary – मैरी (म-ै–र-ी)
Michael – माइकल (म-ा–इ–के–ल)
Sarah – सारा (स-ा–र-ा)
David – डेविड (ड-े–वि–ड)
Jessica – जेसिका (ज-े–स-ि–का)
Daniel – डैनियल (ड-ै–नि–य–ल)
Emily – एमिली (ए–म-ि–ल-ी)
Robert – रॉबर्ट (र-ॉ–ब–र्–ट)
Jennifer – जेनिफर (ज-े–नि–फ–र)
Hindu Names
Arjun – अर्जुन (अ–र्–जु–न)
Priya – प्रिया (प्–रि–य-ा)
Rohan – रोहन (रो–ह–न)
Anjali – अंजलि (अं–ज–ल-ि)
Amit – अमित (अ–मि–त)
Meera – मीरा (म-ी–र-ा)
Suresh – सुरेश (सु–र-े–श)
Radha – राधा (रा–ध-ा)
Rahul – राहुल (रा–हु–ल)
Kavita – कविता (क–वि–ता)
Hindi spelling follows several rules that govern the correct use of vowels, consonants, and other orthographic elements. Here are the main rules of Hindi spelling:
Vowels (स्वर)
- Independent and Dependent Forms: Hindi vowels have two forms—independent (used at the beginning of words or syllables) and dependent (attached to consonants).
- Example: अ (a), आ (aa), इ (i), ई (ii)
- Dependent forms: क (ka), का (kaa), कि (ki), की (kii)
- Matras (मात्रा): Dependent vowel signs (matras) are used to modify consonants.
- Example: क (ka) + ि (i) = कि (ki)
Consonants (व्यंजन)
- Basic Consonants: Hindi has 33 basic consonants.
- Example: क (ka), ख (kha), ग (ga), घ (gha), ङ (nga)
- Consonant Clusters: When two or more consonants appear together, they form conjuncts.
- Example: दृष्टि (drishti), क्लास (klaas)
- Halant (ह्लंत): The halant symbol (्) is used to suppress the inherent vowel 'a' in a consonant, indicating that it should be pronounced without the vowel.
- Example: क् (k)
Nasalization
- Chandrabindu (ँ): Represents nasalization of the preceding vowel.
- Example: हँसना (hansna - to laugh)
- Anusvara (ं): Indicates nasalization and replaces the chandrabindu when it is followed by certain consonants.
- Example: हिंदी (Hindi)
Special Symbols
- Visarga (ः): Represents a slight aspiration sound.
- Example: क्षत्रियः (kṣatriyaḥ) - meaning "warrior"
- Nukta (़): Used to represent sounds borrowed from other languages, modifying the base consonants.
- Example: फ़ (fa), ज़ (za)
Rules for Writing and Spelling
- Phonetic Basis: Hindi is written as it is pronounced, following a relatively consistent phonetic script.
- Word Division: Words are divided at the end of syllables when breaking lines, avoiding splitting conjunct consonants or vowel signs.
- Consonant Modifiers: Certain consonants have modified forms when combined with other consonants or vowels.
- Example: क्ष (ksha), ज्ञ (gya)
- Diphthongs: Combination of two vowels to form a single syllable.
- Example: औ (au), ऐ (ai)