Indian English is a vibrant blend of English and local languages. Find popular common Indian English phrases, their meanings, and more globally recognized alternatives.
Word/Phrase (Indian English) | Meaning | Global Alternative |
Aadhaar | A unique identification number for Indian citizens | National ID |
Adjust (verb) | To manage or cope | |
All is well | Everything is fine | I’m okay / No problem |
Among yourself (be) | Relax, feel at home | Make yourself comfortable |
App (mobile application) | Can be used, but “app” is common globally. | |
Apply (to a college) | To submit an application for admission | Apply |
Apply brakes | Slow down or stop doing something | Hit the brakes / Pump the brakes |
Aunty/Uncle (used for anyone older) | Term of respect for someone older | Sir/Madam, Miss/Mister (unless a close family friend) |
Auto/Auto rickshaw | Three-wheeled motorized taxi (more common than just “rickshaw”) | Auto rickshaw |
Auto stand | Designated area to find auto rickshaws | Taxi rank |
Backlog | Pending work | Backlog |
Balance bill | Amount to be paid after tax and tip | Check, please |
Ball pen | Pen | Pen |
Bandh | A strike or shutdown | Strike, protest |
Bargain (noun) | A good deal | Bargain |
Bargain (verb) | To negotiate a price | Haggle |
Batchmate | A member of the same graduating class | Classmate |
Be in touch | Stay in contact | Keep in touch |
Behind (schedule) | Late | Late |
Bhaiyya/Didi (Hindi) | Brother/Sister (used as a term of address) | Sir/Madam (unless close) |
Blessings | Used as a greeting for elders | How are you? |
Blind corner | A corner with poor visibility | |
Blood bank | Blood donation center | Blood donation center |
Blood group | Blood type | Blood type |
Botany department | Department of Botany in a university | Department of Botany |
Bottled water | Packaged drinking water | |
Bunking | Skipping class | Ditching class |
Bunkum | Nonsense | Nonsense, rubbish |
Can I parcel this? | Can I take this leftover food home? | Can I get this to go? |
Carry bag | Plastic bag | Shopping bag |
Carry on | Continue | |
Chaat center | A stall selling savory street food snacks | Street food stall |
Chai | Tea | Tea (though “chai” is gaining popularity globally) |
Chance meeting | An unplanned encounter with someone | Chance meeting |
Chappal | Open-toed sandals | Sandals |
Chat (snack) | Savory street food snack | Savory street food snack |
Chat (verb) | To talk casually | |
Chat (verb) | To talk online | |
Chawl | A large tenement building with shared facilities | Tenement building |
Cheating (copying in exams) | Plagiarism | Cheating |
Chill (out) | Relax | Calm down |
Chill pill | To calm down | Relax, take it easy |
Chuck | To throw something | Throw, toss |
Chutney | A condiment made from ground spices, vegetables, or fruits | Chutney (gaining popularity globally) |
Cold coffee | Iced coffee | |
Collage (verb) | To put multiple pictures together to create a new image | Make a collage |
College canteen | College cafeteria | College cafeteria |
Colour photo | Color photograph | Color photograph |
Complained (to register a grievance) | Filed a complaint | Filed a complaint |
Cooling glass | Sunglasses | Shades |
Cousin-brother/sister | A first cousin | Cousin |
Cut chai | Strong milky tea | Strong milky tea |
Cut piece (of cloth) | Remnant fabric | Remnant fabric |
Cut the cake | Celebrate a birthday | Have cake |
Cutlery | Utensils for eating | Utensils, silverware |
Dhaba | Roadside restaurant | |
Dhobi | Laundryman | Laundromat, dry cleaner |
Diwali | Hindu festival of lights | Diwali (widely understood globally) |
Do come again | Please visit again | You’re welcome (after a visit) |
Do one thing | Please do this for me | Please do this for me |
Do the needful | Please take care of this task | Please handle this, please take action |
DP (Display Picture) | Profile picture on social media | |
Drawing room | Living room | Living room |
Drop a mail | To send an email | To send an email |
Duplicate key | Spare key | Spare key |
Eating my brain | Really bothering me | Annoying me, stressing me out |
Electricity meter | Electric meter | Electric meter |
Enquiry (to ask for information) | Inquiry | Inquiry |
Enquiry counter | Information desk | Information desk |
Entrance exam | Exam required for admission to a program | Entrance exam |
Extra chutney | More chutney (condiment) | |
Extracurricular activities | Activities outside the regular curriculum | Extracurricular activities |
Favour (verb) | To like something | To like something |
First copy (imitation product) | High-quality counterfeit product | High-quality counterfeit product |
First impression (appearance) | How someone looks | First impression |
Fix (to solve a problem) | To solve a problem | To solve a problem |
Flat (apartment) | Apartment | Apartment, condo |
Follow (on social media) | ||
Forward (a message) | Share (a message) | |
Full and final settlement | Final payment | Final payment, settlement in full |
Full meals | Complete Indian meal with rice, curry, and accompaniments | |
Full toss (cricket) | A type of bowling delivery in cricket | Full toss (cricket terminology) |
Gatekeeper | Security guard at a gate | Security guard |
Get down (from a vehicle) | To exit a vehicle | Get out, disembark |
Godown | Warehouse | |
Good name (What is your…) | How may I address you? | What is your name? |
Good people (referring to oneself) | Polite way to refer to oneself | I, me |
Good score (in exams) | High marks | High marks |
Half plate | Smaller portion of a dish | |
Hall ticket (exam admit card) | Permission slip to take an exam | Exam admit card |
Have a bath | Take a shower (can be used for either) | Can be used, but shower is more common globally for a quick wash. |
Have your food/tea etc. | Please eat/drink | Informal. Can be used with close friends or family. |
Hostel (dormitory) | Dormitory | Dormitory |
Hostel warden | Supervisor of a dormitory | Residence hall director |
How are you managing? | How are you doing? | |
In front (direction) | Ahead | |
In hot waters | In trouble | |
Incharge | Person in charge | In charge, manager |
In-charge person | The person in charge | The person in charge |
Indicator (turn signal) | Turn signal | |
Interview (noun) | A job interview | Job interview |
Interview (verb) | To take an interview | To conduct an interview |
It will be managed | It will be taken care of | Don’t worry, I’ll handle it |
Item song | Song in a movie that is not part of the plot | |
It’s all Greek to me | I don’t understand | |
Joining date | Start date of a new job | Start date |
Jugaad | An ingenious fix or improvisation | MacGyver solution, workaround |
Kindly adjust | Please make space | Please move, please excuse me |
Kirana shop | A small neighborhood grocery store | Convenience store |
Lag gayi (colloquial) | Got stuck (in traffic) | Got stuck (in traffic) |
Lakh (100,000) / Crore (10 million) | Units of currency | Hundred thousand / Ten million |
Leave (on) | Go on vacation/absence | Can be used, but “go on vacation” is more specific. |
Leave encashment | Taking accumulated leave days as payment | Selling accrued vacation time (less common globally) |
Let me know | Please inform me | |
Lift (elevator) | Elevator | Elevator |
Light snacks | Small amount of food to eat | Snacks |
Local train | A commuter train in large cities | Commuter train |
Long drive | A long journey by car | Road trip |
Mango pickle | A condiment made from mangoes | Mango pickle (gaining popularity globally) |
Masala film | Movie with multiple genres (comedy, romance, action) | |
Meter (taxi) | Taxi with a fare meter | Metered taxi |
Metro (subway system) | Subway system | Subway system |
Metro station | Subway station (often used interchangeably with “station”) | Subway station |
Mileage (fuel efficiency) | How far a vehicle can travel on a certain amount of fuel | Gas mileage |
Mineral water | Bottled water | |
Missed call (to get someone to call back) | A short call to prompt a call back | Short call to prompt a call back |
Mobile (cell phone) | Cell phone | Cell phone (widely understood globally) |
Monkey business | Mischief or silly behavior | |
Mosquito net | A net used to keep mosquitoes away while sleeping | Mosquito net |
Mug up | To cram for an exam | |
My friend is eating my brain | My friend is talking excessively | My friend is being annoying/won’t stop talking |
Netpack (internet data plan) | Data plan | |
Night duty | Working at night | Night shift |
On leave | Taking a vacation or time off work | On leave |
On the way | Coming to see you | |
Out of station | Out of town | Away |
Outing (group activity) | A social gathering or excursion | Outing |
Packed (crowded) | Very crowded | |
Passed out | Graduated | |
Petrol bunk | Gas station | |
Petrol pump | Gas station | Gas station |
Ping (to contact someone online) | Message (someone online) | |
Power cut | Electricity outage | Electricity outage |
Pre-interval | Time before the intermission in a movie | |
Prepone | To move something forward on a schedule | Advance, reschedule for earlier |
Pull someone’s leg | Tease someone playfully | |
Put offs (excuses) | Excuses | Excuses |
Put on airs | To act superior | To act superior |
Put on lights | Turn on the lights | |
Put someone on the spot | Make someone feel uncomfortable by asking a sudden question | |
Put up (to stay) | To stay at someone’s place | To stay |
Recharge (prepaid phone) | Top up (prepaid phone) | |
Revert back | To reply | Reply, get back to me |
Rickshaw | A three-wheeled passenger vehicle | Rickshaw (though gaining popularity) |
Rubber | Eraser | Eraser |
Scooty (motor scooter) | Motor scooter | Motor scooter |
Soft drink | Any carbonated beverage | Soda, pop |
Station (railway station) | Train station | Train station |
Status (on social media) | A short message or update on your profile | |
Take a right/left | Turn right/left | |
Take care (goodbye) | Goodbye, take care | Goodbye, take care |
Take it easy | Don’t worry | Don’t worry, relax |
Take leave | Go on vacation/absence | Use vacation days / Take time off |
Take light | To have a small meal | Have a light meal |
Tea (often refers to chai) | Spiced milk tea | |
Tiffin | Lunchbox or light meal | Lunchbox, snack |
Timepass | A frivolous or superficial activity | Leisure activity, pastime |
Timepass (verb) | To spend time idly | To waste time |
Topper | Someone who achieves the highest marks in an exam | High achiever |
Traffic jam | Congestion on the road | |
Tuition (private lessons) | Private lessons | Private lessons |
Up and down (often) | Frequently | Frequently |
Vandana (Hindi) | Salutation used for females | Greeting |
Water bottle | Reusable water bottle | Water bottle |
What is the scene? | What’s happening? | What’s happening? |
What’s the plan? | What are we going to do? | |
Whatsapping | Using Whatsapp to chat | |
Work from home (WFH) | Working from home | Working from home (widely understood globally) |
Xerox (verb) | To photocopy | To photocopy |
You are most welcome | You’re welcome (very formal) | |
You put on weight! | You’ve gained weight (can be a compliment) |
Here are some additional points to consider for future exploration:
- Regional variations: Indian English has influences from various regional languages like Hindi, Tamil, Bengali etc. You could explore some common phrases specific to these regions.
- Formal vs Informal register: The table already touches on this, but highlighting the formality of certain phrases can be helpful for learners.
- Body language and tone: Indian communication often relies heavily on nonverbal cues. While a phrase may seem straightforward on paper, understanding the cultural context is important.
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