🗣️ Indian English for Tourists
Indian English is a vibrant blend of English and local languages. Here’s your quick guide to common phrases, their meanings, and globally recognized alternatives.
What is Indian English?
Indian English is a vibrant blend of English and local languages. Understanding these phrases will make your trip much smoother — locals will appreciate the effort!
⭐ Must-Know Phrases at a Glance
🛺
Auto / Auto Rickshaw
Indian English: Auto / Auto rickshaw
Three-wheeled motorized taxi (more common than just “rickshaw”)
Auto rickshaw
🧉
Chai
Indian English: Chai
Tea — though “chai” is gaining popularity globally
Tea
📦
Can I parcel this?
Indian English: Can I parcel this?
Can I take this leftover food home?
Can I get this to go?
🔧
Jugaad
Indian English: Jugaad
An ingenious fix or improvisation
MacGyver solution / Workaround
📅
Prepone
Indian English: Prepone
To move something forward on a schedule
Advance / Reschedule for earlier
🏠
Out of Station
Indian English: Out of station
Out of town
Away
🧺
Tiffin
Indian English: Tiffin
Lunchbox or light meal
Lunchbox / Snack
🛒
Kirana Shop
Indian English: Kirana shop
A small neighbourhood grocery store
Convenience store
⚡
Power Cut
Indian English: Power cut
Electricity outage
Electricity outage
🚦
Bandh
Indian English: Bandh
A strike or shutdown — can affect transport & shops
Strike / Protest
📱
Recharge
Indian English: Recharge (prepaid phone)
Top up a prepaid phone balance
Top up
🧑🤝🧑
Aunty / Uncle
Indian English: Aunty/Uncle (for anyone older)
Term of respect for someone older — don’t be surprised!
Sir / Madam
Money Talk: Lakh & Crore
You’ll hear these constantly when discussing prices, distances, and populations. 1 Lakh = 100,000 and 1 Crore = 10 million. So “5 lakh rupees” = ₹500,000. Keep this in mind to avoid confusion!
📖 Complete Indian English Phrase Guide
All phrases A–Z with meanings and global equivalents. The green italic column shows the globally understood alternative.
👉 Swipe left to see all columns
🇮🇳 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) |
🍛 Food & Drink Terms at Restaurants
🌏 Things to Keep in Mind
Regional Variations
Indian English has influences from various regional languages like Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and more. Common phrases can vary across different regions of India.
Formal vs Informal Register
The formality of certain phrases matters a lot. What’s perfectly polite in one context may feel overly formal or too casual in another.
Body Language & Tone
Indian communication often relies heavily on nonverbal cues. A phrase may seem straightforward on paper, but understanding the cultural context is important.
🗣️ Language
🍛 Food & Drink
🚗 Transport
🎬 Entertainment
💰 Money
🏥 Health & Safety
