A Quick Hinglish Lesson

The following are a list of important Hindi words and their most common usage:

Acha.  Means "OK".  Commonly used like this: "Acha acha acha acha acha."

Tiika.  Also means "OK".  Commonly used like this: "Tiika tiika tiika tiika tiika."

Kitne.  The most important word you'll need at an Indian bazaar.  Means "How much".  Easy for me to remember because it's pronounced like the last name of a certain ex-Detroit Lions quarterback.

Haa.  Means "Yes", although it's important to make the distinction between the American "Yes" and the Indian "Yes".  In America, "Yes" is used as an affirmative.  In India, "Yes" is commonly used to say "I hear you and I understand".  Just because someone says "Yes" does not mean that they agree with you.  "Yes" does not mean they think you're right.  "Yes" just acknowledges that you're speaking at all.

Certain Indian accents also add a bit of a nasal overtone to haa so that to the American ear it sounds a bit like a honk or "hnnn".  Perhaps a better comparison would be a question: “heeeeeh?”.  Other Indian accents draw the aa's very clearly.  In my diverse office full of Indian editors conducting business over the phone, an American hears half of the room asking "huh?", while the other half  is constantly, mirthlessly laughing.

Combine the Indian definition of "Yes" with the Indian head-wobble and you might appreciate why your correspondent occasionally hesitant in conversation.  The Indian head-wobble looks like this: ear to shoulder, ear to shoulder, ear to shoulder.  Wobble wobble wobble wobble wobble.  The Indian head-wobble is used to say, again, "I hear you and I understand".  My driver, JP, has a particularly vivid wobble.  The more strenuously that you agree, the more vigorous the wobble; unfortunately, the more vigorous the wobble, the more you seem to an American to be shaking your head no.

It leaves one baffled American, then, as I carry on an enjoyable conversation with a colleague only to have them shake their head and fake a laugh.  We all speak the same language, but it's funny how often we still need translation..