How Widely Spoken

It should come as no surprise that some English is spoken in India, since it was a British colony for several hundred years, but just how prevalent is English in India? Is it possible for a tourist visiting there to get by for example just using English and not any of the local languages? The actual number of estimated English speakers in India is high due to the large population, with an estimated 194 million people who can speak English in the country. However, in terms of the percentage of the population, this is quite a low level of prevalence, with around 14% of the population able to speak English. In general, English is widely spoken in the big cities in India like Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and others but less so in the more rural and Northern areas, where Hindi and various local dialects are more common. The overall percentage of English speakers in India is quite low, but this needn't be a problem for tourists since the majority of English speakers are concentrated in the areas tourists are most likely to visit. Reliable and up to date stats on the prevalence of English speakers in India are actually hard to find, with different estimates taken from different sources, many of which are quite old now. A study from 2012 estimates that around 14% of the population, or around 194 million people, can speak English to some extent in India. Another source places the level of English speakers at around 30% of the Indian population speaking English to some extent, but this seems high and the the article doesn't quote a primary source. Therefore, the lower estimate of around 14% of the population seems more reliable for now, though even this is around a decade old and the number may have grown since then. However, the actual absolute number of English speakers is still quite high in India. In fact due to the sheer size of the India population, now at well over a billion people, there are actually around twice the number of English speakers in India than in the UK itself, despite the low percentage reported to be conversant in English. And India is now second only to the US in terms of the actual number of English speakers in the country, even though the overall percentage in terms of the total population is low. The Complexity of Languages in India There are many different languages spoken as well as English in India, which really complicates the picture. Some of the main languages other than India include Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujurati and Punjabi. On top of this, there are dozens and dozens more local dialects in different regions, so the language situation is extremely complex and it is impossible to be able to speak the local language in all areas of India because there are simply too many of them to learn. However Hindi and English stand out as the two most spoken languages across the country. Both are recognized as co-official languages in India, with Hindi being more prevalent but English also being very common in higher level business, universities and Government. The picture though is further complicated by the fact that the issue of whether a person can speak English or not has turned into a big socioeconomic issue in India, since speaking English is seen as a huge advantage politically and economically, yet it appears to be restricted to the middle and upper classes who can afford to go to the private schools where English is properly taught. The poor in India are largely been frozen out and not learning English, or only learning it in a very rudimentary way in the poorer state schools. Some commentators see this as basically a replaying of the old caste system, where society is separated into layers depending on which parts can speak English and therefore progress and prosper, versus those layers which cannot speak English and are not being taught and so can't move out of the poverty they are stuck in. English vs Hindi in Different Regions and Cities Broadly speaking there also appears to be a North-South divide in India between the prevalence of Hindi and English, with the North being seen as more Hindi friendly and the South being seen as less Hindi friendly and more English friendly. The general consensus among people who have traveled there is that English works, and is generally preferable to Hindi, in the Southern region of India, whereas in the Northern regions Hindi is more prevalent than English. Similarly English is widespread in the built up areas and major cities, which in fairness is where the majority of tourists go. If you are going to any of the following cities, you should have no problem using English - people will either be fluent or at least understand the gist of your question: Bangalore Mumbai Chennai Hyderabad Delhi Conversely, traveling around some of the more Northern regions, like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab, you may find Hindi more prevalent and English speakers will be less common, although not impossible to find with a bit of asking. You can find an English speaker in most places in India; it is just a matter of degree. The Bottom Line The bottom line here is that using English should be fine across most of India in major cities in hospitality, tourist areas, buying and selling and other business. This is what most foreigners traveling through India are going to do anyway so you should be OK using English. If you are going more off the beaten track to more rural and countryside areas, then it is harder to find English speakers and you could do with some basic Hindi to get by asking locals for directions. This can also be true the further North you go in India, though this can't be totally generalized. So if your trip through India is pretty conventional and you are staying to the major built up urban areas, then you probably won't need any Hindi. If you are going to be a little more adventurous and far reaching in the places you visit, then you will need some Hindi, the basics of which we will cover below. Learning Basic Hindi As with visiting any foreign country though, it can always be useful to learn some Hindi phrases, with plenty of reports that using even a basic Hindi greeting, however poorly pronounced, can endear you more to the locals and make them more willing to help you. Here are some of the basic phrases which may help you to get by in less built up, metropolitan areas. We obviously need to add here that languages are extremely complex and numerous in India, so even using Hindi is sometimes no guarantee that you will be understood, since there are so many local dialects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb4Q26AyGd0 EnglishHindiPronounced HelloNamasteNamastay GoodbyeAlvidaaAlvida PleaseKripayaaKripya Thank youDhanyavadDhanya-vaad You're welcomeKoi baat nahiinKo-ee baht naheen YesHaanHaan NoNahiNahi OKThiik haiteek-eh Good morningSuprabhaatSoo-prab-haat Good eveningSubh sandhyaaShub sand-heeya Good nightSubh raatriiShub raa-tree I'm sorryMaaf kijiyeMaaf ki-jay-ah Excuse meMujhe maaf kijiyeMuj-eh maaf ki-jay-ah Nice to meet youAapse milkar khusii huiiArp-seh milkeh cushy hoo-ey How are you?Aap kaise hain?Arp kess-eh hen? See you tomorrowKal milengeKal mill-en-je Where's the bathroom?Shauchalay kahan hai? Show-shalay kar-han heh? How much does this cost?Ye kitne ka hai? Ye kitt-ne ka heh? Can I get the check please?Kyaa mujhe cek mil saktaa hai? Kiya mu-jeh check mil saktar heh? If you’re looking for a language learning app, Mondly offers 41 languages (Hindi & Bengali included) for you to learn on any device, with plans starting from $4/month, and a free version also accessible with no signup required. It is used by over 100 million people worldwide and has excellent overall reviews with it’s easy user interface and emphasis on quick learning and progress. See our overview of the platform here. Travel Essentials For Visiting India Essential stats on India: Population: 1.375 billion Time zone: EST +10.5 hours; GMT +5.5 hours. Currency: Indian rupee (INR) ($1 = 80.52 INR; £1= 95.21 INR at time of writing) International calling code: +91 (see here for getting a working local SIM card/number when abroad) Drives on the left Luggage allowances – see here for an excellent guide on luggage allowances (checked and cabin) for all major airlines worldwide. Banking – If you don’t want to get stung with high ATM fees, check out our article on the Wise Borderless Card, which allows you to open up balances in many different currencies (including Indian Rupee) and spend for free on your card, plus draw out a certain amount of local currency for free at ATMs each month.

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