Beginning Hindi is designed to help first-year learners acquire the language by using it in real-life situations. The book and its accompanying audio files–available on the Press website–include clear explanations of language structures, engaging activities, and an organizational format that makes it easy to chart student progress.

Joshua Pien teaches Hindi and Urdu at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously he worked as a Hindi-Urdu language specialist at the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland. He has also taught Hindi at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Fauzia Farooqui teaches Hindi and Urdu at Princeton University. She has also taught Hindi/Urdu at various other institutions, including the University of Virginia, the Defense Language Institute, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and the American Institute of Indian Studies in Lucknow, India.

A complete first-year Hindi textbook designed to help learners acquire the language by using it in real-life situations

About Beginning HindiHow to Use This Book: For TeachersHow to Use This Book: For Students and Independent LearnersAbout the Hindi Language

The Sound System and Script of Hindi

Part 1: The Sound System of Hindi

Part 2: The Hindi Script

Unit 1: Me and My School 1. Introductions 2. Me and My Classmates 3. My Classroom 4. Describing Classroom Items 5. Giving Commands and Making Requests 6. Unit 1 Review Activities

Unit 2: My Family and My Home 7. Locating Places and Objects8. Identifying Family Members9. Describing Family Members10. My Home, My Belongings11. Making Comparisons12. Unit 2 Review Activities

Unit 3: Daily Life 13. My Daily Routine 114. My Daily Routine 215. Describing Events in Progress16. Weather and Climate17. Unit 3 Review Activities

Unit 4: In the Market 18. Expressing Likes, Needs, and Desires19. Choosing Items and Expressing Measures20. Discussing Prices21. Unit 4 Review Activities Unit 5: My Childhood 22. My Childhood Home23. Describing One’s Childhood24. Describing a Scene in the Past 25. Expressions of Time26. Unit 5 Review Activities

Unit 6: Rules and Responsibilities 27. Rules and Regulations 28. Expressing Compulsion29. Giving and Following Instructions30. Unit 6 Review Activities

Unit 7: A Trip to South Asia 31. My Plans32. My Travel Plans: Definite and Possible33. Arranging Transportation and Lodging34. Finding One’s Way35. Seeking Information for Travel Plans36. Unit 7 Review Activities

Unit 8: Past Events and Experiences 37. My Weekend38. Narrating a Story39. My Experience and Accomplishments40. At the Doctor41. Unit 8 Review Activities

Appendix 1: Numbers Appendix 2: Grammar Supplement Appendix 3: Additional Informational for Teachers

GlossaryHindi-EnglishEnglish-Hindi