You can always tell a Hyderabadi by how they talk. The electrician who promises he's coming "abhi-ich" and turns up next week. The friend who tells you about something that happened "parson", which turns out to mean 2009. The uncle who uses the word for brinjal to express everything from amazement to disgust.
Hyderabad has its own way of speaking, and it's half the fun of living here. Think of it like a mixed fruit juice: take Urdu, Hindi, Telugu, a splash of Marathi and a good dose of English, put it all in a mixer, and you get Hyderabadi. This guide covers the slang you'll hear most - Hyderabadi Hindi and Hyderabadi Telugu slang.
What Is Hyderabadi Hindi, or Dakhini?
Hyderabadi Hindi is Dakhini (also called Dakhni or Deccani), the language you'll hear all over Hyderabad and across the Deccan. It happily mixes in words from the languages around it, like Telugu, Marathi and Kannada. In Hyderabad, there is of course heavy influence of the local language Telugu. Dakhni expressions and one liners are full of humour and lightness of a distinctly Hyderabadi nature. There is also a belief that Dakhni is the original form of Urdu that first got royal patronage as a literary language going back to the 1400s, before ceding that position later to the Urdu from the North of India. So, aside from its fun and humorous slang, Dakhni or Hyderabadi Hindi or Hyderabadi Urdu, however you want to call it, also boasts a rich history as a serious literary and royal language.
The Hyderabadi Slang Everyone Uses
These are the words and phrases that come up again and again. If you learn nothing else, learn these.
Baigan - The Master Word
Literally, baigan means brinjal or eggplant. In Hyderabad, it means... almost anything. It's the go-to word for disappointment, disbelief, irritation and sometimes even awe.
- Baigan ke baataan nakko karo - Stop talking nonsense (literally, "don't talk brinjal talk")
- Baigan mein mila diye - You've completely ruined it
- Baigan! - Said on its own, it's roughly "Oh, come on!"
Its close cousin is pinda, used in much the same way. Pinde mein mila diye means you've ruined something just as thoroughly.
Hau and Nakko - Yes and No
- Hau - Yes
- Nakko - No, or "don't"
You'll hear nakko everywhere: "Nakko re baap!" (No way!), "Tension nakko lo" (Don't stress). There's an old Hyderabad joke about a passer-by who scolds a street kid for saying the "rude" word hau instead of the polite ji haan. When the kid asks, "Is hau really a rude word?", the man replies, without thinking, "Hau."
Kaiku - Why?
Kaiku means "why", and Hyderabadis use it constantly. "Kaiku tension lete, miya?" (Why are you stressing, man?). Fair warning: a Hyderabadi can keep asking kaiku forever, so don't try to win that argument.
Light Lo - Chill
Light lo (or lite lo, light lelo) means "take it easy" or "don't worry about it". It's what a Hyderabadi says when you're stressing, when they're late, and, famously, when they've just bumped into your car. You'll hear the Telugu version too: "Lite tīsukō, māma."
Haula - Silly or Crazy
Haula (for a man) and hauli (for a woman) mean silly, foolish or a bit crazy. Haule baataan means silly talk, and "Kaiku haule chala karre?" means "Why are you acting like a fool?" The word crossed over into Telugu too, as howlagallu.
Parson - Any Time in the Past
In Hindi, parson means the day before yesterday. In Hyderabad, it means any time in the past - yesterday, last month, or the 1990s. "Parson-ich mila tha" (I met him just the other day) could mean last week or five years ago.
Abhi-ich - Right Now (Sort Of)
Abhi-ich aata means "I'm coming right now". In practice, it means "I'm coming at some point". That handy -ich ending adds emphasis to almost anything:
- Abhi-ich - Right now
- Yahin-ich hoon - I'm right here (they could be in the next neighbourhood)
- Hum aise-ich bolte - This is just how we talk
Maut Daal Diye - Totally Nailed It
Maut daal diye (literally "brought death") means you did something exceptionally well. Scored a century? Aced your exam? Made an amazing biryani? Maut daal diye.
Kirrak - Awesome
Kirrak means awesome, amazing or crazy-good. "Kya kirrak idea hai, mamu!" (What an awesome idea, buddy!). It's just as common in Telugu.
Iflaas - Lazy and Useless
Iflaas is someone lazy, broke or generally useless. "Kahan jaara re, iflaas?" (Where are you off to, you good-for-nothing?) is affectionate, mostly.
Chindi and Chillar - Cheap and Petty
- Chindi chor - A petty, small-time cheat
- Chillar - Cheap, low-class
"Chindi kaam nakko karo" means "don't do cheap stuff", and "Chindi chor chala nakko kar" means "stop acting like a petty thief".
Miya, Mama, Chicha - Everyone's Your Buddy
In Hyderabad, everyone from the plumber to the policeman can be called miya (buddy), mama or mamu (literally uncle, but used like "dude") or chicha (another word for uncle). And a potta (boy) or potti (girl) can be any age - you'll hear a 50-year-old man called a potta without anyone blinking.
How to Make Anything Plural the Hyderabadi Way
Here's a fun one. Hyderabadis make words plural by adding -aan or -aa to the end, even English words, and even words that are already plural:
- Baat (talk) → baataan
- Galli (lane) → galliyaan
- Light → lightaan
- Car → caraa
- Laptop → laptopaa
- Log (people, already plural) → logaa
Hyderabadi Road Rage, Explained
Hyderabad traffic has given the city some of its best one-liners. You'll hear these shouted at anyone driving badly:
- Tumhare bawa ka road samjhe kya? - Think this is your dad's road?
- Bawa ki shaadi mein jaara kya? - Are you rushing to your dad's wedding? (In other words, what's the hurry?)
- Jaata ki khaata? - Are you leaving, or do you want a beating?
A Few More Hyderabadi Gems
- Pauna - A milky, sweet Irani chai, found in the city's old Irani cafes
- Cutaan maarna - Weaving in and out of traffic on a bike
- Zup bolke aagaya - I got here in a flash
- Bolke aaya kya re? - "Did you say goodbye to your family before coming?" Said to someone doing something wildly silly
- Chaarane ki murgi, baarane ka masala - A four-anna chicken with a twelve-anna masala, meaning spending far more on something than it's worth
- Seedha jaake right maaro - "Go straight and take a right." Hyderabad's favourite way of giving directions, whether or not it's the right way
- Bade bade baataan - Big, big talk. Said to someone who's boasting or making grand promises
- Kuppa hogayi haalat - I'm completely worn out. Perfect for the end of a long week
- Phatke halak mein aagayi - My heart jumped into my throat, as in "I got the fright of my life"
- Haibati kaama nakko kar - Stop doing such outrageous, over-the-top things
Hyderabadi Telugu Slang
Hyderabad's Telugu has its own slang too, often with a few Hindi or Urdu words mixed in. Here are some you'll hear around the city:
- Mastugunnāvā? - How are you? The Hyderabadi way of asking the standard "Bāgunnāvā?", using the Urdu word mast (great)
- Ēndi muchchaṭa? - What's up? What's the news? The Hyderabadi way of asking "Ēnṭi sangatulu?"
- Lite tīsukō, māma - Take it easy, dude
- Dimāg kharāb aitundi - This is driving me crazy (literally, "my brain is going bad")
- Nā bhējā kharāb chēyak rā bai - Stop messing with my head, bro. A very Telangana way of saying "shut up"
- Nakrāl chēyaku - Stop the drama, or stop showing off
- Aitē lē - Fine then, whatever
- Bisket ayindi - It flopped. "Cinema bisket ayindā?" means "Did the movie flop?"
- Bēkār panchāyiti - Pointless chatter or drama
- Nāshtā chēsināvā? - Did you have breakfast? (with the Urdu word nashta)
- Kirrāk - Awesome, just like in Hyderabadi Hindi
- Bai - Bro, a very Telangana way to address a friend
Want to Go Beyond the Slang?
Slang is the fun part, and it'll earn you instant street cred in Hyderabad. But to understand the conversations around you and join in, you need the everyday language people speak.
If you want to progress from phrases and words to having conversations in Telugu in Hyderabad, a bit of structure makes a big difference. Start with Bhashafy's Complete Telugu Course for Beginners and see how far a little consistency can take you.
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